As my current focus with leading meditations in SL have been Loving-Kindness, I felt compelled to share this graphic that Bronus posted on our discord channel. In this season of giving, during this crazy year we're all experiencing, let's be mindful to treat ourselves with loving-kindness as well as to everyone else who crosses our path.
"When the sunshine of loving kindness meets the tears of suffering, the rainbow of compassion appears."
Compassion is feeling the suffering of others, being open to their pain. But expressing compassion to ourselves might be something new to many of us. When we are self-compassionate, we treat ourselves in the same way we would a loved one who is suffering. When we practice self-compassion, we realize we are not a bad person, we are simply a person who sometimes makes mistakes or has poor judgment. When we practice self-compassion, it is safe to make mistakes, and easier to own up to them.
Kristin offered this practice when facing a difficult situation:
Close your eyes
Put your hands over your heart
Say, I am struggling right now
Say, Suffering is a part of life. It is part of our common humanity. It is natural to have things like this happen in the course of one’s life. I am not alone.
Say, I am imperfect and that’s okay. I accept myself for who I am.
Say, may I be kind to myself. Repeat as many times as necessary until you feel a calmness in your body.
Say, I’m sorry this is so hard for you. Im here for you. What can I do to help? (What would you say to a friend who was having the same issue? What tone of voice would you have? Say something similar to yourself.)
Say, I love you.
Kristin Neff has some great resources to offer, including a quiz you can take to determine how self-compassionate you are on her website: https://self-compassion.org/
The Kindness Club is a weekly video series on Sundays at 10am SLT. We may add more days and times in the future so please keep a look-out. The videos will feature various topics related to mindfulness and becoming the best version of ourselves - there will be talks, lessons, and guided meditations from a variety of sources. A notecard will go out with the group notice prior to each event with instructions on how to watch the video when you arrive at the Center. (Please note, you must be a member of the Center for Mindfulness group in order to participate.)
Your suggestions for videos we can all enjoy together are very welcome! Please send an NC or IM to my legacy name, Moldylocks with the YouTube link. At the moment, YouTube is the only format that's supported.
