Welcome to the Compassionate Friend meditation.
First find a comfortable sitting posture which should be upright but relaxed,
With your feet firmly grounded on the floor.
Close your eyes,
Take some slow deep breaths,
In through your nose,
Out through your mouth,
And letting your belly rise and fall with each breath.
Then place a hand over your heart with a friendly supportive touch,
As if you are comforting a friend who is struggling.
As you start to feel the warmth under your hand,
Imagine that is a warm compassionate energy that's trickling down into your heart.
Now imagine that you are in a safe place.
This could be a real place,
Like a beautiful beach with warm sunshine,
A cool breeze and deep blue skies,
Or a cozy log cabin in the forest with a comfy armchair and crackling log fire.
Your safe place could be an alpine meadow with lush grass and beautiful wildflowers.
Just spend some time imagining a place that feels safe,
Calm and peaceful for you,
And really be there as vividly as possible,
Using all your senses to fully inhabit this safe place.
Now we're going to invite a compassionate friend to come and meet you in your safe place.
This could be a real person from your life,
A beloved grandparent or friend,
Or an imagined one.
It might be a figure from history you respect deeply,
Or a fictional character.
It could even just be a presence,
Like a warm light.
Whoever you invite to come and meet you,
Know that this person is deeply wise,
Kind and compassionate.
Sit opposite your compassionate friend,
Taking some time to enjoy their presence.
Look at their friendly face,
See the warmth,
Kindness and understanding in their eyes.
Know that this person wants nothing but the best for you.
They understand you deeply,
With all of your joys and sorrows,
And they're here to help in any way they can.
Spend some time talking to them,
Let them know about anything that's troubling you,
As they sit,
Calmly,
Listening with great care and attention.
When you're done,
It's their turn to speak.
See if they have any advice for you,
Or answers to the things that trouble you.
Just listen and take that in.
When they're done,
Spend a little more time just savouring their presence.
Being in the company of someone who completely loves and understands you,
Who is focused on your happiness and wellbeing.
Mindfully notice any positive feelings in your body.
You might feel some warmth,
Some openness,
Relaxation or a sense of lightness.
If you can feel those things even a little,
Enjoy them,
Let them soak into your body.
If you don't feel those things,
That's completely fine,
It's not a problem at all.
But if you can feel any of those positive feelings,
Just spend a few seconds enjoying them,
Focusing on them,
Letting them soak in.
Then thank your compassionate friend,
And for now say goodbye.
Let this image fade away,
It's fading,
Fading and now it's gone.
And now allow yourself to realise that this person lives inside you.
All of their compassion,
Wisdom,
Kindness and love is actually yours.
And all of those qualities are available to you anytime you need them.
If you're having a rough day or a difficult time,
If you're feeling triggered or upset for any reason,
Know that this wise,
Compassionate self lives inside you and is always there,
Always available,
Whenever you need them,
If you can learn to trust,
Accept and access their rich healing resources.
Just spend some time allowing that knowledge to percolate and resonate inside.
And allow your attention to return to your breathing,
The weight of your body in the chair,
Your feet resting on the ground.
Notice the sounds coming to you from outside,
From around the room.
Then slowly open your eyes and try to bring this sense of calm,
Compassionate understanding into the rest of your day.
