But what we're going to do is we're going to do something that kind of unifies the awareness and the compassion facets of well-being.
And there's something that I've definitely discovered on my path through all kinds of different frameworks and trainings is that these are different languages to explain something that's kind of beyond the conceptual.
So whether you have one framework or another or a different way to break things down or a different way to explain things,
Ultimately,
Those are teaching tools.
But that doesn't necessarily mean they're are very clear dividing lines between awareness and compassion and insight and purpose,
Or even attention-based,
Focused attention meditations versus loving-kindness meditations.
There's a sort of false impression that these are completely separate things,
But they can be quite related.
And what we're going to do today is we're going to do a 10-minute practice exploring that intersection,
The blurry line between awareness and compassion.
This is an assumption that people tend to make about compassion or loving kindness type practices,
This is what I'll be under the pillar of connection in the healthy minds framework.
Is that they're always directed outward.
But in fact,
Self-compassion and self-kindness are just as important.
And so what we're going to do today is we're going to start with working with compassion for the self in difficult times.
And then we're going to start,
If we're ready,
We're going to start inviting potentially some other aspects of the external world.
So whenever you're ready,
Find whatever position feels comfortable for you.
A while,
You probably know what position to go into.
If you've never done this before,
I invite you to just listen in.
You don't have to follow the instructions to a T if you're just trying to get a sense of what this is all about.
And also,
If you're a deep practitioner of this stuff and you have another practice you'd like to do,
You're more than welcome to enjoy this space of virtual togetherness and practice whatever you'd like and just join the conversation in the chat in between us after the practice.
So with that,
Let's get started.
So find a comfortable position that feels safe.
I tend to like to sort of open up the back of my neck a little bit.
This is sort of,
Some of my teachers have emphasized this and I've found it quite useful,
Which is to kind of elongate the spine.
You don't want to bring too much tension,
But just allowing yourself to kind of rise up.
And sometimes it helps to take a deep breath and let the breath open up your posture.
So as you're breathing in,
Opening the back of the neck and rising high.
And then as you breathe out,
Just relaxing the jaw,
The shoulders.
Just letting the belly hang out.
Noticing your contact.
With the chair or the cushion or the ground.
And resuming a normal pace of breathing.
And if you'd like,
You can close your eyes for this practice or.
.
.
If you want to keep them open,
Just find a gentle place to fixate your gaze.
Relax the eyes.
And just let the light come in without too much effort.
And before we get started with compassion,
Let's take a few moments to just come home.
To the mind and the body.
Accepting whatever might be here now.
No need to control or change anything.
Just letting yourself be as you are.
I'm going to do this for maybe a minute or two.
Fully arrive here.
Seeing if you can come to your mind and body.
With that sense of coming home and being quite intentional,
That sense of.
Closing the doors,
Setting the lights the way you like them.
Plunking down on your favorite chair,
Favorite couch.
Getting comfortable.
Just feeling that cozy sense of being home alone.
In this moment.
Carving out some space and time for yourself.
Home is a place where you can just be as you are.
And just be yourself.
You find yourself drifting off into.
Thoughts about the outside world,
Looking out the windows,
So to speak.
That's okay.
It's totally a part of the process.
It's part of what it's like to be home.
No need to resist that,
But whenever you notice that happens.
Just sort of coming back to the body.
And the mind.
And whatever you're experiencing right now without any kind of judgment or criticism.
Allowing yourself to be as you are,
Comfortable.
And now let's continue with this,
But bring in a subtle ingredient of compassion towards yourself.
So.
This may come to you in the form of language,
So you might have a word or a phrase that you might want to repeat.
I personally am choosing the word ease.
As a sense of compassion for myself.
You may turn that into a sentence like,
May I feel ease or may I be happy.
May I be free.
Or you may just make up your own sentence,
Something that feels.
.
.
Like what you need in this moment to free yourself of any of the challenges and the difficulties that you're facing in your life and around you.
Allowing yourself,
Giving yourself permission.
To be okay and to be free,
Sending that positive wish to yourself.
Almost the way a loved one might wish for you to be free,
Happy,
And at ease,
At peace,
Whatever word you choose.
If the repeating of a word or phrase doesn't seem right to you,
You might also try something visual,
Like visualizing yourself at home in a cozy position.
Doing something you love to do,
Something that makes you feel free.
Sometimes the visual approach is okay.
And if neither of those approaches work,
Tuning into the body can also be an option,
To tune into that feeling of ease wherever you might notice it,
Or the feeling of peace wherever you might notice it.
Take a few minutes now.
Practice self-compassion.
In our own body and mind.
Again,
Comfortable coming home.
Safe.
OK.
As you repeat your phrase or visualize or notice the body.
Whatever approach that feels right to you.
Is the right approach.
This is your practice.
Not really a right or a wrong way to do this.
Just kind of investigating and exploring with a sense of openness about how we might offer ourselves a little bit of a break,
A little bit of a break.
Freedom,
A little bit of a sense of ease.
In the midst of everything that's going on in our lives and in the wider world.
Really taking this opportunity,
Using this opportunity.
To take care of ourselves.
Now if this feels like a good place for you,
You're all cozy and comfortable at home,
I invite you and encourage you to stay here.
You know,
Perhaps even lock the doors and stay home,
Stay home alone and take this time.
For yourself.
If you're open to it.
You feel pretty cozy.
I might encourage you to perhaps open that door.
And start to invite someone or something in.
So I'm gonna guide you to choose someone or something that you think could use a little compassion right now.
Someone who might be suffering or someone who might be confused,
Might be an individual or it might be a group of people.
Anyone who comes to mind is okay.
Someone who might benefit from a little bit of your compassion and someone who you might benefit from offering compassion to.
So I'll give you another couple of seconds,
Couple of breaths,
To see what naturally comes to mind as someone out there who might benefit.
From a little bit of compassion right now.
And once you've got someone in mind,
Invite them in.
Invite them in as you would,
Be a good host.
Offer them perhaps the same word or the same mental images,
Or perhaps different words,
Whatever feels right.
I wish for them to be free of difficulty,
To be free of the challenges they face,
To be free of the confusion that might be plaguing them.
And recognize that.
Despite all of our many challenges and difficulties and even our differences,
The fundamentals are the same.
And we all want to feel peace.
We all want to be free.
We all want to be overcoming the challenges and difficulties and we all want to be happy.
And so see if you can tap into that.
Whoever you've invited into your home right now.
You can welcome them,
Offer them a cup of tea.
And help them get cozy.
The way you are.
And again,
If you wanted to lock your doors and not invite anyone in,
That's perfectly fine as well,
Too.
Sometimes we just need that time for ourselves.
Okay,
Great.
Whenever you're ready to let go of that practice.
And let's just take one last minute here.
Again to do nothing at all.
To just be as we are.
Coming home.
To the mind and the body.
And even the outside world.
Letting it all be our home for this last minute.
OK,
Great.
Let's take our time transitioning out of the practice.
No rush.
Give your body whatever it needs,
Maybe a little stretch,
Maybe a sip of water.
That's what I'm going for.
All right.
