Showing ourselves compassion loving kindness is difficult for many, this constant denying of love, forces expectations and demands and creates a harsh reality of non-love towards themselves.
Why beat ourselves up when there are many more in the world that will do this anyway? I would like to share with you 3 simple steps towards learning to grow your own self-compassion:
1 – Treat yourself as you would a dear friend – many of us seem better at being compassionate to others than to ourselves. But we can extend the feeling of loving kindness and connectedness that we cultivate with others to ourselves also. Next time you get frustrated and feel tempted to berate yourself, try treating yourself with kindness as you would your best friend in the same situation of suffering.
2 – Hold painful emotions with love – when a difficult situation arises and you are feeling depressed, tearful, sad or another painful emotion, try holding the intense emotion with love and watch as a soothing calm descends on you. Instead of just feeling the suffering, you can also feel the loving and connected presence that arises also. It won’t take the negative experience away but may help you to tolerate it with patience.
3 – Put your hand on your heart – simply do this and let this be a gentle reminder to send love inwards. The more self-compassion we show the more we can sustain being compassionate to others and this ripples out into the greater community.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Suzy Teixeira
Hypnohelp Melbourne – Hypnotherapy Clinic