Good morning.
It's an honor to be here and share this time with so many of you today from across the globe.
2020 has been an extraordinary year,
And this past week in the U.
S.
Was no exception.
With so much uncertainty and change at play,
Stress levels have been high,
And we've often found ourselves riding waves of expectation,
Hope,
Disappointment,
Fear,
And sometimes joy.
With so much happening,
I have found it important to remain connected to my own body and to remind myself of my humanity as well as my connection to all beings.
Again,
It's so wonderful to have so many of you joining us from a global community joining me in this practice today.
So this morning,
What I would like to do is guide you through a meditation focused on grounding us in the body while also inviting us to offer compassion to ourselves and others through the breath.
This practice provides us with an opportunity to both tend to our own hearts and acknowledge that others suffer and deserve kindness just as we do.
Let's begin.
So allowing yourself to begin to focus your attention by closing your eyes or lowering your gaze,
And as you do so,
Orienting your body in space and taking a moment to acquaint yourself with the many sensations present in your body this morning.
So perhaps noticing gentle points of pressure beneath you as you sit or rest on other physical objects,
Bringing awareness to the sensations of clothing resting on your skin or the temperature of the air around you,
Its warmth or its coolness.
And now also bringing awareness to the inside of the body.
Noticing tightness in the muscles or relaxation,
The feeling of the bones keeping you supported,
As well as the working of the many systems keeping your body alive in this moment.
The beating of your heart,
The churning of your stomach,
Perhaps even sensations of tingling or pressure in the brain.
And finally taking a note of the respiratory system.
And so beginning to notice sensations of breathing.
Noticing the feeling of the air coming in and out of your nostrils or the temperature of the air as it passes through the back of your throat.
Perhaps noticing the gentle rising and falling of the chest or the belly.
Taking this time to become fully aware of your body and your breath in this very moment.
In this moment.
And so becoming aware of the body breathing itself without effort or a need to change or control anything.
Just allowing the breath to be what it is.
Maintaining a quiet awareness of each inhalation from each exhalation.
Continuing with this connection to the breath,
I invite you to recite three phrases.
I will say each of these phrases twice and leave time for three breath cycles in between so you can practice breathing them in and out as you say them to yourself.
To start.
Breathing in,
I acknowledge my own suffering.
Breathing out,
I acknowledge the suffering of others.
Breathing in,
I acknowledge my own suffering.
Breathing out,
I acknowledge the suffering of others.
And next,
Breathing in,
I am kind to myself.
Breathing out,
I am kind to others.
Breathing in,
I am kind to myself.
Breathing out,
I am kind to others.
And finally,
Breathing in,
I bring peace to myself.
Breathing out,
I bring peace to others.
Breathing in,
I bring peace to myself.
Breathing out,
I bring peace to others.
And taking in a deeper breath and letting that go,
We finish with these words of loving kindness.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be filled with kindness.
May all beings live with peace and at ease.
Allowing the mind to rest in this compassionate space that you've created for yourself and for others with each and every breath.
Please feel free to sit with these feelings of compassion for as long as you need today.
And when you're ready,
Coming fully back into the space around you.
Thank you so much for joining me in this meditation and have a wonderful week.
