​His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said: "As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties."
 
In keeping with this line of thinking, an act of self-compassion would be one of self-support when something in your life feels difficult. There are many things you can do to drop into a self-compassionate stance when you are struggling. You can speak tenderly to yourself. You can stop pressuring yourself to "fix” the feeling, vowing instead to remain calm and wait for clarity to come. You can offer phrases of Metta (loving-kindness) to yourself. You can go outside and lift your face to the sky. 
 
Instead of fighting with life as it arises, let us drop into life and flow with its rhythms by being kindly compassionate toward ourselves.

​©2023, Janice L. Lundy

Are you kind to your mind? We often think about being kind to our body. We give it rest, nurturing, and what it needs to be well. What would it mean if you were kind to your mind in the same way? Consider developing an attitude of loving-kindness toward it, just as you would toward a little child, thinking of your mind as tender and dear. ​

It's a fair guess to say that very few of us have done this. If anything, we may be self-critical of what goes on in our mind— judgmental, harsh, or impatient—because we are frustrated by its many thoughts. We may feel inadequate because we not proficient at keeping a calm mind or meditating. Our thoughts being of a certain nature, may feel that we are not “spiritual enough.”

Instead of fault-finding, take a gentler approach toward your mind. Offer blessings of loving-kindness to your mind, such as these:

May I relax and rest in pure awareness today.
May I be at peace with everything that arises.
May my mind be at ease, my heart at rest.
May all be well.
​

©2023, Janice L. Lundy
All Rights Reserved