‘Meeting Mindfulness with Kindfulness’ is an exercise of bringing self love and care to our mindfulness practice. Many people wonder about ways to practice self love, and so this simple worksheet is one way of doing just that. It takes little time, simply inviting us to tune into the knowledge that we are enough as we are.
How to Practice Radical Self Love
Practicing self love does not require great lengths of time but rather warm intent. In other words, it is about the quality of the attention we give to ourselves rather than the quantity of it. There are many ways to practice radical self love, including:
- Exploring a loving kindness practice (or metta meditation)
- Repeating affirmations such as, ‘I am enough.’
- Being mindful of our emotions and refraining from judgment of them
- Using kind words when we speak to ourselves
- Minding the inner critic with awareness
This list is not exhaustive, of course. Ultimately, self love takes many shapes and forms, but it is important to remember that it is more about how we attend to our inner world – to our innate being – rather than being limited by specific actions. Self love lives in the heart and permeates into mind.
Meeting Mindfulness with Kindfulness Exercise
This alternative form of a loving kindness practice is something we can practice in just a matter of minutes. It invites us to come to a comfortable seated position, ground through the breath, and then tend to ourselves with a warm smile and the affirmation, ‘I am here. I am enough.’
After practicing, complete the reflection questions to deepen your contemplation of how this felt for you. You are also invited to reflect upon how these affirmations might otherwise be incorporated into your life. For instance, can you use these before a feedback review or a test? Can you use this first thing in the morning or before bed? Remember there are no rules; whatever feels most natural for you is likely to be the best way to incorporate this practice.
