Befriend yourself

In her book The Wisdom of no escape: How to love yourself and your world, Pema Chödrön writes:

“Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.”

This week, practise being a good friend to yourself, just as you are. As best you can, show yourself kindness and understanding rather than self-criticism or harsh judgement.

Try this lovely guided meditation on affectionate breathing from Kirsten Neff to get you started. (You’ll need a quiet time and place to follow the meditation, which lasts about 20 minutes.)

Top tip: You can read about a great practical way to start being kind to yourself here.