Hey friends,
Welcome to a compassionate meditation practice.
So just finding a comfortable way to sit,
Stand,
Or even lie down and we'll get started.
You're welcome to close your eyes or just have a soft gaze,
Whichever feels most of service for you.
And just start by maybe placing your palms somewhere where they can rest down,
Whether it's on your lap or on the floor or just hanging down by your sides.
And see if you can take a breath in through your nose and letting it go out through your mouth.
Try that again,
Breathing in through your nose,
Exhale out through your mouth.
And so often times as we start meditation practice,
Our minds are wandering and thinking about everything that's going on.
Let that be okay.
Just as if you were setting out a welcome mat outside your door.
Have that same concept for this practice for what thoughts come up,
Just setting out your welcome mat.
There's a lot going on right now and there's no need to shut them out.
We're just bringing a gentle awareness to whatever is happening in the mind.
And see if you can notice your breath.
There's no specific way you need to be breathing.
We're just noticing our breath.
You might notice the different nuances of the breath.
Maybe it's your belly moving or your heart space moving.
You might notice some edges in the breath.
That's okay.
The breath doesn't have to be smooth.
Just bringing some awareness.
So for this compassion meditation,
I'll just offer some phrases and see if you can maybe repeat them in your head and let them land with you.
Just allowing yourself to think about yourself with these phrases.
May you be well.
May you be connected.
May you be held in your community.
May you be a part of something larger than yourself.
May you take the space that you need.
May you reach out to others when you feel you need.
May you love freely.
May you be free.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be joyful.
And may you be playful.
May you find a sense of love and acceptance for just who you are in this moment.
Just as if we're setting that welcome mat outside for ourselves to be okay with whatever is happening internally or externally with ourselves.
And if you'd like to try and think about your loved ones,
And I'll read just a few of those wishes as you maybe picture or bring those loved ones to mind.
Loved ones could be pets,
Could be friends,
They could be family,
Coworkers.
May you be well.
May you be supported by your community.
May you love freely.
May you be joyful.
May you be playful.
May you be healthy and safe.
May you be at peace with just who you are in this moment.
Inviting these compassionate wishes to perhaps people that you might not know as well but you might see around or have seen around.
Maybe they're neighbors or just common people that you run into or see at local stores.
Maybe coworkers you don't know as well.
See if you can picture them sending these compassionate wishes,
An opportunity to connect with them.
Connect from a distance.
Maybe well.
Maybe supported by a community of yours.
Maybe loved.
May you have the ability to love freely.
May you find laughter and joy even in small moments.
May you find amazement and extraordinary in ordinary moments.
May you be connected to the resources that you need.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace with just who you are in this moment.
Next the invitation is to maybe bring up someone in mind that perhaps you have a challenging relationship with.
Maybe if it's really challenging more on a scale of 1-10 they'd be around a 5 or a 4 so that's someone that feels too triggering to invite them into your mind.
Perhaps you don't know this person specifically but maybe you just see them in the media or know something about them.
Maybe if you can picture this person or group of people,
Whoever it might be.
Bring your palms resting touching on you somewhere whether it's the heart space or the legs,
Somewhere where they can physically touch you in a gentle way.
And see if you can offer these compassionate wishes to this person or group of people.
May you be well.
May you have the resources that you need during challenging times especially.
May you have the wisdom to make difficult decisions to better the community that you serve or are a part of.
May you be loved.
May you have the ability to love freely.
May you have opportunities to find joy and play.
May you find connection even in differences and challenges.
May you be able to accept yourself just as you are in this moment with a sense of gentleness and kindness.
Letting images in your mind dissolve of any of the people that you pictured.
And see if you can just land in your body maybe taking a few breaths.
Noting how it feels to be in your body right now with a sense of curiosity and kindness after sending well wishes to yourself and to others.
And so I'll read a quote by Leon Brown and he says,
Love is contagious once it takes hold in your life.
It touches all of those around you spreading joy everywhere.
So maybe just bringing your hands to heart center or to your heart space and feeling the love within yourself and for yourself.
And then as you take a deep breath in and let it go just opening up the palms outwardly and sharing that love outward with others.
And from my heart to each and every one of yours,
Thanks for practicing.
