Welcome to day 11.
Today's practice is called a break for self-compassion.
And it is something we can do anytime during the day or night when we need a little self-compassion.
To practice this exercise,
We will be calling up a little suffering.
We will be calling up a little suffering.
So I invite you to think about a situation in your life right now that is difficult for you.
Maybe you are feeling stressed.
Or are having a relationship problem.
Or you're worried about something that might happen.
So I invite you to think of something that is difficult,
But not overwhelmingly so.
Especially if you are new to practicing self-compassion.
So when you're ready,
Finding a comfortable seated position,
Gently closing off the eyes.
And knowing at any point if you need to pause,
To turn off this recording,
To take care of yourself.
All of it is encouraged.
All of it is welcome.
And taking some slow,
Long,
Deep breaths in through the nose.
Letting it go.
And finding a situation that you can get in touch with.
What's going on?
What happened?
Or what might happen?
Who said what?
As best you can,
Bring this situation,
This moment to life in your mind's eye.
Then we'll go through some phrases that are designed to help us remember the three components of self-compassion.
When we need it most.
The first phrase is,
This is a moment of suffering,
Right?
Or bringing mindful awareness to the fact that present suffering is here.
And I invite you to find some language that speaks to you.
Something like this is really hard right now.
Or I am really struggling.
We are actually turning towards difficulty,
Acknowledging it,
Naming it.
This is a moment of suffering.
The second phrase.
Suffering is a part of life.
Okay?
We're reminding ourselves of our common humanity.
Suffering is a part of life.
And again,
Finding language that speaks to you.
It may be something like,
It is not abnormal to feel this way.
Many people are going through similar situations.
The degree of suffering may be different.
The flavor of suffering may be different.
But suffering is a part of life.
Part of being human.
The third phrase is,
May I be kind to myself in this moment.
And to support bringing kindness to yourself.
I invite you to put your hands over your heart.
Or some other place on your body that feels soothing and comforting.
Feeling the warmth of your hands.
The gentle touch.
Letting those feelings of care stream through your fingers.
May I be kind to myself.
Using any language that supports this sense of kindness.
Perhaps imagining you're speaking to your good friend.
Someone you care about who is going through this situation.
A very similar situation.
It may be something like,
I am here for you.
It's going to be okay.
I care about you.
You can use anything that feels comfortable.
Oh,
Darling,
I'm so sorry.
Or you can try calling yourself by your first name.
Anything that feels natural.
To express your deep wish that you be well.
Whenever you're ready,
We'll start to let this practice go.
Notice how your body feels now.
Allowing any sensations to be just as they are.
Allowing yourself to be.
If you need a little more time here,
Or to rewind and listen to this script again,
Know that it is here for you.
Taking a little extra time to be kind to yourself today.
To love yourself.
I thank you so much for joining me.
For sitting with me.
Wishing you a beautiful rest of your day.
And I look forward to seeing you in day 12.
