Balance Giving & Receiving - Breathing Compassion In And Out

Allow kindness and compassion to flow in towards yourself and out for others. This breath-focused giving and receiving meditation will help you to balance love for self and love for others. Learn to include yourself in your circle of kindness!

Transcript

Let's begin this meditation by sitting or lying down in a comfortable way, Allowing the eyes to close, Feeling the body and feeling the breath coming in and out. If you like, You can place one hand over the heart or another soothing place to remind yourself of your own connected loving presence and noticing the natural rhythm of your breathing, Noticing how each in-breath nourishes you, How each out-breath relaxes, Perhaps even allowing yourself to be rocked, Soothed by the rhythm of your breathing, And then bringing your attention to the in-breath, Noticing how each in-breath nourishes the body, Breath after breath noticing this nourishment, And perhaps also offering yourself a little something more, Allowing some kindness or love or whatever you need to ride on each in-breath, Perhaps simply a gentle inner smile, Allowing yourself to receive this with each in-breath, And then shifting your awareness to your out-breath, Noticing how each out-breath relaxes the body, Noticing the ease of breathing out, And then picturing a loved one or somebody who's having a difficult time, Picturing another being and offering them the ease of breathing out, And perhaps also offering them some kindness, Compassion, Or warmth with each out-breath, Simply allowing your warm wishes to ride on the out-breath, And then becoming aware of both your in-breath and your out-breath, Breathing in, Allowing the breath to nourish yourself, Breathing out, Offering the ease of exhalation to another, Breathing in a little kindness, Compassion for yourself, And allowing some kindness or compassion to flow out from you to another, Just allowing yourself to experience this gentle flow, Compassion moving in, Compassion flowing out, Allowing yourself to be part of the limitless, Boundless flow, An ocean of compassion, And then gently releasing the focus on this practice, Focus on the breath, Just allowing yourself to notice how you're feeling, And just for this moment to be exactly as you are, Coming back to a gentle sense of the body in this space, And then slowly opening your eyes.