Alright,
Welcome everybody.
Today we'll talk about compassion a little bit.
Let's start just by settling in.
Taking a deep breath in through the nose,
Till you're all the way full.
Let it go.
Continue that cycle for a bit.
I like these deep breaths in through the nose and then out through the mouth.
And allowing yourself to fully arrive in this moment.
This next one,
Take another deep breath in and then hold it at the top.
And then let it go.
You can even make some noise with your mouth.
I call this horse breath,
And it's kind of funny.
Why make horse breath?
Well,
One is it reduces the tension in your face,
In your jaw.
And two,
It just has a little joy.
I think this practice should be joyful.
If you want to try it one more time and really get into it,
Let's go for it.
Take a deep breath in and hold it.
And when you're ready,
Let it go.
Then just settle into a nice pattern of deep breathing.
Being aware of your body,
The weight in your seat.
Perhaps becoming aware of the temperature of the air as it comes in.
Perhaps through your nose,
Out through your mouth.
Is the temperature different on the inhale versus the exhale?
Maybe taking some inner inventory.
How do you feel right now?
Physically,
Emotionally,
Mentally?
No judgment,
Just notice.
And if you're comfortable,
You can put your hand on your heart.
Just feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest with your breath.
Expanding,
Contracting.
If you were to greet an old friend after not seeing them for a long time,
You might give them a hug,
A handshake.
And this hand on the heart is something like that.
An acknowledgement to ourselves.
Hey,
I'm here.
Right here.
In the body,
I'm present.
And if you're comfortable,
You can say the following either to yourself or you can say it out loud.
You can say,
I am strong.
May I be the strength that I need.
I am patient.
May I have patience with myself.
I am creative.
May I find creative solutions for all my challenges.
I am compassion.
May I have compassion for myself.
And I am love.
May I give myself love unconditionally.
And may I give others love unconditionally.
If you like to visualize,
You might visualize a golden light that starts at your heart where your hand is and expands.
Expands from your heart all the way to the tips of your toes,
Up to the shoulders all the way down your arms to the tips of your fingers.
Expands to the top of your head to your crown.
This golden light fills every pore,
Every cell,
Every part of you.
With each inhale,
You expand and brighten.
With each exhale,
Surrender and let go.
There's a sound that I sometimes use to get in touch with that highest part of me.
The part that is infinite,
The part that knows.
The sound is hue,
Sung long and drawn out.
I think of it like a tuning fork to that deepest part of me.
I'll sing it for a few times,
Three or four or five.
You're welcome to sing along with me or just listen if you like.
Though there's a power in the resonance.
So join me if you like.
Besides listening,
Integrate with me and let me know.
You are a wonderful vocabulary,
Most important and most Make tool book lesson in this conversation.
I have seen it,
So I would like to discuss it.
And just take a moment to listen to see if that deepest part of you has something to say,
Any insights to gain.
Compassion starts with ourselves,
With self-compassion.
So today we'll focus on ourselves and healing,
Nurturing.
We'll try a couple visualizations.
Imagine being outside,
A clear sunny day,
The yellow Sun,
Yellow sky above us.
And perhaps raise,
Imagine raising your arms and tilting back your chest and absorbing the rays from the Sun,
Almost like you're filled with solar panels.
And allow your chest,
Your center of strength,
To absorb what it needs here.
Get a sense in your body of what it feels like to be nourished,
Strengthened.
As you are recharged by the power of the Sun,
The power of this golden light,
You might imagine a sensation of warmth in your chest,
A sensation of strengthening of your body.
Perhaps even a brightening of the light.
Each breath expanding,
Strengthening on the inhale.
And on the exhale,
Softening,
Letting go.
And perhaps lifting the corners of your mouth into a smile,
Taking a deep breath in.
And as you let it go,
Let that image fade,
Let any image fade,
Just be.
And now you might imagine being in a deep forest,
Perhaps a jungle,
In a rain forest in Hawaii,
Perhaps in a redwood forest during a rainy spring in Northern California,
A forest that suits you,
It's filled with green.
And from here,
Getting a sense of connection with all the living things in this forest.
And allowing your heart to heal,
To be nourished,
Allowing your heart to connect to all other living things here.
With each breath in,
Imagining this green nourishing surrounding your heart,
Connecting you.
With each exhale,
Softening,
Letting go.
Allowing your breath to soften,
Your body to soften,
And to extend that feeling of connection outward.
Being nourished by the power of this connection.
Taking another deep breath in,
And on the exhale,
Letting it go,
Letting that imagery go.
And then if you're comfortable one more time with your hand on your heart,
You can say your name,
Followed by,
I love you.
And for some of us it might feel strange,
There might be some judgment or hesitation.
But try to say it unconditionally.
Say it again.
And keep saying it until you can say it as if you were saying it to the person you treasure most in life.
And hearing it from the person you treasure most in life.
And each time you see it,
Each time you say it,
Feel your body relaxing into the comfort of that feeling.
And then you can say to yourself,
I am whole.
I am perfect just the way I am.
And then lightly sending your attention outward into the world.
Sending your goodwill out.
Connecting,
Lightly touching on all beings.
Feeling a sense of connection.
Sending your goodwill.
And also feeling what it's like for that goodwill to be reflected back to you,
Amplified.
And then smiling,
A big smile.
Taking a deep inhale in.
And let it all go.
Nothing more to do,
Just be for a bit.
Just marinating in that good feeling.
And when you're ready,
You can return your attention back to your fingers and toes,
Back to your body,
Stretch if you like.
Returning back to the present.
Thank you very much.
