Uncertainty & Compassion

This practice uses your breath and body as anchors to grounding while connecting with the fear of uncertainty and the unknown amidst the coronavirus, and loosening attachment to control and predictability with compassion.

Transcript

Hi,

This is Dr.

Lavanya Devdas,

Licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania and New York.

I wanted to talk a little bit about Inside Timer,

Which is a worldwide app for thousands of free guided meditations for interested folks.

I am today going to introduce you to a meditation on managing expectations amid the current uncertainty and pandemic.

I will be using your breath and a lot of positive affirmations and self-statements so you are able to hold that while you're centered around your breath.

So if you could settle into a comfortable posture,

Whether it's on a chair or a couch,

If your legs and arms are crossed,

To please uncross them.

Sitting upright,

Making sure that your spine is aligned with your neck and back.

Tucking in your chin a little bit so that you can feel the neck push back a little bit.

Closing your eyes now,

Or looking downward for a soft gaze,

Maybe 6 inches in front of you.

And now checking in with your breath.

Just noticing how you're breathing and how your body receives that in-breath and out-breath as you take a deep breath in.

Notice all the muscle groups in your body that tighten and your entire body going up as if towards the ceiling and then breathing out gently and slowly.

Noticing how the different muscle groups in your body relax.

Thinking a bit deeper into the chair or the couch that you're sitting on with that out-breath.

Taking a deep breath in,

Feeling your body responding to that breath in its entirety.

And now breathing out gently and slowly.

Again noticing how your body rests with that out-breath.

One more time,

Taking a deep breath in,

Feeling the rise of that body almost as if towards the ceiling and now breathing out gently.

Noticing the shoulder blades collapse,

Your lungs deflate the air,

Your stomach lining receding to its original position,

Your back and legs resting a bit more firmly in the support that is holding it.

As you feel a bit more connected to your breath,

Gently and kindly bring your attention to the uncertainty that you may be feeling right now.

Uncertainty towards how you are in this moment.

How your family and friends are doing in this moment.

How does the environment feel and live within you in this moment?

Just noticing,

Just observing.

Noticing any thoughts of fear,

Of uncertainty,

Whether a specific member suddenly came to mind,

Just hosting that fear,

Hosting how you connect with your fear right now.

Within the sanctity and stability of your breath,

Of your body that's holding that breath and its movement.

Just noticing in this moment your expectations and fears and worries about people you know,

Perhaps people you don't know,

And the entire human community.

Seeing that uncertainty and fear as is.

Trusting the stability of the breath that supports you.

Trusting the anchor of that breath in your body.

Feeling that strength and resilience in you.

To not change anything about the uncertainty.

To trust that you can interact with your fear of uncertainty in this very moment as is.

Holding it.

If it's bringing up sadness or trepidation even more for you,

Just noticing that increase.

Noticing how your thoughts grasp at that uncertainty and fear in this very moment without judgment.

With your in-breath,

Be mindful of that thought and that attachment and that grasping to that thought.

And with that out-breath,

Release that grasp.

Let that thought and attachment and grasping to that fear pass you by.

You're not changing it.

You're letting it move.

At this point,

Checking in with your breath.

Again anchoring your body with stillness as it experiences that in-breath and rises toward the ceiling.

Holding that in-breath and exhaling.

One more time.

Taking that in-breath.

Letting your body be filled with that in-breath.

And now gently breathing out that out-breath.

Feeling that tension with that out-breath.

Coming back to that state of stillness.

And now expanding gently your awareness to how the environment lives in you.

The fear,

The uncertainty,

How self-care lives in you right now.

The change that we're all going through.

The nature,

The beauty of nature that is also part of this environment.

How does that live within you in this moment?

Are you able to connect with the beauty of nature and the universe?

And are you able to simultaneously connect with the change and the uncertainty of the environment?

Using the breath as your anchor,

Letting your body ground you with that breath.

Noticing and observing and describing to yourself parts of the environment that you can control and parts of the environment that you're not meant to control.

Just holding that and seeing what comes up for you.

And now expanding that awareness from the environment to the global humanity.

Holding with compassion people who are struggling in this very moment for food,

For clothing,

Struggling with the coronavirus.

Holding them with compassion and wellness as you continue to anchor yourself with your in-breath and letting that body rise and exhaling while also exuding compassion to those affected directly and indirectly.

Holding with compassion and gratitude to all the healthcare workers who are in the front line of assisting the human community affected by the virus.

Seeing them in compassion and gratitude.

As you breathe in,

Just noticing any thoughts,

Feelings and sensations that might come up for you at this point and gently breathing them out without judgment.

Breathing in,

Noticing the different muscle groups and the body responding to that flow of in-breath into your body and breathing out very gently and slowly letting that air replenish you on its way out.

Breathing in,

Letting that air fill you up with more compassion for yourself and others around you and breathing out and cleansing the stress and the uncertainty and the fear towards it with that out-breath.

Breathing in,

The compassion and hope you may feel for yourself and others and breathing out the grasping towards the certainty and control in this very moment.

One last in-breath and out-breath.

Breathing in,

Holding the compassion and the beauty of this moment with yourself and your breath and your body and breathing out the stress,

The uncertainty and the grasping at the uncertainty of life right now in this moment.

And now as we near the end of this meditation,

Please repeat to yourselves either quietly or a bit loudly whatever works for you.

May I be at peace in this moment.

May we be at peace in this moment.

May all living beings be at peace in this moment.

May I be completely present to this moment.

May we be completely present to this moment.

May all sentient beings be completely present to this moment.

May I be compassionate to myself in this moment.

May we be compassionate to each other in this moment.

May all living beings be compassionate to one another in this moment.

And lastly,

May I heal starting from this moment.

May we heal together starting from this moment.

May all sentient beings heal together starting from this moment.

Taking one last deep breath in,

Wishing everyone well and healing and compassion and letting that out breath carry that intention that you just had for you and others out towards the world around you.

And now at this point,

Gently open your eyes if they were closed.

Feel the chair or the couch that you're sitting on.

You can move around a little bit.

And thanking yourself for engaging in this meditation right now with everybody else meditating with you right now.

Carrying these intentions forward.

Have a great day.

Reviews

Helpful, and easy to connect with.

Very helpful. Thank you.

Feel so much calmer and more centred after this <3

Really helped me feel better grounded. Thank you.

Beautiful words, voice and practice. Thank you for this healing time. Namaste

Lovely way to start my day with compassion. Thank you!

Thank You! Just what I needed this morning. May we all heal from this moment:-)

Peaceful and great