Compassion breathing, adapted for falling asleep. The closing gong has been removed so nothing wakes you at the end.
Listen to the Meditation
About This Practice
The end of the day is when self-criticism tends to arrive. The lights go out, the distractions stop, and the mind starts reviewing everything you handled badly.
This practice offers a different response to that. Self-compassion is not indulgence and it is not letting yourself off the hook. It is the intention to be helpful rather than harsh, and it is what lets you look at the day honestly instead of prosecuting yourself for it.
Recognizing common humanity does much of the work. Whatever you got wrong today, you are not the only one, and you are not uniquely broken for getting it wrong. That removes the extra layer of shame we pile on top, and the difficulty gets noticeably lighter without it.
A mind that has stopped attacking itself is a mind that can rest. If bedtime is when your inner critic gets loudest, start here.
Micro Practice: Three Breaths
When something difficult lands, take three breaths.
- Breathe and become present.
- Breathe and observe what is around you.
- Breathe and recognize that there is a challenge here, and that you will be all right.