Mindful Self-Compassion guided meditations and exercises

The Power of Guided Meditations

In today’s busy and demanding world, finding ways to improve mental health and well-being is important. One simple and highly effective technique that has gained popularity is guided meditation. This practice offers many benefits that can significantly enhance your daily life.

Stress Reduction: Guided meditation is proven to reduce stress. By focusing on the soothing sound of the meditation and following the instructions, you can more easily release pent-up tension and find a sense of inner peace and calm even amidst chaos. 

Mindfulness Practice: Guided meditation encourages mindfulness, which is the practice of being fully present in the moment. This skill helps you avoid distractions and increases your ability to concentrate on the task at hand. As a result, you become more efficient and productive.

Enhanced Work-Life Balance: Many people struggle to balance their work and personal lives. A regular guided meditation practise provides a valuable tool for achieving this balance. Regular sessions can help you detach from work-related stressors when needed and reconnect with your personal life, fostering a healthier overall well-being.

Calming the Busy Mind: If your mind is constantly racing with thoughts and worries, guided meditation can help provide the respite you need. Meditation gently teaches you how to quiet the mental chatter, allowing you to think more clearly and make better decisions.

Improving Concentration and Creativity: Guided meditation cultivates mental discipline and the ability to focus. This not only aids in concentration but also enhances creativity. As your mind becomes more serene, it becomes a fertile ground for innovative ideas to emerge.

Incorporating guided meditation into your daily routine can be beneficial for your mental well-being and productivity. By dedicating just a few minutes a day to this practice, you can experience these benefits firsthand and unlock your full potential in both your professional and personal life.

Kristen Neff

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Kristin Neff, Associate Professor, Educational Psychology Dept., University of Texas at Austin.

Kristin Neff received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, and is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

During Kristin’s last year of graduate school she became interested in Buddhism and has been practicing meditation in the Insight Meditation tradition ever since. She has been recognized as one of the world’s most influential research psychologists. 

Right click any of the link below to download – then choose “Save File As” or click to listen to the meditations:

Christopher Germer:

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Chris Germer, PhD is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program with Kristin Neff in 2010 and MSC has since been taught to over 250,000 people worldwide. They co-authored two books on MSC, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program.

Mindful Compassion Core Meditations

Marie Bloomfield

Mindful Self-Compassion Meditations

All of the following meditations are  presented by Marie Bloomfield. On this page you will find a collection of meditations/visualizations that are presented mostly in the Mindful Self-Compassion program . You are free to listen and download them for your own personal use only.

Please Note: These meditations are psycho-educational and are not intended to replace therapy. Always seek the advice of a doctor or psychologist for any questions you may have regarding your own specific medical or mental health condition.  If emotional difficulties arise while listening to these meditations, please stop listening to the meditations and consult urgently a psychologist or other qualified health care professionals.

Warning: please do not listen to the following audio while you are driving or operating machinery.

You can download the mp3 audio if you wish for your own personal use.

1. Self Compassion Break (12min)

The Self-Compassion break is a way of attending to yourselves, when we are struggling, in a comforting and soothing way to ease stress and promote resilience.

 

2. Soft Landing Meditation (7min)

In this short meditation we pause, to be present, to be aware of what is here now and to bring warmth and kindness to ourselves.

 

3. The Affectionate Breath (16 min)

This Mindful Self-Compassion core meditation focus on the awareness of the breath to calm the mind but also to cultivate positive feelings of comfort and appreciation.

 

4. The Affectionate Breath (10 min)

This Mindful Self-Compassion core meditation focus on the awareness of the breath to calm the mind but also to cultivate positive feelings of comfort and appreciation

 

5. Loving Kindness for Ourselves (17 min)

This second core Mindful Self-Compassion meditation aim to promote the personalisation of loving kindness phrases to meet our needs in the moment.

 

6. Loving Kindness for Ourselves (11 min)

This second core Mindful Self-Compassion meditation aim to promote the personalisation of loving kindness phrases to meet our needs in the moment.

 

7. Giving and Receiving Compassion (19 min)

This is the third core Mindful Self-Compassion meditation build on the affectionate breath and loving kindness for self and others by choosing compassionate words or images each time that we are breathing in and out.

 

8. Giving and Receiving Compassion (11 min)

This is the third core Mindful Self-Compassion meditation build on the affectionate breath and loving kindness for self and others by choosing compassionate words or images each time that we are breathing in and out.

 

9. Loving Kindness for a Loved One (16 min)

This is an introduction to the loving kindness meditation where we wish well for ourselves and for a loved one.

 

10. Compassionate Friend (20 min)

This is a visualisation initially presented by Paul Gilbert and modified to help us to discover a wise and compassionate presence in ourselves

 

11. Soften Soothe Allow for Emotions (20 min)

This is an informal practice presented as a meditation based on mindfulness and self-compassion practices to assist in easing difficult emotions

 

13. Soften Soothe Allow for Shame (20 min)

This is an informal practice presented as a meditation based on mindfulness and self-compassion practices to assist in easing difficult feelings of shame

 

14. Sympathetic Joy Meditation

Sympathetic joy is to delight in the happiness of others. It is a powerful way to connect with others and to cultivate a sense of belonging. Making other people’s happiness ours, increase our capacity for happiness.

 

15. Replacing the Inner Critic with a Compassionate Voice (20 min.)

In this exercise you are invited to make peace with the inner critic, to cultivate a Compassionate Self with a Compassionate Voice to motivate yourself in a way that is supportive, encouraging and empowering.

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