Find a way to sit in a supportive and comfortable position on a chair or on your meditation cushion.
Begin to notice what it feels like to be in your body in this moment.
And over the next 10 breaths,
Scan your body from the bottom of your feet to the crown of your head.
When you reach the crown of your head,
Scan back down,
Ending at the soles of your feet.
As you prepare to embrace and tend to your own vulnerability,
Consider what your intention is for doing so.
By turning towards yourself,
Towards your tender places rather than away,
What do you hope to receive for yourself or change in your life?
Reflect on what brings you to this practice and as you consider the event in your life that is causing you to feel vulnerable or maybe it's an internal dialogue or something someone did or said,
Notice what it feels like in your body.
Where is that tender spot,
That vulnerable place?
As you turn your awareness to the physical sensation of vulnerability,
Reflect on if this space in your body feels open or if it feels blocked off and armored.
This isn't a judgment call about how you're being with your vulnerability.
Reflecting on whether this space is open and ready or guarded and armored is just giving you information on what's true for you right now.
What's here?
It's literally this.
.
And bring the palms of your hands together and start to rub them to create friction and warmth.
As though you were warming your hands on a cold day.
Move a little faster now,
Really rubbing them together.
And once they feel warm enough,
Bring the palms of your hand to the place in your body where you feel vulnerability,
Offering yourself mercy and compassion in the face of pain and suffering.
Realize that turning towards your vulnerable places takes courage.
Once you've turned towards it,
Placed your hand on the places that hurt,
You might wish to begin to offer yourself some words of tenderness and kindness.
First,
You might ask yourself,
What am I observing here?
What am I experiencing?
What am I feeling here?
What are the physical sensations?
The storylines.
The thoughts that are happening right now.
What is it that I'm feeling in my emotions?
My mood.
And you might notice that your emotions are a combination of thoughts and stories with physical sensations.
And that underneath the really big emotions,
There might be some more subtle emotions.
The emotions.
And as though you are able to offer yourself the care that a beloved friend would offer you when you're in need,
Ask yourself,
What is it that I need right now?
What is it that I need right now?
What is it that I need right now?
What is it that I need right now?
It might be kind words.
It might be a time out.
It might be a walk to reset your mind.
Maybe you have a request for yourself.
Maybe it's to soften a self-critical voice or to ask for some support from someone else.
What do you need in this moment to support yourself in holding and making the space for your vulnerability,
For your true human nature?
What do you need?
Finally,
Take a few moments to acknowledge that you have seen and heard and honored your own vulnerability,
Perhaps silently saying to yourself,
I see you.
I honor you.
I love you.
I love you.
Now,
Let go of all technique and simply rest,
Releasing your hands,
Noticing your breath as it comes and goes with a natural presence,
Natural awareness.
And lightening up this place.
To close this practice,
Wrap your arms around yourself.
Give yourself a nice squeeze.
Take a deep breath in.
Let it go.
And thank yourself for taking time out to pay attention.
