Connecting to others.
This time is to develop empathy,
Compassion,
And understanding among all those who enter and leave our lives.
As you settle into a comfortable position and allow yourself to relax,
Begin to close your eyes.
Start to develop a sense of oneness among the many people you interact with in your day-to-day life.
Take a deep breath in and release.
For a few moments,
Just focus on your breath.
Notice when you are breathing in and breathing out.
Be aware of the subtle sensations of breathing,
Whether it's the tickle of your nostrils or the movements of your chest.
When you catch yourself drifting away or lost in a thought,
Pause and acknowledge the space you've created in order to become aware that you are thinking.
That space between you and your thought,
Emotion,
Physical reaction is the fundamental pursuit of meditation.
Not necessarily ridding yourself of thoughts,
Emotions,
Reactions,
But becoming aware and creating that space.
So as you go through this session,
Celebrate the times you catch yourself and come to that awareness.
With that,
Come back to your breath,
Comfortably breathing in and comfortably breathing out.
I want you to picture someone who is close to you,
Someone whom you care about deeply.
Not overthinking it,
Just picking someone who comes to mind that you care about.
Notice what this affection does to your body and to your heart.
Perhaps you feel a sensation of warmth,
Closeness,
Joy.
Place that person in a dark room in your mind and turn on a spotlight that shines directly onto them as they smile.
Reflect on the positive attributes of this person.
What makes you care about them so deeply?
And have those attributes shower onto them like sprinkles coming from the spotlight.
Continue breathing and focus on these qualities as you visualize this person.
As you breathe out,
Notice that you are the one behind the spotlight,
Extending that shine to this person,
Bringing him or her peace and happiness.
As you send off this person,
Wish them well and bring yourself back to your breath.
Now visualize someone with whom you have difficulty in your life.
This may be a child or a parent whom you disagree with,
An ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend,
A roommate with whom you've had an argument,
Or a co-worker who you don't get along with.
Although you may have negative feelings towards this person,
Think of how this person has suffered in her own life.
Any challenges,
Failures,
Or difficulties they may be facing.
Place that person in the dark room in your mind and turn that spotlight back on so it shines directly onto them.
Using the empathy of their suffering,
Think of the characteristics you admire in this person.
However few,
Focus only on those.
Have those qualities string down from the spotlight,
Almost as if you are extending a hand out to this person on the basis of things you both can agree on.
Continue breathing and focus on these characteristics as you visualize this person.
Notice yourself behind the spotlight,
You being the one holding up that string of positive attributes,
As they shine in the light of this person,
Bringing him or her peace and happiness.
As you do so,
Notice the subtle smile on this person's face as the spotlight wins them over.
As you send off this person,
Wish them well and bring yourself back to your breath.
Put yourself in the spotlight,
In the same comfortable position you're in now.
Bathe in the light that's shining and the gratitude for all those that have come into your life.
Resting with greater empathy,
Compassion,
Understanding.
Slowly open your eyes.
Thank you.
