This is Benjamin and in this session we're gonna learn and do a mindfulness practice for increasing our sense of compassion.
First we'll work on generating self-compassion and a genuine wish that we ourselves be fully healthy and fully happy.
Then we'll practice extending and expanding that compassion towards others.
You'll notice that as a guide in this practice I leave lots of space and quiet between the prompts.
This is to allow you to feel a sense of spaciousness,
Freedom,
And calm as you follow the practice.
If you ever have doubts during these spaces like,
Am I doing this right?
Simply come back to your breath or to the sensations of your body and know that there's no right or wrong as long as you keep returning to the present moment and keep generating the best you can a sense of compassion.
So let's begin.
Taking a moment in your seats to just connect to the ground.
Maybe through the soles of your feet or your bottom.
Whatever is touching down.
Notice that connection to the ground.
And then with a long slow breath in through the nose lengthen the spine.
Take an equally long breath out feeling grounded again.
And as you sit here just watching and noticing the breath see if you can intentionally draw a slight smile to the lips.
Allow the body to just rest in a sensation of happiness.
Maybe that feels natural today or maybe it's a struggle.
But whatever trace of happiness is there for you today just allow it to grow.
Feel into that sensation as if you already have every happiness in this world and every cause of future happiness.
You can release the rational,
Logical,
And skeptical mind for a while.
And in that space ask if it's possible to just be happy right here right now.
Content knowing you have everything you need right here with each breath.
And then allow this felt sensation of how this happiness feels in your body to settle.
Imagine sending that same sensation to another person.
A particular person who you call to mind right now.
And let that sensation continue to spread now to all living people across the planet.
And in your imagination this other person that you've selected and all the people on the planet are feeling that same full-bodied happiness and contentment that you feel right now.
They're mirroring this beautiful sense of contentment.
And from this same sensation of happiness allow yourself to feel as though you are free from every pain and suffering and all causes of future pain and suffering.
You're still breathing into that slight,
Maybe seen,
Maybe unseen smile as you are completely free from pain and suffering.
Completely content in the felt sensation of this moment.
And with your whole body drop into the sensation of how good this freedom feels.
And wish the same for at least one other particular person.
Maybe expand this out,
This intention out to all people everywhere.
You could even repeat to yourself in your mind,
May all beings everywhere be free from pain and suffering and all causes of future pain and suffering.
As you send out this wish,
This intention,
Feel the energy of that wish fulfilled coming back to you.
Your happiness and your sending of happiness to others causes the happiness of others to return back to you.
Seeing all other beings happy and free from pain thanks to your wish brings you joy,
Brings you peace.
See if you can locate this sense of joy and peace in your body and rest in your awareness of this joy and this felt sensation.
And from this feeling of complete and full joy,
Send it out to others.
You can say in your mind,
May all beings everywhere feel this same complete and full sense of joy.
May they feel the joy of a full body connection to happiness,
Fully absent of any pain or suffering.
And again,
Releasing the skeptical mind,
Allow yourself to imagine a world where every person was connected to a sense of joy.
And because of this connection,
Not a single person would ever hurt another.
Recognize that this world began with you and your willingness to connect to the joy and compassion within yourself and to share it with others.
And so may you always be willing to share this compassion.
May you share it freely to all people equally,
Whoever they may be.
Imagining for a moment what it would be like to live in a world where everyone and equally share joy and compassion.
Take one more moment to intentionally send out that wish.
We all know it can be difficult when our life is full of challenges to connect with this sense of compassion,
Joy,
And happiness.
It may not always feel naturally.
It may not always feel easy to consciously share with others.
But with practice,
We can train our mind to cultivate compassion.
And we can even hold space in our own body to experience.
Experience that as compassion,
As joy,
And as happiness more and more.
When we do,
It does get easier.
Easier to experience and easier to share with others.
And any acquired skepticism or cynicism we hold about the world can even begin to melt away.
Creating space for deeper and deeper compassion,
Joy,
And happiness.
