This is a meditation called Just Like Me.
I'm Dr.
Diana Hill.
I'm a clinical psychologist and one of the things that I've discovered in my practice as well as in the research is that when we feel connected to others and when we see our common humanity,
Not only with people that we love but also with strangers and even the people that we struggle with,
It helps us be able to move through the world more flexibly.
Just Like Me involves perspective taking.
It helps you observe our common humanity and generate care and compassion for others.
So begin by finding a comfortable position.
You can do this practice with your eyes open even if you're going for a walk.
You can do this practice lying down if it's at night or you're lying in your bed or on the couch.
You can do this practice seated with your legs crossed on the floor or sitting in the chair making contact with the ground.
And if you feel any bound up tension in your body,
Take some slow long breaths.
Three slow long breaths.
Breathing in,
Arriving in this present moment.
Breathing out,
Letting go of tension in your face and shoulders and back.
Breathing in,
I'm aware that I'm breathing in.
And breathing out,
I allow my body,
Give permission to my body to settle.
Breathing in and breathing out.
And you can gently close your eyes here.
And bringing to mind the image of a loved one.
Somebody that's easy for you to love.
Imagine that they were sitting across from you.
You can feel their presence,
Their face,
Their body,
The feeling that you have with them.
And as you sit across from them,
Become aware that this person is a human being just like me.
This person has a body and a mind just like me.
This person has sensations,
Feelings,
Thoughts just like me.
This person was once a baby,
Totally dependent on others just like me.
This person also has parents,
Caregivers,
Grandparents,
Ancestors who are part of them now,
Present in them now,
Just like me.
And this person's own ancestry,
Their life experiences,
Their thoughts and emotional experiences,
I can never fully know,
Just like I do know for myself.
At the same time,
This person has been sad,
Disappointed,
Angry,
Hurt,
Confused,
Just like me.
And even right now,
This person has problems,
Struggles,
Just like me.
And ultimately,
This person wishes to be safe,
Healthy,
And loved,
Just like me.
And as you imagine this person across from you,
With all of that,
All the things that you share,
Send them some love and kindness with a heartfelt concern.
Breathe in your connection and breathe out a wish.
May you be truly happy and well.
Breathe in that connection and breathe out a wish for both of you.
May we be truly happy.
And you can allow this image of this person to begin to fade.
And if you like,
You can bring into mind the image of maybe someone that you're having a little bit more of a struggle with.
You don't need to bring your highest level conflict here.
But somebody who,
You know,
Is difficult at times for you to feel connected to.
Could be someone you know,
Or even a person within our political sphere or in our world,
A leader.
Bring them to mind.
And imagine them sitting right across from you as well.
Feel them in their presence.
And again,
You can say and recognize that this person is a fellow human being,
Just like me.
This person has a body and a mind,
Just like me.
This person has sensations and feelings and thoughts,
Just like me.
And this person was once a baby,
Totally dependent on others,
Just like me.
They have parents and grandparents and ancestors who are part of them now,
Just like me.
They have their own ancestry,
Their life experiences,
Their thoughts and emotional experiences that I can never fully know,
Like I know mine.
And at the same time,
This person has been sad,
Disappointed,
Angry,
Hurt,
Confused,
Just like me.
And ultimately,
This person wishes to be safe,
Healthy,
And loved,
Just like me.
Their beliefs may be different from mine,
But they feel valid and accurate and important to them,
Just like mine.
And with this connection and a heartfelt concern,
You can breathe in that connection and breathe out and bring forth a kind wish.
May you be truly happy and well.
Again,
Breathing in the connection and breathing out a wish for both of us,
Maybe even all of us.
May we all be truly happy and well.
May we all be at ease.
Allowing this image to fade,
You can bring to mind all of the faces that you have seen today thus far,
All of the faces that you will encounter today moving forward.
And making a commitment when you see another human,
Whether it's at a bus stop or at the grocery store,
In your workplace,
In your family,
That you will see them through this lens of just like me,
They have feelings and thoughts,
Struggles and problems.
And just like me,
They long to be free.
And when you do this,
You will feel the common humanity that we all share.
This is what it means to be human.
Thank you for listening to this meditation.
May the benefits of your practice carry forward throughout your day today.
Many blessings and more good to come.
