I want you to first recognize something that's bringing pain and sorrow,
Either from the outside or internal.
It can be around communication or not.
Just kind of let your breath be easy as you consider this,
Thinking about it.
And then begin to allow whatever emotions come up,
Begin to allow them in,
Thoughts.
You can say to yourself,
Can I bear this emotion here in this space with these people,
My community?
Can I bear this?
If the answer is yes,
Just breathe into it and let yourself go a little bit deeper,
Allowing,
Allowing that emotion,
That energy that's underneath this emotion.
You might want to go a little further,
Opening your heart space,
Even put your hand to your heart to allow this in.
Know yourself.
If it feels like too much,
Back up a little bit.
It can always come out.
If you feel you can bear it,
Stay in it.
Stay curious.
Stay open.
Bring the compassion that we've brought forward to this moment,
Resting in your breath,
Allowing.
And now bring to mind and to sense,
What was your active intention?
What did you want?
What did you fear?
What do you want or fear?
Investigate with your mind.
Feel in your body.
How do you feel this?
When you're thinking about this,
Consider what was the quality of connection or separation?
What was that like?
What's the impact on me and on others?
As you consider connection and separation and impact,
Return to that question,
Okay,
So really,
What is my deepest intention here?
What would I have really wanted?
What's the outcome I really wanted?
And feeling into your body,
If there's tension,
Bring curiosity to that tension.
What's there?
Perhaps that's where you've been numbing yourself or holding fierce emotion.
Bring your breath there.
And now,
Sense possibility.
If you were redoing the situation,
What would be possible?
What might you have said or where in your heart or body might you have lived?
Consider not from a place of judgment or could've,
Would've,
Should've,
Instead,
From that place of equanimity,
Of curiosity.
It's hard to go to this place in this way.
You can bring someone with you.
Imagine that person with their hands on your shoulders or the pet in your arms as you explore in the most open and honest way your heart and your body as you consider possibilities.
If you're able to,
Ask the question about what you're feeling.
Is it true,
The situation,
The impact?
Is it really true?
Here you're safe to really explore what's your deepest intention.
Now,
I want you to imagine that person or being that you brought with you in the compassion meditation.
They're there now.
Perhaps they're holding you or standing next to you or looking into your eyes and filling you with their deep,
Unconditional love.
Allow that love to flow through you,
To fill any dark recesses,
Any tension.
Just fill it with love,
Unconditional love.
What does that light feel?
Imagine yourself and this being standing in the center of your heart,
The blood pumping in and out,
Filling,
Surrounding you,
Reaching into your brain,
The tips of your fingers,
Your toes,
With each breath is love.
You might experiment and put a little smile on your lips.
How does that feel in your body when you do that?
And if your mind has wandered,
Take a page from Joanna Macy and just gently bring your attention back.
Thank your mind for remembering to come back to this moment.
Through your heart,
You might get curious,
What parts of this meditation were the hardest for me?
What parts have I learned from?
How might it guide you in the future?
What feelings or sensations were the most important?
What does your deepest and wisest self want you to know?
Standing in the center of your heart,
With this beloved next to you,
Listen,
Connect to your deepest intentions.
What do you want to remember?
And when you're ready,
Take a few deep,
Full breaths,
Filling your body,
Nourishing you,
Feel the aliveness filling you,
Your deep and wonderful and precious life.
Think of that Mary Oliver poem.
What do you intend to do with your one perfect and precious life?
What do you want to keep from this meditation to remember?
When you're ready,
You can come back.
