Okay,
So let's do compassion practice.
And we're going to start with something called soothing rhythm breathing,
Which is a form of breathing that's taught at the Compassionate Mind Foundation.
So there's researchers all over the world that are looking at compassion as an intervention in schools,
All over the place.
And the very first practice that they teach is soothing rhythm breathing,
Slowing your breathing down,
So that it's like just the right breath for you.
And then we're going to do some Susan Mo grounding and activate our compassionate wise selves,
And then we'll expand it outward.
So allowing the bowel to get present,
Taking a breath with each ring.
So we can just begin with this soothing rhythm breathing,
Which is slowing your breath down,
So that you're drinking in the breath,
Like drinking in a nice glass of water.
And then releasing the breath,
Like you're putting down the weight of the world.
Just putting it down.
And we slow our breath down to the pace that feels right for our own nervous system.
Breathing in mind slowing down.
Breathing out body slowing down.
Breathing in,
I'm slowing down.
Breathing out,
We're slowing down.
And you can use the breath so that when you breathe in,
You're breathing in fresh,
Clean,
Clear air.
And when you're breathing out,
You're breathing out tension,
Stuckness,
Stagnation.
And letting that slow breath move through your whole body,
Every cell.
And then we can just let our body be breathed.
Trust that our body knows how to breathe.
Now that we've given it permission to slow down,
Just let our breath settle.
And we can bring attention to the base of our body,
Where we touch the ground.
Awareness of the edges of our body makes contact with this earth.
But then extending that like a root all the way down to the center.
Of the earth.
Rooting down,
Down,
Down.
Feeling the solidity.
And then we can extend those roots not only down but out.
So that we have a strong rooted base here.
Grounded.
And as we sit grounded,
We can also feel that our roots are not only grounded to the center of the earth.
We also have around us compassionate beings that we can call upon.
So bringing to mind,
Teachers,
People,
Animals,
That when they look at you,
They feel care for you.
Including all the parts of you that maybe you have a hard time feeling care for or about.
Including the shameful parts,
The mistakes.
Bringing to mind a teacher,
A coach,
A family member,
Or even a stranger.
And just imagining these beings so that you're grounded down into the earth,
But you also feel their presence here looking at you.
What it feels like to be in their presence.
And then we're going to imagine that we can take all those beings and lift them up above our head.
The essence of their compassionate,
Wise,
Loving hearts,
Attuned hearts.
And you're going to purify it like up to a light.
Up to the sun.
Distill it into a light.
And then bring that light down into your body through the top of your head.
Let it light up your face with compassion.
Illuminate your heart and your arms and your hands and your belly,
Your back.
Your legs and your feet.
So you are like a bright light of compassion,
Of kindness,
Of understanding.
Grounded and bright.
Light,
Luminous,
And effortless.
And breathe.
And you can feel all those wise teachers lighting you up so that your face takes on the expression of a wise,
Compassionate,
Caring,
Warm,
Courageous face.
And your back is strong.
And your heart is open.
So you sit here from this place of already a bodhisattva,
Already a compassionate being,
Full of light,
Grounded,
Centered,
Strong,
Wise.
And this is the version of you that you need for yourself.
So sitting in this compassionate,
Illuminated,
Open-hearted,
Strong-spined,
Courageous self,
Grounded,
I want you to imagine that you can see yourself in front of you and see yourself around something that you,
Experiencing around something that you are struggling with in your life right now.
Something that is hard for you,
Something that you feel shame around,
Or you've made a mistake,
Or you don't know what to do or how to handle,
Something that you feel overwhelmed by,
Something that you are easily irritated about.
Can you see yourself,
But see yourself from this most compassionate bodhisattva being.
Look at yourself with compassionate eyes.
And can you attune to your own suffering and struggle?
Feel it.
Be present with it.
Your irritation or your mistake or your shame or your anger,
It makes sense that you feel this way.
And your job as a compassionate bodhisattva,
This being that's illuminated,
The strength of all these teachers,
Is just to offer yourself care,
Understanding.
And then I'd like for you to bring into mind,
Into this circle,
There's you.
And now I'd like for you to bring to mind into this circle where you're sitting as compassionate bodhisattva,
Grounded,
Illuminated,
Courageous,
And warm.
Your warm presence.
Bring into your warm presence somebody that you are having difficulty with,
Somebody you're having difficulty understanding,
Or there's tension,
Or there's sadness,
Or there's conflict.
There's something that is there that's hard for you to be in the presence of.
Bring them into your circle as well.
And can you see them from this space,
This bodhisattva self,
With a warm face,
With kind eyes,
With understanding,
With courage.
And as you are present with them,
You stay grounded.
You're also attuned to the feelings that you have and the feelings that they may have.
And it makes sense that you feel this way.
Both of you,
It makes sense that you feel this way.
And breathe.
And then you come back again to this bodhisattva,
To feeling yourself grounded.
Slow,
Long breaths.
Compassionate eyes.
Strong back.
Open heart.
You can feel in front of you your own suffering.
There you are.
There's you that suffers.
You can feel in front of you their suffering.
There they are.
They suffer.
We suffer.
And then bringing into you one more time,
This time,
The sufferings of our world,
Our community,
Bigger world community.
So the sufferings of our children,
Of our animals,
Of our people that are in authority,
Their sufferings.
Of people who are being harmed,
Their sufferings.
Can you bring the suffering of the whole world in front of you?
And here you are,
Bodhisattva,
Awakened,
Being grounded.
Effortless compassion.
Suffering of our technology.
Bring that in.
Include that.
Can you hold space for the sufferings of our whole world?
We're going to sit in silence for a bit,
But we can just offer out from our heart,
From our face,
From our pores,
From our being,
From our breath.
May we be one with each other.
May we be free from suffering.
May we be at peace.
To yourself,
May I be one with you.
May I be free from suffering.
May I be at peace.
To that person you're struggling with,
May I be one with you.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be at peace.
And to our whole world,
May I be one with you.
May we be free from suffering.
May we be at peace.
And so we'll sit as bodhisattvas in silence for just a few moments,
Grounded,
Illuminated,
Strong back,
Open heart.
