A Moment of Self-Compassion

Welcome. In this micro-practice, I'm going to share with you a visualization exercise to support you in easing anxiety. And it's called a moment of self-compassion. We've all experienced moments when we will feel a kind of wave of anxiety, that mix of bodily sensations, thoughts, and feelings that indicates that we're really struggling to feel at ease with some aspect of reality in the moment. With this practice, we can bring up a gentle memory of how we carry in our bodies the felt sense of having been safe and nurtured, and we can draw directly on that memory in moments when we feel we could use that little bit of extra uplift.

So whenever you feel down, just place one hand over your heart, and one hand just beneath your belly button. Research indicates that such warm and safe touches can release our own positivity hormones and literally rebalance us in stressful times. Now, bring to mind a vision of a place where you felt safe, or a person around whom you felt loved. Let the image be as clear and this vivid as possible, and really feel the sense of safety and love emanating from this person or this place. With this image and these feelings infusing your body and being as much as possible.

Spend a few minutes gently breathing in and out. Notice any positive shifts in your body. And then consciously repeat the following phrases. In this moment of difficulty, I offer loving kindness to myself. In this moment, I recall the love within.

And this, right here, right now, I smile inside and radiate kindness. Allow yourself to spend a few more cycles of breathing and bathing in the kindness that you've generated. This short exercise, this moment of self-compassion, draws on the neuroscience of touch and visualization to powerfully shift our state of being when we need it. You can take a quick break for this practice at any time to experiment with recharging your wellbeing batteries at will. Thank you for your practice.

I look forward to meeting you here again. And until then, journey compassionately.