Mindful self-compassion
Mindful self-compassion is "holding our pain with love" (Kristin Neff). When we learn to treat ourselves with lovingkindness and compassion, it deepens our ability to meet our own emotional needs for love and comfort. We can self-soothe through meditative practices filled with tender love for ourselves and the world around us. Developing mindful self-compassion can help us learn to be more present with ourselves and our own pain. When we learn to offer ourselves mindful self-compassion, we can prevent burnout and can have more patience and compassion for the people in our lives that we are in relationship with. It can also help us heal our inner dialogue from self-criticism to self-acceptance.
I often integrate mindfulness practices like breath-work, lovingkindness meditations, and grounding visualizations into my work with clients. It is helpful for anxiety and can help us feel more grounded, calm, and secure. I have found mindful self-compassion to be a powerful resource in my own life and the lives of my clients.