This practice is called giving and receiving compassion.
Settling into a comfortable sitting position.
Closing your eyes or lowering your gaze.
If you like,
Placing your hand or hands over your heart,
The chest area or the belly.
Reminding us to bring a tender and gentle awareness to ourselves during this practice.
Noticing the warmth and the gentle pressure of contact.
Noticing if there's any residual tension or holding in the body or mind.
And on the out-breath,
Allowing the chair or the floor to fully hold you.
Allowing your body to rest.
Taking a couple of deep and relaxing breaths.
Feeling the breath in the body.
Feeling the in-breath.
Refreshing,
Nourishing.
Feeling the out-breath.
Soothing and calming.
Your own natural rhythm of breathing.
Allowing the breath to breathe itself.
There's nothing we need to do.
Now focusing your attention particularly on the in-breath.
Where do you feel the in-breath?
Is it cold or sharp?
Soft,
Deep.
Paying close and caring attention to the in-breath.
As you breathe in,
Breathing in something good for yourself.
Whatever it is that you need.
Perhaps a sense or quality of warmth or kindness.
Perhaps you need tenderness,
Love or a sense of ease.
You can use a word or phrase or an image if you like.
Whatever works for you.
Spending a moment to just feel this intention to breathe in some tenderness.
Breathing in kindness for yourself.
Now shifting the focus of your attention to the out-breath.
Feeling your body breathing out.
Where do you feel that?
Noticing how the breath leaves.
Gently,
Softly.
The ease of exhalation.
And now,
If you will,
Bringing to mind someone you love.
Someone you really like.
Someone who's struggling at the moment.
Bringing that person to mind in a way that works for you.
Maybe you can visualize them,
See them in your mind's eye.
Or maybe you get a sense of them.
Choosing one person and spending a moment really getting a sense of this person.
Now beginning to direct your out-breath towards this person.
Sending them warmth and kindness on the out-breath.
Intentionally sending them something good with each exhalation.
Sending them kindness,
Tenderness,
Ease.
Letting the out-breath be saturated with kindness.
With goodwill towards this person.
And now feeling your body breathing in and breathing out.
Feeling the rhythm of the breath.
Taking in and giving out.
Breathing in something good for yourself.
And breathing out something good for the other person.
Breathing in well-wishing for yourself.
Breathing out well-wishing for the other.
Breathing in kindness or whatever it is that you need.
And breathing out whatever you think the other person might need.
Allowing the breath to carry kindness to yourself and to another.
And to another a continuous cycle of kindness.
You might feel that you'd like to focus more on yourself.
That's fine.
Allow yourself to make these kind choices.
Let the practice be easy and responsive to your needs.
Or you might like to send out well-wishing to more than one person.
Breathing in well-wishing for yourself and breathing out well-wishing for others.
And grounding the practice in the body.
Feeling the movement of the breath in the body.
Gentle,
Rhythmic,
Breath after breath,
Wave after gentle wave.
Feeling the movement of the ocean.
A limitless,
Boundless flow of kindness and care and compassion.
Breathing in well-wishing for yourself.
Now beginning to let go of the practice.
Broadening awareness to include the whole body.
And noticing how you feel,
However that is.
Allowing whatever is here for you.
And gently opening your eyes when you're ready.
