Let's start by finding

a comfortable posture.

This could be sitting,

lying down or standing.

If it's comfortable to do

so you can close your eyes.

And we'll take one deep breath together.

In through the nose.

And out through the mouth.

Inviting the jaw to soften.

Letting the shoulders be at ease.

As well as the hands and the belly.

As the body starts to ease into

this moment, you can let the breath

fall back into its natural rhythm.

You don't need to force your breathing

pattern or breathe in a way that you

think is appropriate for meditation.

Just let the breath be normal and

see if you can really give yourself

permission to be here, to be still, to

not have to get anywhere or do anything.

You've already allocated

this time for yourself.

Let yourself experience it fully

without needing to fix anything.

Let's bring our attention

to our breath for a moment.

And if you feel comfortable doing so,

place your right hand on your heart

and your left hand on your belly.

A gentle touch like this can be

really powerful for cultivating

a sense of self compassion.

One of the first things we do if

someone's in pain is offer them a hug.

Even though it might feel cheesy

to do it for ourselves, there's

something very grounding in it.

And it's communicating that kind

quality of awareness that we're

really going for with self-compassion.

So with your hand on your heart,

and one hand on your belly,

simply feeling your heart beating.

And feeling your body breathing.

You can just say to

yourself, you're doing great.

I know things are tough right now,

but you're getting through it.

And you're taking a proactive

role in your own wellbeing.

Good job.

See what it's like to talk to

yourself in that way or say anything

that feels kind and compassionate.

Notice when those judgments arise, the

negative thoughts, the negative words.

They're not you.

They're just thoughts.

They just arise.

Let them go.

And what is something kind you could say

to yourself, as if you were consoling

a child that made a mistake or was

going through something difficult?

As you feel your heart beating and

you have one hand on your belly, let's

take one last deep breath together.

In through the nose.

And out through the mouth.

And when you're ready,

you can open your eyes.

So great job.

Notice how you feel after

doing this practice.

We've started to now plant the

seeds for self-compassion, but

this isn't just something that

can be done in a meditation.

You can do it throughout your day

and really make that your intention

today, to show yourself more

compassion, more self-compassion

in whatever you're going through.

So thank you for your practice.

You're doing great.

Continue to bring the

self-compassion into your day.

Take care.