Hello and a warm welcome to this Compassion for Others meditation.
This meditation invites you to connect with your heart,
Cultivate loving-kindness and extend compassion towards others,
Loved ones,
Neutral people,
Difficult people and all beings.
So begin by finding a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Allow your body to be supported.
Let the eyes gently close.
Take a deep,
Slow breath in and a long breath out.
Again,
Inhale gently,
Exhale fully.
Let your attention arrive in the present moment.
Allow the day to fade behind you.
Right now,
There is nothing you need to do,
Nothing to fix or solve,
Just this moment,
This breath.
Allow yourself to settle into stillness.
Now bring your attention to your heart,
Noticing any sensation or warmth in the chest.
Breathing into this space.
Allowing the heart to soften and open.
There's no need to force anything,
Just presence.
Let the breath flow in and out of the heart space.
Each inhale softening,
Each exhale opening.
Begin to silently say to yourself,
May I be happy,
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I live with ease.
Repeat this gently again and again.
Offering loving kindness to yourself,
You're laying the foundation for compassion to flow outward.
Now bring to mind someone you care about deeply,
Someone who brings warmth to your heart,
Visualize them clearly,
See their face,
Feel their presence,
Imagine them sitting in front of you,
And from the center of your chest,
Send them loving kindness.
Silently repeat,
May you be happy,
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease.
Feel the sincerity behind the words,
Let your heart be the messenger.
If emotions arise,
Simply notice them,
No judgment.
Continue offering these wishes with your breathing,
Slowly and gently.
Now bring to mind someone you don't know very well,
Perhaps someone you see in passing,
A neighbor,
A delivery person,
Someone you've noticed but don't know personally,
Picture them in your mind.
Recognize their humanity,
Their joys and struggles,
Begin to offer them compassion.
May you be happy,
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease.
Breathe with these words,
Send kindness,
Even if you feel nothing at first,
Compassion grows with intention,
You're extending your circle of care.
Now bring to mind someone with whom you have difficulty,
A person who may trigger frustration,
Resentment or sadness,
Start gently,
Someone who is only mildly difficult for you.
See them clearly in your mind,
Remember they too experience pain,
Fear and love,
They too want to be happy,
You don't need to judge or excuse their behavior,
You're simply offering them kindness as a human being.
Silently say,
May you be happy,
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease.
And if resistance arises,
Notice it,
Breathe with it and keep offering the phrases gently,
This is the practice of deep compassion.
Now imagine your compassion spreading outward like ripples in a pond,
Starting from your heart,
The room around you,
To your neighborhood,
Your city,
Your country and beyond,
Picture the entire world held in your heart.
Silently repeat,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings be safe,
May all beings be healthy,
May all beings live with ease.
See the faces of people around the globe,
Of all ages,
Backgrounds and cultures,
Feel your heart expand,
Boundless compassion,
You are part of this great web of life.
Let the energy of kindness radiate from you,
Limitless and sincere.
And now let go of the phrases,
Let go of the images,
Simply rest in the feeling of open-hearted presence,
Let the compassion you've created rest gently in your body,
Notice what it feels like,
This sense of connection,
This softness,
This strength.
Breathe gently and rest deeply,
There is nothing to do,
Just to be here holding this feeling of compassion in your heart.
And so when you're ready,
Begin to wriggle your fingers and your toes and bring your awareness back to the room and slowly and gently,
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Take a moment to notice how you feel,
Whether anything has shifted within you and place a hand on your heart if that feels right.
Carry this compassion with you throughout the day,
Into your conversations,
Your actions,
Your presence and remember you can return to this feeling any time you choose.
So thank you so much for joining me here today.
If you enjoyed this meditation,
I've got a number of other talks,
Meditations and courses on my profile,
So have a look and I hope to see you and follow me there.
But in the meantime,
Thank you so much for joining me here today and I'll be back with you again soon.
Bye-bye.
