Hello,
This is Ryan and welcome to 10 Minutes of Self-Compassion.
Self-Compassion is the root of all of the loving-kindness practices.
After all,
How can we learn to love others if we haven't first learned to love ourselves?
So this is something that doesn't always come naturally to us.
Loving-kindness towards ourselves is something that we can practice,
Something that we can cultivate.
And so that's the purpose of this recording,
To guide you through how to be a bit more compassionate towards yourself.
So let's begin this practice.
You can do this practice by assuming any comfortable posture.
You could be sitting or lying down.
So just focusing first on the physical sensation of being here.
Noticing your body.
Grounding into the supporting surfaces.
Feeling whatever it is that pushes back on your body as Earth's gravity pulls down.
Feeling that pressure and allowing that pressure to ground you in this moment because the sense of touch is only happening right here and right now.
So feeling how that pressure is activating your sense of touch.
And also noticing how the body is moving with the breath.
So seeing how this motion of air in and out of the body constantly moves the body.
The belly rises up and falls down with each breath.
The chest expanding,
Contracting ever so slightly.
Maybe even noticing the movement of the shoulders.
The feeling of air through the nostrils.
Feeling ourselves in this moment with this breath.
And as you feel ready,
Directing your attention inward toward your sense of self,
Toward you.
And seeing if you can foster a feeling of unconditional love towards yourself.
So you don't need to feel particularly worthy.
You don't have to feel anything at all or any special feeling as you do this practice.
Just doing your best to love yourself in this moment for exactly who you are and exactly how you are.
There is no other moment than right now in which to love yourself.
The future never comes.
There's only right now.
So seeing if you can focus on loving yourself right now exactly as you are.
There's no need to wait.
Right now is the right time to love yourself.
And so letting go of any desires you may have to be different from how you are,
To be better,
To be better.
Just settling into this version of you,
The one that's here right now.
Seeing if you can open your arms,
Embrace yourself,
Hug yourself,
Rock yourself in this loving embrace.
Feeling whatever feelings come up as you generate this self-compassion,
This loving kindness towards you.
Maybe noticing a feeling of warmth in the chest.
Maybe even a tingling on the skin.
Whatever it is that's in your experience,
Just allowing it to be and noticing it,
Noticing the physical manifestation of this loving kindness towards yourself and of course as you do this practice you may notice nothing at all and letting that be your experience,
That's okay too.
So basking in this glow,
In this feeling of unconditional love towards you.
Letting go of any harshness,
Any criticisms you may have towards yourself.
And treating this like any other distraction in the mindfulness practice.
Have you noticed yourself thinking any harsh thoughts,
Any criticisms,
Any desires to be different,
Just allowing them to be like any other distraction you may have in the mindfulness practice.
Noticing it for a moment,
Accepting that criticism and then letting it go.
And so continuing to foster this feeling of unconditional love towards yourself.
And for some of us this feeling may be very challenging.
And that's okay.
The mere act of trying to do this practice is already enough.
Just by practicing this self compassion,
This loving kindness as best we can,
We're already beginning to take an active role in changing our own mental patterns.
And so if it's helpful for you,
You can bring some well wishes towards yourself.
So repeating after me in your mind's eye,
If that feels comfortable for you to do so.
And not repeating like a mantra.
Doing your best to really mean these words as you say them to yourself.
May I be happy and contented.
May I be safe,
Free from inner and outer harm.
May I be safe,
Free from inner and outer harm.
May I be healthy and whole to whatever degree that is possible for me.
May I be healthy and whole.
May I be at peace.
May I have ease of well-being.
May I be at peace.
May I have ease of well-being.
And so now just releasing with an out-breath,
Letting go and bringing the attention back to the breath,
Back to this body,
Back to this present moment.
And so in a moment,
We'll draw this practice to its close.
So just listening for the bell.
And when you hear the sound of the bell subside completely after the third ring,
Feeling free to open your eyes and move your body in any way that's comfortable.
It culturalising music.
