Giving & Receiving Compassion

Take the time to practice compassion for yourself and others in this "Giving and Receiving Compassion" meditation led by Julie Potiker. Sit back, relax and ground yourself in her calming words and soothing music in this 18-minute practice.

Transcript

Hi,

It's Julie Potichur from the Balanced Mind Meditation Center.

This is a giving and receiving compassion meditation.

So let's start like we always start finding a comfortable position.

This can be sitting in a chair or on a cushion on the floor,

Or it can even be laying down if that's more comfortable.

As long as you're awake enough to stay awake during the meditation.

Sometimes when you're sleepy,

Lying down will put you right to sleep,

Which might be great if you need a nap,

But then it's not meditating,

It's napping.

So we're going to take three nourishing breaths in through our nose and out through our mouth together.

In this third breath,

See if you can sip in a little more air at the top and then let it out with a sigh.

And now let your breathing resume its normal rhythm.

And relax your eyebrows.

Relax your eyes.

Relax your jaws.

We hold so much tension in our face.

Imagine a slight smile to the outside corners of your lips.

Dropping that smile down into your throat,

Relaxing your throat and your neck.

Letting your shoulder blades melt down your back.

Keeping your shoulders nice and open.

Dropping that smile down into your chest and your heart center.

Taking a moment to notice what's there.

Vibrating,

Pulsing,

Aliveness.

Dropping down into your stomach and letting your abs go.

Relaxing your abs.

Releasing your hips into the cushion or the chair or the floor.

Letting your thighs release and your knees,

Your calves and your ankles and your feet.

And then softening your hands.

You might want to place your hands for a moment on your heart or where you find it most soothing.

It could be your belly,

Your cheeks or your arms.

But place your hands where you find it soothing and feel the warmth of your hands going into your body.

This is a reminder that you're giving yourself love and compassion during this meditation.

And then when you feel like it,

You can relax your hands wherever they're comfortable.

In your lap,

On your thighs.

They can be face up or face down.

It doesn't matter.

And I'd like you now to notice your breath where you find it most easily.

It could be the tip of your nose where when you breathe in it's a little cooler than when you breathe out.

Or it could be the rise and fall of your chest or the rise and fall of your belly.

But wherever you notice it most easily,

I'd like you to anchor your awareness,

Focus your attention for the next few moments on your breathing.

I notice that I am breathing in,

I notice that I am breathing out.

Feeling your body breathing and watching the air going in and going out.

Bringing your attention back if it's wandered to your breathing.

Now focusing all of your attention on your in breath for a couple minutes letting yourself enjoy the sensation of breathing in one breath after another.

Noticing how your in breath nourishes every cell in your body.

So you're focusing on your in breath and then releasing your breath.

Using a word that you might like that feels good on your in breath to be giving to yourself like compassion or peace or love or ease.

Whatever you'd like to give to yourself right now.

If inhaling light or warmth is easier for you,

Imagine inhaling warmth or light.

Whatever you need on your in breath coming into yourself.

Bringing your attention back if it's wandered to breathing in.

Now I'd like you to call to mind someone to whom you'd like to send warmth and goodwill.

Either someone you love or someone you know who's struggling and needs a little compassion right now.

Take a moment to choose someone and visualize that person clearly in your mind.

Bringing your focus now to your out breath,

Feeling your body breathe out,

Sending warmth and goodwill to this person that you've chosen with each exhalation.

If you'd like you can add a kind word with each out breath or an image or just offer the comfort and ease of your exhalation.

You could send them love or peace or a healing white light.

Now feeling your body breathe both in and out,

Breathing in for yourself and breathing out for another.

One for me,

One for you.

Just feeling the breath now.

One for me,

One for you.

Bringing your attention back,

You're breathing in a word,

A light,

A love for yourself and you're breathing out goodwill,

Love,

Light,

Peace,

Ease for the other person that you've chosen in this exercise.

Breathing in for yourself and out for the other,

One for me,

One for you.

Feeling yourself be part of this boundless breath like the flowing of the ocean,

The waves breathing in for me and out for you.

One for me,

One for you.

Allowing your breathing to flow in and out like the gentle movement of the sea flowing in and flowing out.

Letting yourself be a part of this limitless boundless flow,

Breathing in and breathing out.

Bringing your attention back to breathing in for yourself and out for the other,

One for me and one for you.

I always have this image of a swing set with a child on a swing,

Swinging back and swinging forth.

One for me,

One for you.

Or the waves in the ocean,

The ocean pulling back and coming forward.

Compassion for me,

Compassion for you.

Now if you'd like to open up your circle of goodwill and compassion to other people in your life on your out breath,

I invite you to do so.

You can add other family,

Friends,

Co-workers or you can imagine sending love,

Healing light,

Goodwill around the entire earth.

You can let this pour out to all sentient beings.

You can go as far as you want.

One for me,

One for all.

.

Bringing your attention back to breathing in for yourself and out for the other.

Breathing in for yourself and out for the other.

Now letting go of the focus of your attention on your breath and just sitting quietly with your eyes continuing to be closed for the last couple of moments.

And just noticing what comes up.

Noticing how you feel.

Any thoughts or feelings or emotions and allowing your experience to be just as it is.

No judgments,

Just noticing.

In a few moments I'm going to ring the bell.

You might want to wiggle your fingers and wiggle your toes.

And then after you hear the bell,

Unfold whatever limbs need unfolding.

Give yourself a gentle stretch if it feels good.

Arms up to the sky.

Twisting right and left if it feels good.

Give yourselves a hug.

Congratulations for giving this time to yourself.

Hoping your rest of your whole day and night be more balanced,

Be less reactive.

Congratulations and thank you for your practice.

This has been Julie Potichar for the Balanced Mind Meditation Center.