At first, I did not feel anything and then my chest seem to fill with tears. It was as if my inner self was crying. There is deep pain. And my body is trembling.
I begin to take my ‘armour’ off, it is so easy to got lost in the busyness, these moments of self compassion are essential for me to come back to self awareness and understand how much I need my own loving kindness.
I realized how judgmenetal I am towards myself and nonforgiving. I have a tendancy to be harsh to myself and to others. This was a sorta shock since I always thought I was a kind and nice person. That in itself was a judgment of myself. I needed to let go of those emotions and feel self acceptance and allowance of love towards myself and others. I was riddled with guilt and shame. So? Acknowleging this perhaps I could move on and offer myself some self acceptance and love. For myself and others.
I felt at ease with myself and at the same time I felt a big sadness, but, with my hand on my heart, it was OK.
I can imagine to use this 3 steps in the sessions, every time my clients judge themselves and feel ashamed or guilty because of these judgmental thoughts.
My message of care led into thoughts of the love of my life, and rather quickly and quite severely Judgement interrupted and permeates throughout the exercise, even now likely with sharing it publicly. It was a thorough experience and to summarize, my shift was both challenging and helpful because I never missed any content (nor time) from reminiscing him/love/care, only from all the critical voices and beliefs deeply held, although I can admit there’s a wide range and they’re not mine.
Holly McSpadden, Teacher, Kansas City, MO, USAsays
The gesture of kindness brought me relief as it reminded me that I am worthy of loving myself. I appreciate the reminder that I am not my thoughts: I can observe their rise and fall, when I observe rather than invest.
I whispered gently “I care for you” and felt a deep release of tension inside of me!
A warmth open feeling of loving kindness towards myself and the wounded part of me… imagining my lost and helpless inner child… the words “I’m sorry” arrised.
It’s okay to be doing what you want to do right now. Don’t feel guilty that you’re not helping someone else succeed but are nurturing yourself instead. You’ve spent so many years placing your own desires on the back burner as a mother and partner. Now it’s your turn. Yet it feels so indulgent. I want to be free of this feeling.
While I sent a caring message to myself I found tears.
Even though I know that I am going through a period of total change in my life, to do this now, to open a highway of compassion and to allow the feeling of “not obvious moment of life” completely open and isolated, to feel it completely. .
I felt it was calming and helpful. Then a wave came over me and said what if I fail. I know I have to keep trying to work at all three things to help me get self-acceptance.
Extreme sadness. I’ve been practicing self-acceptance for some time and while I find some comfort in the practice, life events over the last year have landed me in grief. Being in a broken medical system with cancer, the ending of a 20 year primary relationship, the abandonment of my adult daughter and the unexpected passing of my best companion (my dog) after 10 years have left me overwhelmed. This is fertile ground to practice self acceptance and compassion and if I’m honest , it’s lonely work. I’ll continue to accept that I’m where I need to be and I’ll continue to quietly give myself that which I long for from the world…acknowledgement and love. Thank you for your attention.
I have been completely out of my comfort zone this week. I found familiar feelings of not being good enough and wanting to opt out. Because I have been practicing mindfulness for some time I was able to give myself the support I needed. To then receive this video was a blessing to remind myself that I am worthy and am truly part of the group. Thank you Tara 🙏
what if my compassion , my attempt of been more open, kind and understanding of people struggles goes criticized by others who are strongly judgmental ? I have the feeling that they bring a lot of negative energy , feels like they still my energy and I feel so tired after it like I tried to bring some kindness and different prospective and I am left with just negative thought from others.. bit disappointing . make me feel I have to protect my own balance and cannot be totally close to them
It felt strange, like I don’t even know this person I am attempting to comfort.
Almost too tender to bear. That said, I so believe in Tara’s words, I am willing to try to change this pattern. Thank you so very much for these videos…short and powerful.
I am feeling softness and kindness in myself and it overflows . I will use this kindness practice when I feel disturbance within me or without. I feel very grateful to be practising this
Thank you Tara for encouraging me as a practitioner and meditation teacher to also give myself a gesture of kindness.
A hand on heart is so simple, immediate, caring and shifting …a softness towards myself arises as I do this. It reminds me to smile and be grateful for myself and all that I offer others.
warmest wishes Helen (from Queensland Australia)
Sadness that I treat myself as I do & would never treat another like that. Kindness & caring as I could feel the energy from my right hand pour into my heart. Relief that I am finally paying attention to me in a positive & compassionate way.
My life has been so good compared to many other people I have trouble with the my own sadness as unjustified and my negative self image as irrational.This in turn makes self compassion difficult for me.
While placing my hand on my heart I am humming to myself like a grandmother would do holding her grandchild. This imagination with the vibrance of the humming felt in my chest gives me a short moment of relief……
It made me cry for the suffering I have experienced after my eldest son was killed in a road accident. even after 6 years I find it difficult to accept that it actually happened. In my journey I have found that many techniques etc. do not work with profound grief. Even my husband and other children do not speak about it so one is left very much alone. Rather than building up strength feeling self compassion rather makes me crumble. I know facing the pain rather than ignoring it is meant to be healing.
J Castle
Wally Graeber, Another Field, Madison, WI, USAsays
My gesture of kindness to myself is around infidelity. I share this here as I know this is a compassionate and forgiving group that can be trusted to share the same compassion back towards me. In painful moments, I broke the trust of those I loved. I sought short term reward for a long term heartbreak. A year out of a relationship, I found myself in a similar position yet again, reliving those moments. Karmic some might say. I am again extending a gesture of kindness to my current self, for lesson to be learned, felt, experienced, acknowledged, and transformed into something to share with others that find themselves in similar difficult positions of broken trust due to intimacy outside of a committed relationship. Thanks to all for receiving this note. Gratitude for your love in holding this space. -Wally 🙂
It is mind boggling how timely your talks reach me in a steady manner! Thank you Tara 🙏
During the gesture of kindness my eyes welled up. I felt a surprise that I was willing to take care of me and a tenderness and a relief all at once. I felt deeply moved to be seen, understood and accepted.
Softness in my thoughts and the rise of an iner smile.
LB, Quebec
self-acceptance, peace.
At first, I did not feel anything and then my chest seem to fill with tears. It was as if my inner self was crying. There is deep pain. And my body is trembling.
Softness and relief
I begin to take my ‘armour’ off, it is so easy to got lost in the busyness, these moments of self compassion are essential for me to come back to self awareness and understand how much I need my own loving kindness.
i felt relaxed and at ease.
I realized how judgmenetal I am towards myself and nonforgiving. I have a tendancy to be harsh to myself and to others. This was a sorta shock since I always thought I was a kind and nice person. That in itself was a judgment of myself. I needed to let go of those emotions and feel self acceptance and allowance of love towards myself and others. I was riddled with guilt and shame. So? Acknowleging this perhaps I could move on and offer myself some self acceptance and love. For myself and others.
Relief, sadness and hope
I felt at ease with myself and at the same time I felt a big sadness, but, with my hand on my heart, it was OK.
I can imagine to use this 3 steps in the sessions, every time my clients judge themselves and feel ashamed or guilty because of these judgmental thoughts.
My message of care led into thoughts of the love of my life, and rather quickly and quite severely Judgement interrupted and permeates throughout the exercise, even now likely with sharing it publicly. It was a thorough experience and to summarize, my shift was both challenging and helpful because I never missed any content (nor time) from reminiscing him/love/care, only from all the critical voices and beliefs deeply held, although I can admit there’s a wide range and they’re not mine.
The gesture of kindness brought me relief as it reminded me that I am worthy of loving myself. I appreciate the reminder that I am not my thoughts: I can observe their rise and fall, when I observe rather than invest.
sadness and compassion
I whispered gently “I care for you” and felt a deep release of tension inside of me!
A warmth open feeling of loving kindness towards myself and the wounded part of me… imagining my lost and helpless inner child… the words “I’m sorry” arrised.
gentleness and a friendly feeling towards myself.
It’s okay to be doing what you want to do right now. Don’t feel guilty that you’re not helping someone else succeed but are nurturing yourself instead. You’ve spent so many years placing your own desires on the back burner as a mother and partner. Now it’s your turn. Yet it feels so indulgent. I want to be free of this feeling.
Dear Tara,
While I sent a caring message to myself I found tears.
Even though I know that I am going through a period of total change in my life, to do this now, to open a highway of compassion and to allow the feeling of “not obvious moment of life” completely open and isolated, to feel it completely. .
Thank you for those talks.
The feelings that came up during the gesture of kindness practice were, this is going to be hard. Can I give myself this and do it?
I felt calm and at peace with myself “May I love and accept myself”. This is a powerful statement.
Reaad your observation twice; RIGHT you are.
I felt it was calming and helpful. Then a wave came over me and said what if I fail. I know I have to keep trying to work at all three things to help me get self-acceptance.
it brings tears to my eyes. Teats of joy and of sadness. I feel a love of a higher power that is holding me and telling me “you are loved”.
Extreme sadness. I’ve been practicing self-acceptance for some time and while I find some comfort in the practice, life events over the last year have landed me in grief. Being in a broken medical system with cancer, the ending of a 20 year primary relationship, the abandonment of my adult daughter and the unexpected passing of my best companion (my dog) after 10 years have left me overwhelmed. This is fertile ground to practice self acceptance and compassion and if I’m honest , it’s lonely work. I’ll continue to accept that I’m where I need to be and I’ll continue to quietly give myself that which I long for from the world…acknowledgement and love. Thank you for your attention.
I have been completely out of my comfort zone this week. I found familiar feelings of not being good enough and wanting to opt out. Because I have been practicing mindfulness for some time I was able to give myself the support I needed. To then receive this video was a blessing to remind myself that I am worthy and am truly part of the group. Thank you Tara 🙏
Tearful to be seen.
I felt a vague sense of coming home.
I realize that I am calmer more quiet inside stopping the racing thoughts
I feel and be more closer to myself
what if my compassion , my attempt of been more open, kind and understanding of people struggles goes criticized by others who are strongly judgmental ? I have the feeling that they bring a lot of negative energy , feels like they still my energy and I feel so tired after it like I tried to bring some kindness and different prospective and I am left with just negative thought from others.. bit disappointing . make me feel I have to protect my own balance and cannot be totally close to them
It felt strange, like I don’t even know this person I am attempting to comfort.
Almost too tender to bear. That said, I so believe in Tara’s words, I am willing to try to change this pattern. Thank you so very much for these videos…short and powerful.
I am feeling softness and kindness in myself and it overflows . I will use this kindness practice when I feel disturbance within me or without. I feel very grateful to be practising this
The physical feeling of my hand on my heart was not only comforting from the touch perspective, but also its warmth. Surprisingly uplifting.
Thank you Tara for encouraging me as a practitioner and meditation teacher to also give myself a gesture of kindness.
A hand on heart is so simple, immediate, caring and shifting …a softness towards myself arises as I do this. It reminds me to smile and be grateful for myself and all that I offer others.
warmest wishes Helen (from Queensland Australia)
I feel calmer and more compact with my thoughts. No more guilt in myself and feel love and kindness in myself and wish yo share with others
I felt happy with myself. I felt tenderness. I felt love.
It felt a little like an out of body experience. Someone else larger than me empathizing. The feeling is unfamiliar but soothing somehow.
Sadness that I treat myself as I do & would never treat another like that. Kindness & caring as I could feel the energy from my right hand pour into my heart. Relief that I am finally paying attention to me in a positive & compassionate way.
A softening…
My life has been so good compared to many other people I have trouble with the my own sadness as unjustified and my negative self image as irrational.This in turn makes self compassion difficult for me.
I felt softer and more peaceful. After a while I thought of my partner and felt love and a desire to support him.
A very strong feeling of love, wellwishing of and for myself.
I felt a gentle softening, seems likely this will deepen with repeated practice
While placing my hand on my heart I am humming to myself like a grandmother would do holding her grandchild. This imagination with the vibrance of the humming felt in my chest gives me a short moment of relief……
Tenderness and connected to other humans
I will use it when they feel that they are suffering
It made me cry for the suffering I have experienced after my eldest son was killed in a road accident. even after 6 years I find it difficult to accept that it actually happened. In my journey I have found that many techniques etc. do not work with profound grief. Even my husband and other children do not speak about it so one is left very much alone. Rather than building up strength feeling self compassion rather makes me crumble. I know facing the pain rather than ignoring it is meant to be healing.
J Castle
l am ok
What seems to come up is deep sadness. Accepting the deep sadness is tough. It’s easy to walk away. Too easy.
I felt instantly calmer and more at ease.
it opens deep tenderness
My gesture of kindness to myself is around infidelity. I share this here as I know this is a compassionate and forgiving group that can be trusted to share the same compassion back towards me. In painful moments, I broke the trust of those I loved. I sought short term reward for a long term heartbreak. A year out of a relationship, I found myself in a similar position yet again, reliving those moments. Karmic some might say. I am again extending a gesture of kindness to my current self, for lesson to be learned, felt, experienced, acknowledged, and transformed into something to share with others that find themselves in similar difficult positions of broken trust due to intimacy outside of a committed relationship. Thanks to all for receiving this note. Gratitude for your love in holding this space. -Wally 🙂
what an odd thing to do
but having done so, I felt taller.
I felt myself softening, tense muscles relaxing.
Hard to accept.
It is mind boggling how timely your talks reach me in a steady manner! Thank you Tara 🙏
During the gesture of kindness my eyes welled up. I felt a surprise that I was willing to take care of me and a tenderness and a relief all at once. I felt deeply moved to be seen, understood and accepted.
Hello.As for me the fellings were very deep and I was almost in tears. Unappreciated, unwanted, not loved enough.