As You Are
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As You Are

Let yourself be as you are.

9:50 · Guided Practice

Duration

9:50

Category

Light

Focus

Self-acceptance

Level

All levels

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As You Are

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About this practice

As You Are is a gentle practice for the moments when you feel like a project to be fixed — always improving, always falling short of the version of yourself you think you should be.

Many of us live as though we will finally be okay once we get there: once we are calmer, better, more successful, more complete. Underneath that effort is a quiet, tiring belief that who we are right now is not yet enough.

This practice offers a different stance. It invites you to set the self-improvement project down for a few minutes and let yourself be exactly as you are — including the parts you find difficult to accept. Acceptance here does not mean agreement, approval, or giving up; it simply means allowing what is real to be real, without pushing it away.

Many people find As You Are helpful during self-criticism, perfectionism, shame, and the exhausting sense of never being good enough as they are.

How to practice

  1. Settle comfortably, take a slow breath, and let yourself arrive exactly as you are today.
  2. Notice whatever is here — thoughts, feelings, sensations — without sorting or fixing any of it.
  3. Bring to mind one part of yourself you find hard to accept, and gently offer it a place: you are allowed to be here too.
  4. Rest in the simple sense of being here, a whole person, exactly as you are.

Helpful for

  • Self-acceptance
  • Self-criticism
  • Perfectionism
  • Never feeling good enough
  • Shame
  • Constant self-improvement pressure
  • Low self-worth
  • Being at war with yourself

Frequently asked questions

What is self-acceptance?
Self-acceptance is the willingness to be who you are right now — including the parts you struggle with — without needing to fix or change yourself first. It is the ground from which real change tends to grow.
Isn't accepting myself the same as giving up?
No. Acceptance is not agreement, approval, or resignation. It simply means allowing what is real to be real. Paradoxically, change comes more easily from a place that is no longer at war with itself.
How is this different from self-compassion?
Self-compassion is active kindness toward yourself in pain. Self-acceptance is broader — allowing all of you to be here, the strengths and the flaws, without condition. The two work closely together.
What if there are parts of myself I really don't like?
You do not have to love or approve of them. The practice only asks whether you can let them exist for a moment without pushing them away. That alone tends to soften things.
Who is this practice designed for?
Many people find it helpful when they feel like a constant work-in-progress — self-critical, perfectionistic, or never quite good enough as they are.
When should I use this practice?
You might use it when self-criticism is loud, when you are exhausted by trying to fix yourself, or whenever you want to come back to being with yourself as you are.
Will accepting myself stop me from growing?
Usually it is the opposite. Constant self-rejection drains energy; acceptance frees it. You can fully accept who you are and still choose to grow.

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As You Are: A Practice for Self-Acceptance · Return to Calm