Hello,
This is Beth.
Welcome to your meditation.
This is meditation on cultivating compassion.
Compassion is so important for our health and wellbeing.
Cultivates feelings of belonging.
It may illuminate a new path through a challenging period and can discharge negative emotion.
It's likely we've all been at the receiving end of compassion at some point in our lives.
That moment when someone recognised you were having a hard time and came to comfort and support you through that experience.
But for most of us,
It can be remarkably unfamiliar to offer kindness,
Encouragement and support to ourselves.
In fact,
We may even find we are unnecessarily hard on ourselves during difficult times.
Becoming more self compassionate is possible and a valuable skill we can cultivate.
Here we'll explore offering kindness and support to both someone we care for and to ourselves.
So start by sitting comfortably in a posture where you feel both relaxed and somewhat alert.
Maybe taking a few deeper breaths to help you arrive here,
To land into your body and to encourage the tension you might be carrying today to release.
Appreciating the freshness of the deeper breaths and the lovely release as you breathe out.
Exploring how it feels in your body right now.
Just gently turning your attention to your body sitting.
What's most obvious in the body?
You might find you're being drawn to discomforts.
The things the mind thinks are most important to know about.
So gently exploring those sensations.
Softening around them as best you can.
And noticing if there are any areas of the body that feel rested,
Warm,
Heavy or numb.
Perhaps inviting them to expand a little.
Noticing a little more ease and rest into your body.
You might soften the face a little more.
And even invite the corners of your mouth to turn up just a fraction into a very subtle smile.
Notice how that makes you feel.
If you'd like you can now place a hand or both hands on your heart.
The centre of your chest.
Or if that doesn't feel good find another place for your hands to rest that feels comforting to you.
This placing of the hands offering a little kindness.
And also helping you feel your body in this moment.
Feel your body here now.
As you allow your body to continue to settle,
To soften.
Bring to mind a person who is really easy to love.
Someone who brings warm feelings when you think of them.
It could be someone from your past,
Loving grandparent for example.
A good friend.
A child.
For some people the being that evokes the most easy warm feelings is their pet.
Allow your mind to play a little here as you perhaps explore images of the people or beings in your life you feel the deep appreciation for.
And see if you can settle on one.
Imagine being with them now.
How they smile.
How they look at you.
If appropriate the kind of things they might say to you.
Imagine now offering them kind words.
Words of appreciation for what they've brought to your life.
Also recognising that as living beings they will experience joy,
Difficulty,
Doubt,
Pain,
Love.
And that if you could you would like to minimise any suffering they experience.
What might you say?
You might repeat the phrase,
May you be safe.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you live with ease.
This phrase is again.
May you be safe.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
And may you live with ease.
You might like to repeat those phrases now in your own time.
Or perhaps words that feel more authentic and comfortable for you.
And as you send these well wishes letting the body be soft and being gentle with any thoughts that may be arising.
Let them be here.
Let them pass through.
And now reconnecting to the touch of your hands on your body.
This gesture of comfort and kindness.
And begin to include yourself in your well wishes.
Recognising that you just like your beloved friend or pet are worthy of your own compassion and care.
Perhaps envisioning your friend offering you care and love.
As we repeat these phrases now but to yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
And may I live with ease.
May I be safe.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
And may I live with ease.
Notice how it feels to have this intention to offer yourself kindness and support.
Notice the intention that counts.
Even if there's a little resistance,
It feels a little unusual or you feel very little at all.
Recognise that you are deserving of your own compassion and care.
That there's something very reasonable about wishing health and happiness for yourself.
Perhaps now feeling the body supported by the space around you.
The surface beneath you.
Feeling yourself here and that you are safe.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself.
Take care.
