Self Compassion is the Key
The image of a woman in a pose of gratitude, with more than 1,000 plants for hair, painted by muralist Fin DAC, on the side of the SE Portland building that houses Peace in Schools. I’m grateful for people that think this big, and paint this big!
“I’m struck by the idea of self-compassion being like a vaccine. That it is not just to protect and preserve ourselves, but that it is also for the good of the herd.”
I wrote this 2 weeks ago on a journaling break during a 2-day minfulness training produced by Peace in Schools, the organization that created the nation’s first for-credit mindfulness curriculum for high school students. It had really hit home that the health of our communities and the way we behave as a society depends on how we interact with ourselves first.
Mindfulness can be described as paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgement.
But the students served by Peace in Schools got to the heart of the matter by describing mindfulness simply as: Being here, and now, with kindness.
I’m grateful for the training and am leaning on the discoveries I made there during this interesting time we find ourselves in now. It was a profound experience and one that I highly recommend (they teach online as well). I haven’t invested in myself enough in years past and I left the weekend feeling filled up…replenished.
I learned that the sanskrit word for mindfulness tranlates more nearly as “remembrance,” suggesting that awareness and self-compassion are not practices that we need to learn so much as remember.
I learned that meditation means being a compassionate witness for myself. And that brain science shows that when we notice and name something, our brain sends healing neurotransmitters. Allow yourself some moments of stillness. Notice your breath. What feelings might you notice and name, without judgement?
I’m experimenting with a few minutes of meditation before bed. But we can bring our mind to the present moment during everyday activities. Try practicing bringing your mind to the present while you’re washing (and rewashing!) your hands. Notice the water, the feel of the soap, your breath). Try eating one meal without distraction. Notice and appreciate the spoon in your hand, the bowl, the texture, the flavor, the aroma.
One of the most profound exercises of the weekend was the following prompt that we were asked to share with the person sitting next to us. Talk about getting deep and vulnerable! The question was: “What wants to be seen, heard or known right now.” Think on that. Notice the difference between asking this question versus “how are you?”
Sit in the present moment and give yourself the gift of self-compassion.