Are you hard on yourself? Do you engage in negative self-talk about the things you didn’t do or should have done or won’t ever get to? If so, it’s a good time to engage in some self-compassion. You probably are more compassionate with your family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers. Do you extend that same graciousness to yourself?

This month I began taking a mindfulness training course. I’m enjoying the mindfulness meditation practice along with journaling and experimenting other ways of living more mindfully. So much of what I’m learning resonates with how I have always lived. Yet with this training, I’m learning new tools and ways to connect the learning to a fuller daily living experience.

Some of the mindfulness practice centers around focusing on your breath. By developing an awareness of the breath, the inhale and exhale or the expansion and the contraction of the body, you can quiet the mind, become more relaxed, less stressed, and gain better physical and mental clarity.

As I worked on the “Breath Awareness” practice this week, there was one particular passage of the guided meditation, led by Laurence Magro, psychotherapist and mindfulness educator, which I found particularly beautiful. It also connected to this month’s fresh start theme. She said that . . .

 

“The breath serving as an anchor, an anchor to the present moment. Knowing that you can always start over, coming back to the breath to refocus your attention on the present moment. Being willing to begin again with patience and kindness towards yourself.”

 - Laurence Magro, MBA, MS, LMHC

 

Are you in need of a compassionate fresh start? Could you use a boost, an anchor, some words of encouragement, or some self-compassion to engage in a do-over? Consider using your breath to refocus on this moment. Let go of the shoulds. Ground yourself in the here and now. Expand from there.

What are you experiencing right now? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.