Brain Booth at Georgia Southern University Libraries

Mindfulness Tip of the Week

from The Brain Booth at GS Libraries

11.25.2024

A Guided Meditation for Awareness and Release of Self-Sabotage

Try this practice:

1. Today, we’re going to see if we might meet ourselves with some tenderness around the ways in which self-sabotaging patterns and moments show up in our lives. We’re going to see how we might work with them.
2. First, find a comfortable posture or position, either seated or lying down. Gently close your eyes and take a nice deep breath in.
3. Now, bring your attention inward, noticing any sensations in your body. Feel the weight of your body releasing any tension you may notice.
4. Next, bring some gentle awareness to any patterns you might be aware of that you would consider to be self sabotage in your life. You don’t need to deeply dive into what that is for you. We’re taking inventory and just noticing.
5. Remember, it’s going to look different for everyone. We’re just trying to recognize.
6. Now, let’s shift the way that we think about those stories. Notice that the patterns and the thoughts and behaviors around self-sabotage are just ways that we’ve learned to cope with things in our lives, ways that we’ve learned to respond to stimuli in our lives. 
7. Pay attention to how difficult it may or may not be for you to offer some compassion to those parts of yourself. One way that this gets a little easier is when we envision extending the warmth and the tenderness and the care that we would give to a friend or to someone that we care about. 
8. Envision drawing in that compassion for yourself, placing a hand on your heart. Place your right hand on your heart and then put your left hand on top of it, and hold that space there in the heart for yourself. As you breathe in and out, let go of any self-criticism you might have around these patterns.
9. As you do this, just observe your thoughts: What are your thoughts around this topic?
10. If it helps, give yourself an inner mantra, something that reminds you that you are worthy of kindness. You’re good enough as you are. Think of something that feels right for you to repeat in your own mind for the next minute.
11. Take a final deep breath and fill yourself with compassion. Exhale slowly, releasing any remaining tension. When you feel ready, gently open your eyes.

 

Read more here: A Guided Meditation for Awareness and Release of Self-Sabotage

~ from The Brain Booth Team

~The Brain Booth: where everyone is welcome at any time~