Mindful Self Compassion--A personal Story, By Laurie Hallihan

In the beginning of my Mindful Self-Compassion journey, learning self-compassion was arduous, and I didn't fully understand what it was. Mindfulness and Self-Compassion practices might seem simple, but they are not easy. This is partly due to the fact that Mindfulness is non-conceptual awareness. We are approaching the world with our direct experience rather than through the lens of thought. Not the typical way we are taught to engage with the world, right?!

Imagine you are trying to explain an apple to a person who has never seen or eaten an apple. We might be able to tell them the colors available, the different tastes, perhaps the texture, but the person will never truly understand what an apple is until they have taken a bite.

In Mindfulness and Self-Compassion, we practice fully engaging with our direct experience of ourselves in the world. This takes patience, practice, and a beginner's, childlike mind. This is why I invite people to start small. Take an activity you already do during the day and bring some KIND awareness to it. You might see what it's like to brush your teeth, wash the dishes, fold laundry, eat one bite of food, drink, or pick another simple task using all your senses. Dive deep into the experience of these activities directly. Typically, we are pushing through them to finish as quickly as possible.

How do you bring this KIND awareness to an activity? I engage with the loving part of me that really wants to enjoy the experience of life. For some, this can be difficult. Picture yourself holding a child, pet, or another being to whom you can naturally show kindness. You might pause to inhale the word love or kindness to begin fostering this emotion. Placing a hand on your heart to evoke a loving sensation can also be helpful. Remember, you may not feel kind awareness right away. We are in the early stages of cultivating it through our actions and intentions.

You could inquire to yourself later about the experiment:

What was the experience like?

How was it different than how you usually do this activity?

What did it feel like to bring even the smallest bit of kindness to your task?

I would love to hear the challenges, successes, or surprises if you try this for yourself.

More to come next month when Mindful Self-Compassion - A Personal Story continues!

Yours in compassion,

Laurie