Steps to your OWN self compassion
Lie down, or take a comfortable seat that feels both relaxed and alert. Practice mindful breathing. Become aware of your breath; breathe naturally while noticing in-breathing, and out-breathing. Anchor your attention to a specific body-part, for examples you can focus at the tip of the nostrils, or lips, sensing air entering, and exiting the body, or you can focus on your belly as it rises while breathing in, and falls while breathing out.
Place one, or both hands over the region of the heart, and bring a mental picture, or memory of a loved one into awareness, someone with whom you have experienced a feeling of unconditional acceptance. This may be a human being, or an animal, any being whose presence elicits natural happiness.
Recognize that your loved one, like all beings, experiences the vulnerabilities, and the aspirations that life brings. He, or she is subject to the sufferings of pain, accidents, disease, undo fear, or sadness, and eventual dying, and death.
Bring the presence of this person into your heart-space while silently repeating the following:
- May you be safe
- May you be well
- May you be happy
- May you live with ease
As you notice that your attention has wandered elsewhere, gently encourage your attention back to the presence of the loved one at your heart center, and resume the practice of repeating each of the four phrases.
Add yourself to the goodwill you are generating from the space of your heart, repeating the following phrases:
- May you and I be safe
- May you and I be well
- May you and I be happy
- May you and I live with ease
Repeat these, or other phrases that feel natural to you, while cultivating an attitude of openness, acceptance, and loving-kindness.
Picture the entirety of your mind-body. Gently, and slowly begin to scan your body by moving your attention:
- From the crown of the head down the neck, shoulders, both arms, hands, and fingers
- Along the front, and back of the upper torso, and then the pelvic region
- Up the body from the toes all the way to the crown of the head
- Toward any areas of pleasantness, and unpleasantness
Offer compassionate loving kindness to yourself by repeating the following phrases:
- May I be safe
- May I be well
- May I be happy
- May I live with ease
If it feels safe, then revisit areas of unpleasantness while holding a part of the mind-body in the heart space. Consider naming the mind-body part within the phrases, for example:
“May the knee that I am trying to take care of be well …”
“May the fear that I have tried to push away be at ease …”
“May I be at ease with the negative thoughts that I have fought for so many years …"
Conclude your practice by bringing awareness back to the entire mind-body, and sensing the entirety of your being as a singular organism intimately connected with all other life forms. As you breathe, feel your connection with all of life. Lie, or sit for some time in silence.
Thank you to the "Chopra Centered Lifestyle" for these awesome tips.
Either you do, or you don't. While it may sound easy, practicing compassion for ourselves can be very difficult. Creating a practice to integrate self-compassionate feelings into your life can heal your mind, and body, and open your heart to new heights. The benefits of self-compassion can be HUGE when it comes to your session REVEAL, and seeing how you glow, and LOVE yourself.
