Cup your hand. Place a small photo of you at any age in your hand. Place your other hand over the photo. Close your eyes. Begin breathing.
With each breath send love to the you in the photo. Love for the child you, the young adult you, the mature you. Fill your cupped hands with love’s breath.
Now bring your cupped hands as close to your heart as you can.
Imagine sending the photo of you into your heart. Allow this image of you to rest there, held by your heart.
Breathe. And when you sense that your heart will take good care of you, open your eyes, lower your hands, and return to your day.
Practice Note: In this self-care minute, we hold ourselves by holding a photo. Please read “hands” as a metaphor for all the ways our bodies can hold something. Please practice in the ways best for you.
This practice is influenced by author and retreat leader Joyce Rupp in her book Boundless Compassion: Creating a Way of Life.
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez 