Practice Kindness

(gentle music) Welcome to your Daily Shine. It's Tuesday, April 14th. Time to slow down and connect with yourself, the community around you, and set your intention for the day. (gentle music continues) If you're anything like me, it's been a huge comfort to see stories of people helping each other and being kind around the world. It makes me think about how we can be more kind to ourselves and each other in these uncertain times, because kindness goes a long way. Research shows our brains light up with happiness when we help others, it can actually improve our mental health. But when you're under a lot of stress, it can feel hard to reach out and help others. Or if you're on the front lines, it can start to feel draining to constantly give to others during such an intense and scary time. You might feel emotionally spent, like you don't have as much to give. That's completely okay, we're all going through a crisis at the same time. There's no right way to do this. But there is an easy way to offer ourselves kindness through it all, and by doing that, we may have a greater capacity for offering it to others too. It's through mindfulness, stopping and noticing how you feel on a deeper level and giving yourself what you need. (gentle music) Let's meditate now to help practice that. (gentle music continues) Take a deep breath in, and out. (gentle music continues) Roll your neck to the right, and now the left. Inhale, lifting your arms way up. (gentle music continues) And let them down on the exhale. (gentle music continues) Take one last deep breath here, in, and out. (gentle music continues) Let your mind arrive in this moment. (gentle music continues) Try and slow down your thoughts. Notice them as they pass by, almost as if they were clouds floating in the sky. (gentle music continues) Now, try to label them. Are they negative, positive, kind to yourself or others? (gentle music continues) Now, think about a time someone offered you kindness. It can be recent or from the past, any act of kindness that had an impact on you. Try and notice closely how you feel as you reflect on it. (gentle music continues) Now, lean into that feeling and wish that person well from your heart and mind. As you think of that person, you can say to yourself, "I wish you well," or anything else you'd want to offer them. (gentle music continues) Now, think about someone who you could offer kindness to. This could be someone in your inner circle or someone you don't yet know. (gentle music continues) Think about that person and reflect on the ways you could help. (gentle music continues) How does it feel to think about offering that person kindness? Notice it. (gentle music continues) And do the same for them, mentally say, "I wish you well." Send out that positivity, and don't...