A moment of comfort

A Space for Self-Kindness

If you’re struggling with chronic illness, pain, fatigue, digestion issues, depression, or anxiety, I know how overwhelming it can feel. When symptoms dominate your life, it’s easy to feel lost, to feel like your body is working against you, that you have no control, and that rest doesn’t truly restore you. The mind can race with fear, the body can remain tense even in stillness, and exhaustion can feel endless. So here is an exercise to create space for self-kindness, for a small shift, for a moment of ease.

A Simple Exercise for Comfort

The Mind-Body-Spirit Healing path is about reconnecting with yourself. You address the physical, but you also explore the emotional and mind-based roots of what you’re feeling. That’s what this practice is: A single moment of comfort, a pause in the overwhelm. You don’t have to change everything today, just take this one moment for you.

Try this simple exercise: Here’s what to do:

Close your eyes and place your hands gently on your heart.
Take a breath in through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth, as if you’re sighing out the tension. Do this three times. Doesn’t have to be a very deep breath.
Imagine breathing a soft light into that place in your chest, like a warm glow. Let it expand gently as you exhale.

Why This Practice Helps Regulate the Nervous System

When your nervous system is dysregulated, it can feel impossible to ever relax. Even when you lie down, your system is still in fight-or-flight or freeze. This is why traditional rest often doesn’t feel refreshing. So practices to help you regulate your system are not just about stopping activity (as traditional rest was), they are about helping your nervous system feel safe.

By placing your hands on your heart, you’re offering your system a cue of safety, a steady, grounding touch that signals to your brain that you are here, that you are present. Pairing this with a gentle breath in and then out helps shift your autonomic nervous system (ANS) into a more regulated state, supporting your ability to recover over time.

Touch has always been one of the most powerful ways to signal safety. In moments of distress, we instinctively reach for comfort, whether from another person or from a soft blanket, or a pet or even a soft toy. When you place your hand on your heart, you are giving yourself this same signal. In time, with repetition and consistency, this small act can help rewire your system towards trust and regulation.

Recovery begins with Small Moments

You don’t need to do this perfectly. Recovery doesn’t happen with one big breakthrough; it’s a series of moments where you choose to meet yourself in new ways. Every time you pause, breathe, and offer yourself compassion and connection, you are shifting something deep within your nervous system.

Try returning to this practice for just a few moments each day. Even if it feels unfamiliar at first, repetition is what allows your nervous system to begin recognising safety as a natural state. Over time, what feels difficult now may become a strong element in your toolbox of healing tools, something you can return to whenever you need comfort.