In this meditation,
We will practice cultivating the ability to meet our experiences with self-compassion.
Specifically,
We will practice an attitude of gentle matter of factness,
Symbolized by the word yes.
During the practice,
I will invite you to try this attitude of self-compassion towards a challenging situation or emotion you are feeling.
Which could be something that was brought up to you during this week or anything else that is going on for you right now.
Let's begin by letting the mind find the body,
Noticing the posture and finding a way to sit that is alert and energized,
But not too tight.
As you ease into your body,
Feeling the breath,
Moving the body.
And as we begin this practice,
I invite you to try out an intention of kindness towards yourself.
Why not give it a try?
Meeting yourself like a good friend or mentor who listens to you and cares about you.
The breath may be short or long,
It may be relaxed or tight,
Energetic or lethargic.
However,
It is each time I invite you to follow it closely with a sense of wishing well for yourself.
Wishing well for ourselves may not be something we often think of to do so.
So I invite you to try it as an experiment for a few minutes and see what it's like for you.
If it helps,
You might note sensations and thoughts that come up with the word yes.
This yes represents a quality of mind that is attentive and kind,
A way of meeting experiences with a gentle matter of factness.
Yes,
I'm feeling this.
Even as we simply sit and breathe,
We may notice subtle feelings of pleasant,
Unpleasant or neutralness.
Slight moments of the breath feeling good or moments of discomfort or feeling very little or sense of dullness.
Each time you notice any of these,
Inviting a sense of yes,
Yes,
This is an unpleasant thought.
Yes,
This is a feeling of warmth.
And now taking a moment to scan the mind body to see if there is anything that comes with an unpleasant feeling to it.
Perhaps something triggering that came up for you during this week.
Or any other challenge you're feeling.
If I were to say.
What feels hard to accept right now?
What feels stuck or challenging in my life?
What comes to mind for you?
And whatever comes,
What would it be like to meet it with a sense of kindness and goodwill towards yourself?
How might it be possible to take care of any painful feelings the way we would take care of a good friend?
If it helps,
You can even let yourself make a very subtle half smile.
Like seeing and recognizing an old friend.
And finally,
Opening that sense of kindness and curiosity to how this situation will unfold.
Are there worries or fears that come to your mind about a situation?
If so,
What would it be like to relax ideas and worries about what might happen?
To wish well for yourself.
Even in the midst of uncertainty.
As you wish well for yourself.
Perhaps it is even possible to hold worries and predictions a little more lightly.
Taking a breath in and out.
Letting go of any particular mental images or thoughts.
Let's allow the mind to rest gently yet closely following the breath with a kind and curious attention.
To end this practice,
Take a last deep breath.
When you're ready,
Fully open the eyes and return your attention to the room.
Feel free to stretch or move the body if you'd like.
Thank you for participating in this self compassion meditation.
My name is Patrick Christopher Eila,
And I'm your instructor for today.
