Welcome.
Compassion with equanimity.
This practice combines giving and receiving compassion with the practice of equanimity or balance in the midst of difficulty.
You can ask yourself as a caregiver,
Can I also meet my own needs,
Soothe,
Comfort,
Protect and provide for myself?
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable position and close your eyes either partially or fully.
Take a few deep breaths to settle into your body and into the present moment.
Becoming aware of the support of the ground beneath the feet,
Knowing that the earth is always holding you and is here to support you.
You might like to put a hand over your heart or wherever it is comforting and soothing as a reminder to bring affectionate awareness to your experience and to yourself.
And now bring to mind someone you are caring for who is exhausting you or frustrating you in some way,
Someone you care about who is suffering.
And for this introductory exercise,
Please choose someone who is not your child as this can be a slightly more complicated dynamic.
Visualize the person and the caregiving situation clearly in your mind and begin to feel the struggle in your own body.
Now please listen carefully to these words,
Letting them gently roll through your mind.
Everyone is on their own life journey.
I am not the cause of this person's suffering nor is it entirely within my power to make it go away even though I wish I could.
Things like these can be difficult to bear yet I may still try to help if I can.
Remember the stress you are carrying in your body inhale fully and deeply drawing compassion into your body and filling every cell of your body with compassion.
Letting yourself be soothed by inhaling deeply.
Giving yourself the compassion you need with each in-breath.
Letting yourself the compassion you need with each in-breath.
And as you exhale,
Sending out compassion to the person who is associated with your distress.
Realizing how there is an ease with each out-breath and allowing that ease to travel to the other person while continuing to nourish yourself with each inhale.
Continue breathing compassion in and out.
Allowing your body to gradually find a natural breathing rhythm.
Letting your body breathe itself.
One for me and one for you.
In for me and out for you.
Occasionally scanning your inner landscape for any distress and responding by inhaling compassion for yourself and exhaling compassion for others.
If you find that anyone needs extra compassion including yourself directing your breath in that direction.
Realizing how your body is caressed from the inside as you breathe.
Let yourself float on an ocean of compassion.
A limitless ocean that embraces all suffering.
A boundless ocean.
And listening to these words once again.
Everyone is on their own life journey.
I am not the cause of this person's suffering.
Nor is it entirely within my power to make it go away.
Even though I wish I could.
Moments like these can be difficult to bear.
Yet I may still try to help if I can.
Now,
Letting go of the practice.
Allowing any words or images to gently fade away and allowing yourself to be exactly as you are in this moment.
Gently and in your own time whenever you're ready opening your eyes.
Thank you.
