Self-Compassion Tools
SELF-COMPASSION TOOLS
Many of the difficulties we experience emotionally and in relationships with other people are a reflection of how we treat ourselves.
When we are harsh and critical with ourselves, it’s difficult to be in connection with other people. We leave others emotionally when we start beating ourselves up, and we don’t even realize it a lot of the time.
Learning to treat ourselves with kindness and gentleness improves our relationship to ourselves, and allows us to be more present and connected with others.
“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.”
Self-Compassion Exercises
EXERCISE 1
How do you speak to yourself, with others and by yourself? This exercise helps you pay attention and notice how often it happens.
EXERCISE 2
This exercise will help you notice the ways you neglect yourself, physically and emotionally.
EXERCISE 3
This exercise will help you develop the ability to respond to yourself with more kindness, similar to how you might respond to a friend who is suffering.
Self-Compassion Meditations
Forgiveness + Compassion Practice By Tara Brach
This 28 min meditation helps you work on your relationship to forgiveness and compassion, for yourself and others.
Cultivating Loving Presence By Tara Brach
This 33 min meditation helps you work on cultivating a sense of loving presence within yourself.
Generosity Practice
These meditations are from Tara Brach’s website. I’ve included them here to make it easier for you to benefit from and use them as you develop your capacity for self-compassion. You can find more of Tara Brach’s heart meditations here.
Tara’s work is freely offered to all, based on the practice of Dana, which means generosity in Pali. Generosity in this way is a gift to you, and I’d encourage you to use this experience of receiving this gift as an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve received from her teachings. If you feel you’ve been given something of value to you in your process of self-growth and development from her, and feel a genuine sense of gratitude for the teachings, I’d invite you to consider expressing your generosity through donating to Tara Brach.