Practicing Kindness for Your Feelings script 1

Kindness, when practiced with an open heart, helps us develop compassion. When we are kind, our heart softens and we feel more connected.

In this exercise, you will practice kindness by noticing the feeling of kindness. This will lead you into the kindness of self-compassion.

To begin, take a few moments to notice the energy in your body. Where do you feel the tightness? Can you sense any heaviness in your body? Are you aware of any tingling sensations or any physical discomfort?

Notice how your body feels. Notice how your mind responds to this experience. You can use these observations to connect with your heart.

Close the eyes and breathe into the belly. Breathe slowly and deeply.

In the next few breaths, begin to think of the sensations in your body as something to observe. Notice them for a moment, then let them go. You can continue to do this throughout the exercise.

As you continue to notice the body, also notice the mind. What thoughts are going through your mind? Do you notice any judgments about the body or yourself? Is there any negative self-talk?

Once you’ve brought your attention to these thoughts, you will begin to notice a certain sensation in your body.

This sensation may be gentle, like a vibration or warmth. You may feel a sense of ease, calm, or lightness. In this moment, notice if you’re feeling any emotion or energy around the body.

Notice how you respond to the sensations in your body. In your mind, you may think you’re fine, but you may be sensing a level of discomfort that you haven’t noticed before.

If this is true, how might you notice this emotion? How would you describe it to yourself? Can you begin to feel it in your body?

Begin to notice this feeling. See if you can feel it in your body and mind, and name it. Perhaps you can say, “I feel a bit nervous,” or “I feel worried.”

Now that you have named your feeling, notice how it makes you feel. Does it make you want to move away from the body or run away? Is it tiring?

Once you’ve given a label to the sensation, can you begin to notice what it does to the body? For example, it may make you want to stand up.

Notice that you can’t simply dismiss the feeling. Instead, you will begin to notice the sensations in the body and mind and the emotions around it.

After a few moments of observation, you may notice a sensation in the mind. This may be a thought, such as “I feel tired” or “I feel depressed,” or it may be an emotion, like guilt or shame.

Once you notice this thought or emotion, can you give it a name? Perhaps you can say, “I feel guilty” or “I feel ashamed.”

After naming the emotion or thought, you will begin to notice what it does to the body and mind.

For example, it may make you want to stop moving. Can you see yourself sitting down? You may notice that the emotion makes it hard for you to think clearly or to move.

When you begin to notice these sensations and emotions, you’ll begin to feel more connected. You may find that you feel a little lighter or more at ease.

Can you notice the difference between being disconnected and being mindful? When you’re disconnected, you’re unaware of your mind, body, or feelings.

When you’re mindful, you notice these things. As your mind becomes more engaged in the present moment, you’ll be more aware of the difference between the mind and body, and you will become more connected with yourself.

As you begin to practice mindfulness, you may notice that your mind wanders. Mindfulness means staying present with the breath, the body, and the feelings, so you may be distracted.

You may start to notice when your mind is wandering and bring your attention back to the body and feelings.

Notice that you may get lost in these thoughts and emotions. Then, bring your attention back to your breath and body. For example, you may notice that you’re feeling heavy or tight in the chest, and you may think, “Oh, I’m feeling so bad.”

Then, you may notice the tightness in your chest, and you may think, “Oh, I feel so sad.”

Once you notice the emotion

Practicing kindness for your feelings script 2

If we don’t work with our emotions, they tend to accumulate. Anger, fear, and sadness all contribute to a more negative experience of the world.

With the practice of kindness, we can cultivate positive emotions such as joy, compassion, and equanimity. These emotions will allow us to live more skillfully, and they will bring us closer to the people we are interacting with.

Kindness is not just an act; it’s a way of being in the world. When you cultivate kindness, you are cultivating an attitude that invites more happiness, more love, and more kindness.

In this exercise, you will develop a connection with your emotions by practicing kindness. You can do this exercise anywhere, even when you are engaged in a stressful situation.

Find a comfortable posture in which to sit. Bring your awareness to the sensation of the body breathing.

Notice the thoughts arising in your mind. Don’t try to control them. Allow them to come and go, noticing when they fade and when they come back.

After a few moments, bring your attention to the sensations of your body. Notice how it feels to sit comfortably.

Now bring to mind your emotions, starting with a small feeling of joy or happiness. As you notice this emotion, notice its qualities. How do you feel?

What do you notice about the sensation of the emotion? Notice its intensity, its warmth, and its duration.

Now bring your attention to the thought that accompanies this feeling. What do you think?

When you bring your attention to the thought, notice how you feel.

You might find that you have difficulty identifying the emotion. In that case, just notice the physical experience, the energy, the sensations, and the thoughts that accompany the emotion.

After a few breaths, turn to the emotion of sadness or fear. Notice its qualities.

How does it make you feel? What thoughts accompany it?

Repeat this process for the next few minutes, noticing what you feel, what you think, and how you feel.

After five minutes, let go of the thoughts and emotions and open the body to the experience of the rest of the environment.

What are you sensing?

Return your attention to the breath, and feel the sensation of the body breathing. Notice what it’s like to sit here.

Close your eyes and take a few moments to just be with the breath, without focusing on anything else.

Practicing kindness for your feelings script 3

With mindfulness, you can cultivate kindness towards yourself when you feel anger, sadness, or fear.

Mindfulness can help you feel better about yourself in the midst of challenging emotions. By developing mindfulness, you can accept what you feel rather than resist it.

Start with the breath. Just breathe, bringing awareness to the experience of breathing for a few minutes.

When you notice that you are feeling angry, sad, or afraid, note the emotion, name it, and then pause.

If you feel like you want to say something harsh, say it, but pause before doing so. Say the first thing that comes to mind. Notice the thought.

Then pause and breathe deeply for a few breaths.

After a minute or two, say your first thought again, this time pausing to feel the emotion behind it.

Repeat this process as many times as needed.

After practicing a few times, begin to offer kind words to yourself when you feel fear, sadness, or anger. You can practice this exercise with other emotions as well.

As you begin to practice kindness towards yourself in this way, you can notice the difference. The more you practice, the more your experience of anger, sadness, or fear will transform into a calm and accepting state of mind.

When the mind feels angry or afraid, the words we use to describe it are often judgmental. With mindfulness, you can learn to acknowledge these thoughts and simply notice them instead of trying to change them.

This may seem counterintuitive, but cultivating kindness will help you let go of self-judgment and allow yourself to feel more relaxed and peaceful.

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