Mindfulness exercises
Compassion and self-compassion
In this session, the focus of our mindfulness practice will be on others (our relationships) and on ourselves. We will do this by working with compassion and self-compassion.
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The word that comes closest to a translation of compassion is mercy. When you are compassionate, you do not suffer with the person affected, but instead, provide pure care that is independent of the situation and the person.
Self-compassion, therefore, means being compassionate towards yourself, showing yourself care and compassion, and letting go of self-condemnation. Self-compassion can be particularly important when dealing with difficult experiences, such as chronic pain. It is also important to focus on relationships (compassion) because they can be strained by the challenges.
Compassion/Self-compassion and love are two sides of the same coin.
This week we will therefore practice compassion-based heart meditations focusing on both ourselves and others. The first exercise is a short exercise, while the second exercise is a slightly longer meditation.
As in the other weeks, we encourage you to practice a little every day. At the same time, feel free to stick to practicing one or two of the previous mindfulness exercises (body scan, breathing meditation, awareness meditation) that you feel are doing something good for you. Pick the one that you feel you have the most desire and energy to practice and stick with it! Remember that you can come back to the program and the exercises you missed at a later date and extend the whole process of working with yourself.
We still recommend that you fill out the worksheet "What do you notice?" about your experience as you know it.
You can find all the mindfulness exercises below (as well as in the "Toolbox" after session 10 in the overview of the sessions):
Audio file: Heart focus, heart breathing, heart feeling
Audio file: Heart suture meditation
Audio file: Body scan long
Audio file: Body scan short
Audio file: Presence on the normal breath
Audio file: The stamp
Audio file: Awareness of your surroundings
Not yet available
