Meditation For Self-Compassion

Self love 
Is the nourishment
that gives us 
The clarity and strength
To love others well

 ~yung pueblo

Self-Compassion.  I’m digging deep in 2020, to the meaning of self-love and self-compassion in my life.   It also happens to be the focus of this meditation which is designed to keep you grounded in your practice and your teaching. 

Self-compassion and its often-mentioned counterpart, Self-Love, often carry the connotation of being overly focused on the personal and separate or overly self-indulgent. It’s not surprising. So often, success is equated with drive and destination, going along with what others feel is important to succeed rather than paying attention to our deepest needs and desires. This pushes our lives out of balance and leaves us feeling unfulfilled.

I believe it’s possible for all of our accomplishments, both in spiritual life and beyond, to come from a more fertile, balanced ground, driven less by ego and more by process and present-moment awareness and rooted in compassion for self and others, despite our circumstances.

From high-powered executives to stay-at-home Moms, we must balance self-compassion and self-love with fierce protection of our beliefs and our desire for action.

When we forget to cultivate self-compassion and care for ourselves, we self-sabotage.

When we are grounded in self-compassion and love, all of our accomplishments, both successes and failures, can live side by side in the most tender parts of ourselves.

Self-love allows us to know and express our true selves. The ability to bounce back from failure and learn from our mistakes allows us to be open and brave enough to self-correct without being hard on ourselves.

This will lead to better-balanced decisions that align with our core values and create a ripple effect in our lives. It will lead us to greater happiness and compassion for our families and communities and has the potential to transform the world around us.

As Jack Kornfield writes:

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

Next time you find yourself in a tough spot, try this journal prompt to root yourself in self-compassion and love when you feel yourself slipping into self-sabotage.

I love myself too much to _________ or “ What do I need right now?”_________

From my heart to yours,