Self compassion is extremely important because, without it, it’s almost impossible to experience joy, laughter and happiness. If you aren’t being compassionate with yourself, you are doing the opposite … judging and condemning yourself.
Without self compassion, you are thrown into the self-loathing abyss that breeds depression, stress, anxiety and so much more!
So what is self compassion?
Yes, the obvious answer is “to have compassion for yourself”.
Let’s take this even further …
Self compassion is to love yourself unconditionally in spite of perceived failures, inadequacies and imperfections.
In order to truly heal you must practice self-compassion Click To TweetWhen you practice self compassion, you’re able to open your heart, face your wounds and process the pain. You’re able to lovingly embrace the disowned, wounded parts of yourself that you have rejected (and perhaps despised!) all these years. These wounded, disowned parts of yourself is where your inner child resides. Your inner child has been abandoned and needs to be reunited with the self compassionate you!
Admittedly, this can be difficult … after all you’ve been programmed to judge right vs. wrong, good vs. bad, acceptable vs. unacceptable, etc. This creates the inner critic that wreaks havoc on your life.
The art of self compassion takes practice and I recommend to my clients that they start with a simple meditation. This get’s them out of their heads, into their feelings and their body, and it’s a great way to stay in the moment of “here and now” … even if it’s just for a short period of time! 😉 It allows you to simply be with your thoughts and feelings – without bias, prejudice or judgement. Its a great practice of simply honoring yourself in a real, authentic, compassionate way.
Do this practice daily and you will reap the rewards almost immediately!
Meditation for Self Compassion
1. Breathe and Become Aware – begin by getting comfortable and taking deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Become aware of how each part of your body feels. Where do you feel tight, numb, open, closed, etc.? Focus, feel and connect with each inhale and exhale. Notice any thoughts or feelings that come in to your awareness then let them go. Stay as focused as you can on the “here and now”. Do this for as long as it feels right for you. At the beginning, it may be just a few minutes. Eventually, you’ll be able to do it longer. Shoot for 10 mins or so.
2. Recall and Process – Once your have completed the breathing and awareness exercise, pick a handful of emotions that came into your awareness. Focus on each of the emotions, one at a time, and notice what happens to your body. Perhaps your chest gets tight, your stomach turns to knots or butterflies … what’s happening in your body as you honor the specific emotion? What does that emotion feel like at the deepest level? Perhaps, deep down, you’ll find rage, longing, loathing, self-hatred, deep sadness. Honor whatever comes up for you. Let the inner child speak to you and listen, compassionately to what it has to say.
Don’t try to figure out where its coming from. Don’t try to fix it. Just stay with whatever comes up for you. Notice if your inner critic steps in and start to judge, condemn, etc. Notice how the inner critic affects your body and your emotions. Use your breathing to stay focused on the “here and now” while offering compassion to your inner child.
3. Return to Breathing and Awareness – When you are done focusing on and observing each emotion, simply return to simple breathing and awareness. Do this for as long as you feel you need to in order to feel complete.
4. Practice Self-Gratitude – honor yourself for claiming this space and time for yourself. Be grateful for what was revealed to you.
This is a great daily practice. It’s powerful but so simple!
It’s usually a good idea to write in a journal afterwards to document what you observed and what came up for you. Eventually, you’ll be able to identify patterns that can guide you on what you need to heal and/or work on.
By practicing self compassion, you can begin to heal the wounded inner child and reclaim your personal power.
Hugs,
