So first of all,
Rouse the intention of doing what we're doing for the benefit of all beings.
To bring an awakened quality to this crisis we're now experiencing.
To soothe,
To calm,
To heal,
To bring peace.
And from there you're invited to bring attention to your body.
Bring attention to the contact with the earth that you're experiencing as you're sitting or lying or standing there.
Feel the contact with the chair,
Cushion or ground.
Experience of hardness or softness.
And let your attention sink into that experience.
Stay with it.
Even though there may be lots of thoughts,
Lots of other experiences pulling our attention away,
Simply let earth element and the contact with the earth element be a stable point to return to.
A simple experience of hardness and softness.
Touching the earth.
Let the earth be your stable point of reference.
Let the earth be a way of bringing you back to the present.
And from that place of stability,
Being grounded and connected to the earth.
You're invited to shift your attention.
Shift your attention to the quality of compassion.
Reflect for a moment on how compassion is soothing,
Is calming,
Is comforting,
Is connecting with humanity.
Compassion vanishes our sense of isolation in this suffering.
It directly connects us with our common humanity.
It brings us to the reality of interconnectiveness,
Interdependence.
And you're invited to bring now someone to mind or a being to mind.
That is currently suffering in some way or other.
And notice your heart's response.
Allow your heart to open.
Arouse the wish that they may be free,
That their pain may be eased,
That their illness be healed,
That they may recover,
That they may find peace in this difficulty.
And allow your heart to go to this,
This being,
Perhaps in the form of light,
Perhaps in the form of just imagining a flow of compassion going to their hearts,
Filling them,
Soothing them,
Comforting them,
Awakening them,
And now you're invited to realize that in this universe there is an infinite source of compassion.
Whether it be from beings collectively providing compassion out into the world or other,
There is an infinite source of compassion out there.
And you're invited to think of your own anxieties,
Your own difficulties,
Your own fears,
Your own distress.
Acknowledge it.
Feel it in your body and open your heart to receiving this infinite compassion from the universe.
And perhaps you can imagine it as if coming from a deity or a figure such as Jesus or Tara or the Buddha or Mother Mary.
Or perhaps you can imagine it coming from a dear friend,
A kind and wise friend who has your welfare in their mind.
Or perhaps it just comes from the universe.
Whatever way is realistic for you.
Whatever way you can access this compassion,
You're invited to open your heart and receive it.
If it's meaningful for you,
You can breathe it in.
Otherwise imagine this infinite source of compassion radiating into your heart and touching your pain,
Touching your despair,
Touching your fears and anxieties,
Touching your gloom and sadness,
Healing it,
Soothing it,
Comforting it.
Perhaps you can hear words,
Words like it's okay,
You're cared for,
We're with you,
You can count on us,
You're not alone.
In whatever way you can experience this compassion flowing into your being,
Open your heart to receiving it.
Let it fill your body,
Let it touch your pain,
Let it radiate to every cell of your body,
Every part of your being,
Filling you,
Healing you,
Bringing peace to your heart,
Bringing the understanding that you're not alone,
That you're intricately connected to others.
And bring to mind how beings out there in the world are suffering.
And let compassion flow through you,
Radiating out.
Perhaps you can use your breath breathing in compassion,
Breathing out compassion,
Kindness,
Goodwill,
Compassion.
Perhaps you can think of a few individuals breathing in,
Breathing out,
Filling your heart with compassion and allowing it to radiate to wherever they're suffering.
The suffering of COVID-19 in Italy,
Spain,
UK,
United States,
New York,
London,
Madrid,
All the pain and suffering across the whole world.
Imagine this flow of compassion moving through you and radiating to the entire world,
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
The healing light,
The awakening light of compassion.
And now you're inviting to come back to presence.
Come back to yourself being here now.
Come back,
Realizing the compassion in your heart,
Ready to heal and soothe wherever it's needed,
Whether it be within yourself or others.
It's there,
The warm heart of compassion.
