Welcome to the Growing Compassion meditation.
So just beginning by getting in a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
What's most important in this practice is that you're comfortable,
And that your spine is straight so it allows for an ease of breathing.
And now allowing awareness to just begin descending into the body,
Noticing any areas that are tense or experience a sense of holding,
Including the face.
Just allowing those areas to soften or adjusting the body as you need to in this moment.
And becoming aware of how your body is just naturally breathing.
Breathing in,
Sensing into the nourishment of the breath,
The awakening properties.
Breathing out,
Relaxing,
Releasing into this moment,
Into this space,
Into your body.
Allowing awareness to completely fill this body.
This is your body.
Breathing.
And now warming up the attitude of attention.
If you'd like,
You can place your hands on your heart or your abdomen or another part of your body.
And bringing this warm awareness to the breath and to ourselves as we just continue breathing.
And now considering if there is any part of your experience in this moment that's asking for a healing sense of attention.
Maybe a place where there's a stuckness.
And bringing to mind a situation.
Maybe it was a conflict with another person.
Something that feels unacceptable about yourself.
Or maybe a certain negative thought or the mind's worries.
As you bring this to mind,
Contacting what it is that is most difficult about this situation.
Just remaining aware and curious.
And as you're sensing into this,
Noticing what it's like to live with this.
And connecting with whatever place feels most vulnerable.
And even allowing your face to take on the expression of what this feeling feels like to help you connect with it.
Breathing in,
Contacting this sense of vulnerability or stuckness.
The breath in says,
I'm willing to notice this.
Breathing out,
Knowing this stuckness,
But also sensing into the space that's here.
The space inside and out.
And if you're having a hard time sensing into that space,
It's okay just to imagine that for now.
Imagining this spaciousness that lives inside and outside this vulnerability or stuckness.
And if you're finding yourself unaware or distracted,
Emphasizing the in-breath.
Acknowledging any resistance that's there,
Stuckness,
Or maybe vulnerability that you discover.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by the vulnerability,
Emphasizing the out-breath.
Exhaling spaciousness,
Tenderness,
And kindness.
So breathing in,
Contacting the hurt,
The shame,
The vulnerability,
The stuckness.
Breathing out,
Sensing it floating within a space of kindness and tenderness.
Now widening this to others.
Consider the universal reality of the difficulty of life.
Of the suffering that happens physically and emotionally.
Breathing in for all of us,
With the longing that we all be free of that suffering.
With this inhalation,
There's the longing to remove that suffering.
Breathing out,
Sending out tenderness,
Maybe a sense of warmth,
Healing.
Exhaling loving presence into every cell that exists in all of us.
If at any point this is difficult for you,
Allowing the in-breath to be a longing to remove your own resistance,
Stuckness,
Or suffering that's there.
And the out-breath to be a way of holding this with a more tender awareness.
And now moving on to one person or animal.
So bringing one person or animal to mind who you sense is suffering.
Physically or mentally.
That you'd like to bring to your awareness right now.
Taking a moment to sense into this person's mind and body.
Allowing a sense of feeling what it's like to be this person.
Seeing the world through their eyes.
Breathing in longing for the relief of this person or animal's suffering.
Breathing in the wanting,
The longing.
Breathing out whatever it is you feel this person is needing.
Maybe tenderness,
Relief,
Connection,
Strength.
Allowing the exhale to be an expression of loving presence.
Breathing in a longing for a lightening of this suffering.
Breathing out,
Infusing a sense of what this person is most needing.
A sense of spaciousness,
Connection,
Loving presence,
And compassion.
Feeling this person in your heart.
Now considering all others who are struggling in the same way.
With a sense of loss,
Fear,
Or hurt.
Breathing in a longing for relief of their suffering.
Breathing out a sense of spaciousness,
Healing,
Loving presence,
And deep compassion.
You can release any intentional focus on suffering and spend this final time resting in the loving presence.
The loving awareness that's innate to your being.
Allowing whatever arises to be touched with warmth,
Tenderness,
And love.
Breathing in,
And breathing out,
And letting be.
As we bring this practice to a close.
Considering that this loving awareness that is in each of us is large enough to hold any suffering that's there.
Maybe learn to live from this space of loving awareness in each moment of our lives.
And taking a moment to acknowledge yourself for taking this time.
This is an act of self love.
