Hi,
Thank you for being here today.
My name is Susan,
And today we're going to practice something called compassion.
Compassion means caring about others and being kind to yourself too.
It's like having a warm and friendly heart.
I once had a pair of sunglasses that made everything look a little yellow.
The glasses didn't look yellow from the outside,
But when I put them on,
The whole world looked different.
Sometimes our feelings can be like that.
When we feel worried or frustrated,
It can be like putting on those glasses.
Suddenly,
Everything seems harder or more upsetting.
But just like we can take off the sunglasses,
We can help our hearts feel calmer and see things more clearly again.
One way we can do that is by practicing compassion.
Sometimes our feelings can change how the world looks to us.
Have you ever had a day where everything felt a little harder than usual?
So have I.
Compassion is one way we can help our hearts feel calm and open and loving again.
All right,
Let's get comfortable.
You can sit or lay down,
Whatever is best for you in your space.
And see if you can sit as still as a statue for a moment.
As you do that,
Notice your body getting quiet.
The slowness of your breath moving in and out.
Nice.
That was really good.
You can take a big breath now.
And if you'd like,
Place one hand over your heart.
And just notice your heart beating and your breath flowing in and out.
Now I'd like to invite you to imagine something special inside your heart.
Imagine there's a small warm light,
Your kindness light.
Every time you think a kind thought or a kind wish,
That light grows a little brighter.
Maybe you can even feel a little warmth under your hand right now.
Nice.
You can leave your hand on your heart if you'd like.
Or you can let your hand drop into your lap or by your side.
And let's start by first sending some kind wishes to ourselves.
You don't have to feel anything in particular as you do this.
Repeat these words quietly in your mind after me.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I feel calm and peaceful.
As you say these words to yourself,
Imagine your kindness light growing brighter.
Maybe like a little star or a tiny lantern glowing inside your heart.
Now your kindness light is getting a little brighter.
Let's let that kindness reach someone you care about.
Think for a moment about someone special in your life.
Maybe someone in your family or a friend or even your pet.
Picture them in your mind's eye and imagine them in your heart.
If that's hard,
You could simply think of their name.
Now imagine your kindness light gently reaching them.
Maybe like a warm glow stretching outwards or a bright sunshine of kindness.
Let's send these kind wishes out to them.
Repeating after me just quietly.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you feel calm and peaceful.
Imagine them smiling.
Or even feeling good inside.
Now your kindness light can grow even brighter.
Imagine it shining brighter and brighter.
It spreads throughout your home,
Your school,
Your neighborhood,
And farther and farther out into the whole world to people.
To animals,
To plants,
And to our beautiful planet.
Your kindness light may be small,
But it is powerful.
Let's send these kind wishes to everyone.
Repeating after me just quietly.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings feel calm and peaceful.
Just noticing your breath flowing in and out.
Notice how your body feels now.
Maybe a little lighter,
A little more relaxed,
A little calmer.
Maybe a warm feeling in your heart.
Place a hand over your heart again.
Your kindness light is always there.
And you can come back to it any time.
You want.
Thank you for practicing compassion with me today.
Your kind heart helps make the world a better place.
Be well,
Friend.
