A Lesson in Self-Compassion
The subject of self-compassion comes up very often, both when I teach mindfulness and when I work with my coaching and therapy clients. Once people recognize the need to have more of it, their next step is (in true Type A fashion) to order a book, or more often yet, three books, a course and to subscribe to seven YouTube channels. It’s logical, right? You need a skill, so you get resource to learn it.
Yes. It’s logical, as long as we’re talking about plumbing or surgery some other type of practical skill. Self-compassion is more of an attitude we cultivate than it is a skill that we learn. (You can, however, decide to learn certain skills because it’s a compassionate thing to do, but that’s another topic, for another blog.) It’s not always the case, but it is more often than not, in my experience, that such manic attempts to learn and intellectually grasp everything lead to a lot of information, but very little embodiment.
Like any other form of mindfulness, self-compassion is best done than read about. To help you get started, I prepared something unusual for you to try. I recorded a mixture of a guided meditation and an introduction to self-compassion practice. The links are at the end of the article, and you can download a version with background music or a silent one – whatever you think will feel better.
The recording is 30 minutes long, but don’t let that scare you! It’s not only a meditation, it’s also a lesson. So there are times when you focus on your breath and your body and times when I talk about self-compassion, then times when you reflect on your life and times when I offer you tips. It’s perfectly suitable for beginners as well as meditators with some „meditation stamina“ already acquired.
Click here to download the version without background music.
Click here to download the version with background music.
This recording is a gift, so feel free to pass it along if you think someone might benefit, and stay tuned for a completely free self-compassion course on this web site in the following weeks.
A few brief instruction
It’s better if you do it sitting up
If you’re too tired, leave it for tomorrow, you don’t learn while you sleep
Make sure that you’re comfortable and in a quiet environment so you’re not distrubed for at least 30 minutes
Good luck!
