Community for Deepening Practice

Befriend Yourself

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Embracing Your Life Acrostic Poem

Some of us remember the Acrostic poem form from early years in school. Clearly and simply structured, it’s a way to deeply explore the essence of a theme through poetry. Please note that while this form of poetry is typically used with young writers, it can be modified to fit more mature themes, such as embracing one’s life. We encourage you to remain playful as you give this exercise a shot.

Materials:

Journal and a pen you love to write with

Process:

From a settled heart space, please consider some of the following question: 

When you think of the idea of “embracing your life,” what does that mean to you? Are there some specific ways in which you might wish to embrace your life anew? What might support you as you do this?

Next, give yourself at least 10 minutes to write what comes to you in response these questions. Allow the words to emerge from the heart, in its own special language. You’ll know when you’re finished.

Finally reflect back on your writing and underline any words or phrases that might call out to you. Try if you can to not think too hard about this. Finally, choose the one word or phrase that is calling the loudest.

Then, on a new piece of paper, write that word/phrase vertically, one letter per line, along the left margin.

The letters you’ve just written serve as the backbone for the remainder of your poem. Referring to your journaling and also to any new words that emerge, begin to fill in the space next to each starting letter with words, phrases, or partial sentences that express what’s true for you. Each line of your poem should begin with the first letter on the line of the word you chose, and the poem will be in alignment with the idea of embracing your life. Remembering there’s no need to be too fancy or precious about language, rhyming, poetic devices, etc. It’s OK to simply play. 🙂

When you’re done, and if you wish, feel free to share your Acrostic with us on the discussion board.


 A few examples are below. Remember: you can be as sophisticated or as elementary as you wish. 🙂

“Brother” acrostic
“Science” acrostic

 

Week 21 Creative Invitations

“Poems are maps to the place where you already are.”

—Jane Hirshfield


Option 1: Silver Linings poem

This week, we offer a simple contemplation of silver linings; in what way has a difficult situation in your life caused you to grow, to deepen, or to gain insight? The invitation is to explore that situation by using it to inspire a new poem from the following line in Jennifer Welwood’s poem, “Unconditional:”

“Opening to my loss, I gain the embrace of the universe”

Go easy with your poem. It doesn’t have to rhyme or be perfect. We simply ask that it is true. 🙂


Option 2: Compassionate Listening contemplation

In class this week, we’ve also been working with compassionate listening. From a place of true presence and an openness/ curiosity to what arises, please consider: What is someone in your life truly asking you for? How are you relating with their request? What would it be like to offer a full-hearted “yes” to that request? A full-hearted no?

Simply journal about what arises in answer to these questions.

As always, we encourage you to share your work on the discussion board if you wish.


Option 1 adapted from Christine Valters Paintner. Option 2 adapted from Mark Nepo.

Week 12

7 Days of Compassionate Inquiry

Intention:

Increase the frequency with which you include yourself in the circle of compassion.

Materials:

  • Your journal
  • Some paper (this could be your journal, but if you prefer to create in a bigger space, you may choose bigger paper)
  • Markers, pens, crayons

Process:

This CI has a daily component. You may spend as little as 10 minutes per daily reflection and drawing. If you choose to participate each day, you will have a total of 7 drawings.

Please get comfortable and begin to touch in with the breath. Then, ask your precious self the following each day:

On Day 1, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
What can I do to make you feel really good?

On Day 2, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
What bothers you most?

On Day 3, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
Tell me about your perfect day!

On Day 4, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
Why are you here?

On Day 5, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
What would you like to hear from me?

On Day 6, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
How can I take better care of you?

 

  • With loving curiosity (and even a sense of playfulness if you can!), we invite you pose the question and simply wait for responses to emerge. Once they do, write or draw your responses to each question with your non-dominant hand. If you prefer, you may simply write down your responses in your journal. Try if you can to notice what emerges after your first response, knowing that some things need a little more time to percolate before coming to the surface. If you’re finding it difficult to touch in with these answers from your adult self, you may find it helpful to ask the questions of your child self (optional).
  • If you noticed there were no answers to your questions, then draw what came up for you in the absence of these. This may be the first time you asked yourself questions like these, so know that all responses (or lack of) are OK.
  • Do this each day for up to 6 days.
  • On Day 7, revisit your drawings and writings. Open your heart and allow the words and images to yourself to melt in, if you can. Do you notice any themes or patterns? Any surprises? Make a note in your journal of those.
  • Now, is there a vow you’d like to make to yourself? An intention you’d like to state? Do so on paper. You may choose to paste a photo of yourself as a memory that just like everyone else, it is OK to ask of yourself these kinds of questions.
  • Given what you know now, what do you want to say to yourself? How can you include yourself more in the circle of compassion? Even if this is just one thing. Or even if that is just acknowledging where you are now. Write any words that arise for you on the page.
  • Hang this final image somewhere you can see it for a gentle reminder of how we wish to include our precious selves in the circle of compassion.

Adapted from Heather Williams’ Drawing as a Sacred Activity

Week 5

We are taking a break from Creative Invitations this week. Instead, focus on backdraft, how it shows up in your life, and how you relate with it. Thank you!

Week 1

Exploring your self-compassionate voice through music, images, or writing

 

The time will come
When, with elation,
You will greet yourself arriving
At your own door, in your own mirror
And each will smile at the other’s welcome…

– Derek Walcott, from Love after Love


The Invitation:

To bring awareness to your self-compassionate voice and to use that awareness as an opportunity to help you practice being kinder to yourself. As this is our first Creative Invitation, go as easily as you can, especially if the self-critic emerges as you create. Our emphasis throughout the course is on process, not outcome. If you feel the urge to quit, how can you kindly support yourself through it?

Materials:

  • Your journal and a pen you love to write with
  • Optional: paints or markers and your sketchbook

Settle in:

Before you begin this exercise, please be sure you’ve completed the required “How Would I Treat a Friend?” exercise. Then, sit down, settle comfortably and find the breath. Acknowledge all that it took to arrive right here, in this moment.  Breathe into your feet – really feeling the ground supporting you. Be present to the physical sensations of air on your skin. Stay with this until you feel present and centered.

The Process:

  1. After completing “How Would I Treat a Friend,” you will have two pieces of writing in front of you: the first describes how you would support a friend who is having difficulty, and the second describes how you speak to yourself in times of difficulty.
  2. Turning your attention to your typical response to yourself, underline any self-critical or unkind words/phrases that you notice.
  3. Pause and treat yourself to a Self-Compassion Break. If you’re comfortable guiding yourself through it, feel free to do that as usual. Otherwise, you may listen to the free, guided Self-Compassion Break audio by Kristin Neff.
  4. If any softening occurred during your Self-Compassion Break, breathe into that sensation and allow that to stay with you, and perhaps even to fill you, if that is possible.
  5. Finally, return to the self-critical or unkind phrases you underlined in Step 2. What kind response can you offer to each one? What words do you need to hear during moments of suffering?
Variations and deepenings:
  1. Option 1: In your journal, write out a revised response to your suffering self, specifically speaking to each self-critical or unkind phrase you underlined in Step 2.
  2. Option 2: If you are a person to whom music speaks deeply, choose a song or make an entire playlist that is motivational and captures your loving self talking to you. Share it with the group if you wish, and let us know what about the song touches you. We have created a sample self-compassion playlist to inspire you (right sidebar).
  3. Option 3: If you’d like to explore this visually, return to the underlined phrases from Step 2 and choose a phrase or word which emerges for you most strongly as being in need of tender attention. Can you paint or draw a self-compassionate response to it? Your visual expression can be literal (decorative words, a particular soothing scene) or it can be representational (colors, lines, and textures which evoke in you a felt sense of self-compassion).

The Reflection:

  • During the process of crafting a kind response to your suffering self, what came up for you? Did the inner critic emerge? Was there catharsis or numbness? Did it feel authentic or disingenuous? How did you receive whatever came up for you?
  • Now that you’ve considered what it might be like to speak with yourself in a more self-compassionate way, what emotions emerge? Did backdraft emerged? Is there anywhere else in your life that you’ve felt this? Can you practice holding it all with tenderness?

Some examples:

thisonetoo
In this image, the artist used a combination of images and words to convey kindness to herself.
A simple, unadorned reminder of self-compassionate
A simple, unadorned self-compassionate message

 

As always, feel free to share any insights or images with your coursemates.

Share on the Creative Activity Wall

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