Breathe in space with compassion.
This practice is particularly helpful in moments of suffering in everyday life.
You can practice this when you are feeling challenged or dealing with emotional pain or stressful situation and it's safe enough to allow for a mindful pause.
So let's begin by acknowledging whatever is present right now,
Including what feels painful.
Simply noticing sensations as they present themselves and it may be helpful to name them.
Maybe I feel tension in my jaw or in my neck,
My shoulders or heaviness in my chest,
Shallow breathing.
Maybe noticing and naming your feelings like fear,
Sadness,
Shame,
Vulnerability,
Anger and also noticing your thoughts without losing yourself in their content.
Worrying,
Criticism,
Self-judgment and holding the difficult in a cradle of kindness,
Embodying an attitude of soften,
Soothe,
Allow,
Softening bodily tension,
Soothing painful emotions,
Allowing thoughts,
Whatever their content,
Allowing all of the experience to come and go and inviting the awareness to follow the movement of the breath and gently allowing the breath to slow down and deepen into a calming,
Comforting,
Soothing rhythm and let the breath flow freely,
Allowing the body to soften and feeling the gravity and support beneath you and if that's available to you,
Perhaps supporting your experience by gentle smile,
A gentle touch or by connecting with the image of a safe place or a kind friend and now expanding your awareness to your entire body and opening your heart for any pain and suffering that might be here,
Whether physically,
Emotionally or mentally and asking yourself what could be a compassionate wish for myself in this moment and if a wish comes up,
Softly repeating the words and letting the wish flow through you and if your wish may be placing one or both hands on your heart if no wish comes to mind,
You can try one of the following may I feel calm,
May I feel safe,
May I receive comfort,
May I have the courage to be with this pain,
May I be free from suffering,
May I accept what I cannot change sometimes a paradoxical wish like may I feel this tension,
This fatigue,
This sadness can be very compassionate,
Allowing space for what is actually here already,
If you wish you can try the sentences from self-compassion mantra this is a moment of suffering,
Suffering is part of being human,
So may I be kind to myself,
You can stay with this practice for as long as you wish or bring it to a close on the sound of the bell
