Begin by noticing the effect of our practice, whatever that is—meditation, yoga, mindful movement, jogging. Whatever our thing is, notice how we feel afterwards.
If we feel warm, fuzzy, relaxed, calm, and generally happy with ourself, we’re mixing mindful awareness with compassion.
If we feel relieved that we can finally stop meditating or walking mindfully, we’re probably trying too hard. And lacking in friendliness.
If that’s us, try these simple stages:
As we’re meditating, place our hand on our heart. The warmth of our hand encourages a compassion feeling to whatever we’re focusing on.
This is mindful time for you, not self-torture. And if we can’t smile, use our two fingers to push up the corners of our mouth and hold them there for a while….I’m serious!
Pay attention to whatever our focus is, using our heart, not just our head. Feel the breath with emotion if we can, rather than noticing the sensation in a cold, non-judgmental way.
Soften your self talk. Say soothing words to ourself. Stuff like “relax,” “take it easy,” “breathe, breathe…..”
How do you mix mindfulness with kindness? What practices work best for us personally?
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