Learning Self-Compassion

Hi, everyone. It's Dora. And today I'll be guiding us through a self-compassion practice. So at times when life gets challenging or we're facing a lot of difficulties, we may think that we need a higher self-esteem or more self-confidence. And what life is requiring of us in those moments is actually more compassion and more patience with ourselves. So in the exercise today, I'll be guiding you through the loving kindness practice. And in this meditation, we'll be offering ourselves warm wishes and words of love and affirmation as a way to connect to ourselves in a kinder, more friendlier way. So when you're ready and in your own time, just take a moment to get comfortable. So maybe sitting upright or lying down, whatever feels right for you and your body. And then when you're ready, if you'd like, just gently closing the eyes. Feeling the weight of the body pressing down into the chair or floor beneath you. Maybe taking a moment here to notice any sounds around you in your space. And allowing them to come and go. Now shifting the focus to the body. Softening the eyebrows, unclenching the jaw, and relaxing the shoulders. Gently noticing where you may be holding onto any other tension or tightness in the body. Now guiding the focus to the breath. And taking three deep breaths here, breathing in through the nose, filling the lungs and expanding the belly, and then exhaling out slowly through the mouth. Again, breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth. One last time, breathing in and breathing out. Just returning the breath back to its natural rhythm. Continuing to focus on each inhale and each exhale. Feeling that rising and falling sensation in the body. Or if that becomes too much, maybe just noticing that gentle pressure of the body making contact with the chair or floor beneath you. Allowing any thoughts to come and go. Just connecting to the present moment. So if you'd like, for this loving kindness practice, you can place your hand over your hearts. Maybe placing the other hand over your stomach or resting it over your hand. Holding yourself here with a sense of compassion and kindness. Maybe inviting a slight smile to the face. Noticing what that smile feels like in the body and mind. And when you're ready, repeating after me out loud or just silently to yourself. May I learn to trust myself as I am. May I learn to accept myself as I am. And may I learn to believe in myself as I am. Breathing that in and letting it go. Again, repeating after me. May I learn to trust myself as I am. May I learn to accept myself as I am. May I learn to believe in myself as I am. And again, breathing in that sense of compassion towards yourself and breathing it out to all others. Breathing in a sense of patience towards ourselves. Breathing...