This meditation by Kristin Neff is a variant of the classic loving-kindness meditation, tailored to self-compassion: a practice for offering yourself the same kindness many of us find easier to give others.
Many people object to self-compassion because it feels sappy, because others seem more important, because we feel unworthy, or because we don’t want to feed our ego. But the more we practice mindfulness (nonjudgmental awareness), the more we prioritize self-compassion as a way to simply take care of ourselves, to value ourselves as much as anyone else, and to replenish ourselves for the service of others. Self-compassion may support well-being, self-confidence and resilience. Many find it easy to have compassion for others but struggle in applying this same kindness to themselves. By taking moments throughout your day to pause and practice self-compassion, you can gradually build this quality and make it a more regular habit in your life.
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