The vulnerability of others.
Start by taking a moment to settle and relax before you begin.
Find a comfortable sitting position and listen to what the body needs.
Shifting position to be comfortable and balanced if necessary.
Begin by bringing attention to the body in relation to the space it is in.
Sensing the room and any objects around you.
Now shift the attention to the entire body as it sits here.
Move the attention to the breathing process in the whole body.
Breathing naturally,
Leaving the breath to find its own rhythm.
Come back to the sensation of the entire body.
Bring to mind your reasons for doing this exploration on the vulnerability of others.
What's motivating and inspiring you to engage with this process of inner development?
And finally,
Wish yourself success in this process.
This exploration is to help you understand that we all share similar fundamental vulnerabilities,
Such as illness and aging,
Or not getting what we want,
But that we all experience these vulnerabilities differently and deal with them in our own unique way.
It will also encourage you to question your life and open up to possibilities of change and fulfilment,
Helping you build a picture of what your potential might be,
What might be helping you develop your potential,
And what might be limiting you at the moment.
To begin to develop empathy,
You need to put yourself in the shoes of others,
As them,
Not as you,
In order to get an idea of what they might need and how to best help them in their individual circumstances,
Rather than what you would do in the same situation.
Take some time to think about general situations in which people find themselves vulnerable,
For example,
Needing care as a baby or a child,
The challenges of living day to day,
The unpredictability of the weather,
Being unwell,
Needing support as we age,
But also not getting what we want,
Getting what we don't want,
And losing what we have.
So these are just some examples.
Now choose one that you have experienced and that you think most other people might also have experienced,
But one that is safe for you to explore right now.
Bring to mind your experience of being vulnerable in that situation.
What was this like?
How did you feel?
What helped or would have helped you at that time?
Now imagine a person you are close to in a similar situation.
What do you think this situation might have been like for them?
How do you think they might have felt in that situation?
How do you feel towards them now?
In what ways might it have been a different experience from yours?
What might they have found helpful at that time?
Is that different to what you found or would have found helpful?
And now let that go on an out breath.
Now think of a person you don't know.
A bus driver,
A shop assistant,
A farmer,
Or maybe a person you or others find challenging,
Either personally or in the media.
Imagine them in a similar situation.
What do you think this situation might have been like for them?
How do you think they might have felt in that situation?
How do you feel towards them now?
In what ways might it have been a different experience from yours?
And what might they have found helpful at the time?
Is that different to what you found or would have found helpful?
And now let that go on an out breath.
And finally,
Taking a moment to ask yourself,
How much of life do we all experience in the same way?
And remember,
We are using the image of the spiral to show how certain personal qualities build on and reinforce each other in an upward spiral towards positive potential,
A positive reinforcement spiral.
Likewise,
Certain personal qualities also build on and reinforce each other in a downward spiral,
A negative reinforcement spiral.
So using your learning from the previous exploration on the vulnerability of others,
Simply note whether your experience of the vulnerability of others may be helping you develop towards the top of the spiral,
Or if it may be limiting you towards the bottom.
Finally,
Taking a moment to reconnect with your posture,
Rebalancing,
Relaxing and gently releasing any tension if necessary.
Becoming aware of the body breathing.
And taking a moment to recall your motivation for doing this exploration.
And bring to mind what you have experienced and learned in this exploration.
Have you discovered anything about yourself?
Have you begun to cultivate any helpful qualities,
Or overcome or let go of any unhelpful qualities?
And how might this process be beneficial and meaningful,
And contribute to the welfare and well-being of yourself and others,
Your family,
Friends and those close to you,
Those who inspire and nurture your positive development,
And all living beings and the environment they rely on?
And as this exploration ends,
Try to carry this with you wherever you go,
By recollecting it occasionally.
