Hi,
I'm Lorie Cameron.
In this Generating Inner Compassion meditation,
We are going to practice receiving the care,
Kindness and love that other people have given us to cultivate that kindness for ourselves.
Reflecting on the compassion we've received from others can open up and strengthen the compassion that we have for ourselves.
So find a comfortable position in a quiet place.
You can sit or stand,
Close your eyes if you like,
Or rest your gaze a few feet in front of you.
Now take a few deep breaths.
As we begin,
You might want to make your breaths a little deeper than usual,
Just inviting your body to slow down,
To arrive,
To drop in.
You can soften the muscles in your face and allow your shoulders to release down.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the chair or floor.
And if you're sitting,
Feel your feet flat on the floor and pull your spine up so you are both alert and relaxed.
Notice any sounds in the room and tune into the air,
The temperature,
Using your senses to simply come in to the here and the now.
Feeling your body breathe.
See where you notice the sensation of breathing most easily and just rest attention there.
When your attention wanders,
Notice the gentle movement of your breath once again.
And now gently releasing your focus on the breath.
And now I invite you to bring to mind people that love you.
You can see their faces around you.
Maybe they're smiling at you.
Feel them around.
Be circling you.
And as your eyes and heart rest on those faces,
Just choose someone very easy to love.
They make you smile.
It's uncomplicated.
They care about you.
Maybe it's a friend,
A grandmother,
A teacher,
A kind neighbor,
Or partner,
A child.
Just pick someone that's really easy to love.
And as you see them in your mind's eye,
Smiling at you,
Remember a time you were with them and what it felt like to be with them.
That might help to remember where you were.
And just drop into the felt sensation of what it felt like to be with this person.
Step into the moment that you recall,
Sensing the feeling of well-wishes,
Of being cared for,
Of being freely offered kindness and love.
Just stay with this for a moment.
When your mind wanders or drifts,
Just bring it back to this image,
This feeling.
The feeling of being with this person is the anchor or home base for your attention in this meditation.
You just keep coming back.
As you connect with that feeling of being loved and cared for,
Of being offered kindness,
Just allow that feeling to surround you,
To envelop you.
As you see this person in your mind's eye,
Reflect on how they feel about you.
How do they see you?
What do they appreciate about you?
Consider what they might wish for you.
If they were giving you wishes of kindness,
Love,
Care,
And support,
What would these wishes be?
If words or phrases or wishes arise,
You can repeat those,
Receiving them.
They might be something like,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be safe and protected,
May you be healthy and strong,
May you be wise,
May you have grace and ease,
May you know that you are loved.
As you hold this person in your mind and heart,
Feel the care and kindness they are sending you.
You might choose a few words that capture the feeling you are experiencing and their offering of kindness.
You can repeat a word or a few words or phrase that supports this feeling of kindness flowing between you.
Happy,
Safe,
Supported,
Easy,
Peaceful,
Loved.
Those are just a few of the words that might arise.
So opening your heart to these words,
These phrases,
Perhaps sensing the words from inside the body,
Allowing them to resonate within you.
Just make space for whatever comes up naturally for you.
And keep returning attention back to these words or phrases.
Happy,
Peaceful,
Loved.
Feeling your body breathe.
As you breathe in,
Feel the care and kindness come into you.
And as you breathe out,
Allow the warmth and care to sink into you.
Bring your mind now to just rest on the body breathing.
Being with whatever words arose,
Whatever words of kindness that you need to hear right now,
Words that you savor that are just for you.
You can use touch,
Placing your hand on your heart or abdomen,
The side of your face or two hands on your chest,
Whatever is soothing to you.
You might already have words or phrases that you like for wishing yourself well.
If you do,
Use those.
Finally,
Releasing the phrases and taking a few breaths to notice any sense of well-being,
Ease,
Love and connection that might be present.
Breathing in care,
Breathing out kindness.
Thank you for practicing with me.
May you be happy,
May you be well,
And may you know that you are loved.
Thank you.
Thank you.
