Welcome to day 11 of Insight Timer's Intention Setting Challenge.
Setting an intention is making a decision about who you want to be and how you choose to show up.
Over time,
Those choices become change.
Let's begin.
Hello,
And welcome to Insight Timer's Intention Setting Challenge.
My name is Kristen Neff,
And today we're focusing on compassion,
The courage to meet ourselves and others with warmth and kindness and support,
Even when things are difficult.
It's easier to be kind when life flows smoothly,
But true compassion asks us to keep our hearts open even when they aren't,
To remember that everyone,
Including ourselves,
Is doing the best they can with the emotional resources they have.
To help bring this energy into your day,
We'll focus on setting the intention,
Today I'll meet myself and others with compassion.
One way you can do this is by using the breath as a vehicle for compassion.
So try closing your eyes or casting them downward,
Settling into your body,
And start to notice you're breathing in,
You're in breath,
And as you breathe in,
Imagine that you're breathing in compassion for yourself,
Breathing in goodness,
Care,
Understanding.
If you want,
You can visualize that you're breathing in a golden light that's filling your body,
Nourishing every cell.
And now I'd like you to start focusing on your out-breath,
And as you breathe out,
Imagining that you're sending compassion to others in the world,
Those who are struggling,
And that you're filling them with compassion and kindness and warmth,
Perhaps sending out a golden light with each out-breath into the world,
Going into those who need it.
Then bringing both together so that as you breathe in,
You're breathing compassion for yourself,
And as you breathe out,
You breathe out compassion for others.
In and out,
As easy as breathing.
If you'd like to strengthen this,
You can even put your hands on your heart,
Feel the warmth of your hands as you breathe compassion in for you and out for others.
Remembering that there's more than enough compassion for me and you,
An ocean of compassion.
And then letting the practice go,
Just notice how it feels to focus on compassion in this way.
And as you meet others throughout the day,
Or as you think about some struggle you're experiencing,
Remember,
You can always use the breath as a vehicle for compassion.
And just remember your intention,
Today,
I'll meet myself and others with compassion as best I can.
So on the next few screens,
You'll be invited to set this intention or some variation of it on your Insight Timer home screen.
The simple act of seeing your intention reflected back throughout the day is enough to create change.
Good luck with the rest of the challenge.
Thank you.
