SOULSHINE RESOURCES
Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Practices
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion are at the very heart of our Soulshine approach and my own personal journey of healing. I’ve shared some resources here for you to explore and to help you to build your own practice.
If the practices in these resources pages resonate and you feel that you would like to dive deeper, then let’s connect. You can book in for a Free 45-minute Discovery Call with me and we can work out which tools might best support your journey at this time.
Mindfulness Practices
“Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Viktor Frankl
What is Mindfulness?
‘Mindfulness is the quality of being present and fully engaged with whatever we’re doing at the moment — free from distraction or judgment, and aware of our thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. We train in this moment-to-moment awareness through meditation, allowing us to build the skill of mindfulness so that we can then apply it to everyday life. In teaching the mind to be present, we are teaching ourselves to be live more mindfully — in the present, taking a breath, not beholden to reactive thoughts and feelings — which is particularly helpful when faced with challenging circumstances or difficult situations.
It’s not a temporary state of mind that is present during meditation and then vanishes for the rest of the day. Rather, mindfulness is a way of living in which — when we remember — we are able to step back and be in the present moment in any situation.
Mindfulness doesn’t eliminate stress or other difficulties; instead, by becoming aware of unpleasant thoughts and emotions that arise because of challenging situations, we have more choice in how to handle them in the moment — and a better chance of reacting calmly and empathetically when faced with stress or challenges. Of course, practicing mindfulness does not mean we never get angry — rather it allows us to be more thoughtful in how we want to respond, whether that's calmly and empathetically or perhaps, occasionally with measured anger.
Meditation is the training ground for learning mindfulness. At first, we meditate to become familiar with the here and now for a limited period of time. Over time, however, regularly practicing mindfulness helps us develop the ability to be present throughout the day, every day.’ Extract from Headspace
Our Soulshine Retreat Morning Meditation Practice
Each morning on a Soulshine Retreat we dedicate time to a Meditation practice and teachings. I have included a guide to this practice below as well as several guided versions taken from our retreat practice for you to explore. If the practice resonates for you, then I really recommend setting a daily or weekly minimum practice to start building upon a new habit. Mine is 2 minutes a day! I normally take more time than this but that is the minimum I promise to myself. What would be your minimum daily commitment to yourself?
Mindfulness on the Breath
This is a great practice for building upon the foundation of Mindfulness. Can we be in the present moment? Can we notice what is here in the present moment? And can we be with it without trying to change it. Simply noticing when our mind wanders & returning to what is here now. The breath and this moment.
You can read the below to have a sense of the practice or simply go straight to the recordings…
The Practice
Find your meditation seat – grounded and connected to a sense of foundation
Take 5 deep breaths to begin – use the time to scan the emotional / physical body. To check in and see what is here
Cross hands over the heart and just for a moment remember your aspiration – what is it that brings you as a student to this practice of Meditation. Simply acknowledge before beginning
Focus on the breath and allow complete concentration on the inhale and exhale
Count with the breath from 1 to 10
I am inhaling 1
I am exhaling 1 and so on...
As you inhale, see the image of the number in your mind and then as you exhale see it disappear
As you allow yourself to focus on the counting, also focus on the breath completely
When the mind wanders don’t fight it, just notice and acknowledge with the word ‘thinking, thinking’ and return to number 1
We’re not looking for silence – we’re working to bring ourselves again and again back to the present moment and to notice when the mind wanders
If you reach 10, simply return to 1 and begin again
When your gong ends the practice, bring the hands to the heart in prayer, and you might want to close with a moment of remembering gratitude. Bringing into mind anything for which you feel grateful at this time in your life
That’s it - 5, 10 or 20 minutes building your own inner sanctuary
Explore more Guided Meditations & Meditation Classes on our YouTube page The Soulshine Way and over on Instagram where I share mini-Meditations…
Self-Compassion Practices
Self-compassion entails being warm towards ourselves when encountering pain and personal shortcomings, rather than ignoring them or hurting oneself with self-criticism. Basically, being our own Best Friend. High-fives for friendship!Self-Compassion is an absolute pillar of our Soulshine approach. You can find a summary of the Pillars of Self-Compassion plus the instructions for a daily Self-Compassion journaling at the following link:
The Self-Compassion Quickie
Noticing difficult feelings or emotions coming up? Imagine some-one you love immensely. Who is it? Get specific as this can really help access the compassion. Now think about what you would say to them. What loving support would you offer to a friend suffering? Place your hand on your heart and see if you can offer the same words to yourself. What would LOVE say? See if you can practice this in many mini moments this week and beyond.
Check out my IGTV’s where I share more about these Self-Compassion practices…
Dr Kristen Neff
To keep diving in the practices, visit the links below for amazing resources on Self-Compassion from Dr Kristin Neff who has really driven this movement.
Tara Brach
I have also recorded a guided meditation of the R.A.I.N Practice from the amazing Tara Brach for you to practice along to. Please be sure to read her book Radical Acceptance. It’s a game-changer!
Some fave books around Self-Compassion
Self-Compassion - Dr Kristin Neff
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive - Dr Kristin Neff
Radical Acceptance - Awakening the Love that heals Fear and Shame - Tara Brach
The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions – Christopher K.Germer
The Compassionate Mind – Paul Gilbert
Start Where You Are: How to accept yourself and others – Pema Chodron
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU: Going Beyond Self-Hate, A Compassionate Process for Learning to Accept Yourself Exactly as You Are – Huber Cheri
The Self-Acceptance Project: How to Be Kind and Compassionate Toward Yourself in Any Situation - Tami Simon and others
You can explore heaps more Guided Meditations & Meditation Classes over on our YouTube page The Soulshine Way…
Sacred Space
Don’t forget the value of setting up a Sacred Space in your home for your practice. This is my (ever growing!) altar. Having a space to return to each day can help with that sense of connection and continuity to practice. My Altar brings me such joy each time I hang out with it…
