A Compassionate Companion Meditation

This powerful meditation practice using imagery helps to get connected with a compassionate being who fully accepts you. It helps to cultivate attitudes of self-acceptance, self-kindness, and self-compassion. This meditation is to support participants of the Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living Course (MBCL) developed by Frits Koster and Erik van den Brink.

Transcript

A compassionate companion meditation. So let's begin by finding a comfortable position and allowing the body to feel fully supported by the surface you're resting on and letting a soothing breathing rhythm to emerge. And now inviting an image of a safe place to emerge in whatever way it presents itself today, Allowing all senses to be involved, A place welcoming you, However you feel in the present moment, And now allowing another image to emerge from this safe place or independently from it, Opening yourself for the present of a compassionate being that has your best interest at heart. It can arise from memory or fantasy or both. It can be a human being or an animal, A natural being or a celestial being, A being that is committed to your well-being, Embodying compassion in all its qualities. It is kind and patient, Sensitive, Playful and caring, Wise and understanding. It has courage and resilience in the face of life's difficulties, Staying firmly on your side when you suffer, Accepting you just as you are, With all your imperfections and possibilities, Wishing you the very best from its heart and willing to relieve your suffering wherever it can. What does your compassionate companion look like? What colour, What shape? Big or small? Old or young? Male or female? From where in space is it positioned? In front of you? Beside or behind you? At what distance? And the visual image may vary in clarity. Various images may come and go. If this compassionate friend looked at you, How would you imagine the expression of the eyes and the face? Perhaps other senses may be clearer. Perhaps feeling, Sense of presence or atmosphere or fragrance. How would this being relate to you? If it spoke to you, How would the voice sound? What effect does imagining yourself being near this compassionate being have on you? What's happening in the body? In your face, Your chest, Your belly, Arms and legs? What happens to your thoughts and feelings, Your mind, Your mood state? And just imagine an S being really appreciating your presence and your company. No matter how you are, It welcomes you from the heart. How does that make you feel? It may be difficult to connect to it, Or various fleeting images may come and go. That's okay. Noticing your reactivity to what arises, Your likes and dislikes, Acknowledging and welcoming whatever shows itself, Pleasant or unpleasant, Joyful or sad, Tendencies to hold on or hold off, Any moment allowing for a mindful pause, Allowing the breath to soothe you when you feel the space returning to the imagery practice, Imagining a compassionate being relating to you with whatever experience you have right now. You can continue for a while with this practice of imagining a compassionate friend. And when you're ready to end it, Allowing time for expressing appreciation or a goodbye in your own way, And letting the image to dissolve, You can return to this practice of imagining a compassionate being wherever you are and however it shows itself.