Compassionate Abiding

Compassionate Abiding starts with a stabilizing Home Base practice, moving to the experience in body, heart, and mind of being in the presence of a cared-for being. Guidance shifts to imagining small distress in the other, and reflection on the influence in the listener's experience. Taking action and helping the small distress highlights the experience of abiding in compassionate action, before finishing back at Home Base.

Transcript

This is a 15-minute compassionate abiding practice. It will be lightly guided, Meaning there will be times of speaking and times of silence. Those times of silence are for you to really lean into and open up to the practice. Begin by taking your meditation seat. Sitting up as tall and straight as is comfortable for you and your body. Feet on the floor. Inviting the hands to come to some stillness on the legs or lap, Wherever they happen to land. You don't need to be a statue for this practice. But if you do have some small movements that occur, Do them mindfully. Choose to move and be aware of that motion. Gently checking in to the position of the body. The eyes are closed or open. Whichever is most supportive for you in this moment. What is it like to be in this body? To be present. Aware of sensations inside. Aware of your surroundings, Perhaps sounds in your environment. And gently checking in with the emotions and thoughts. Just a light curiosity. How am I doing in this moment? And noticing whatever happens to echo back. Take your time. Get to know the ingredients of this moment. And allow yourself to arrive again if mind is still distracted. Bringing attention to your home base. That comfortable experience that you can feel right now. That's supportive for you. Home base may be sensations of breathing in and out. Wherever you feel it most in your body. And focusing on that. And noticing when thinking about breathing is happening. And shift attention back to experiencing breathing. And you may also find that breathing is not a comfortable experience for you. It's perfectly fine to choose a different home base experience. Listening to sounds is one option. Or just putting your attention on the tips of your fingers or the bottoms of your feet. Whatever is a comfortable experience that you can connect with. That you can feel. Here too. Take your time. Find a supportive home base and get to know it. And get reacquainted every time attention may wander. From this supportive home base. Bringing to mind, Bringing to heart. Someone or something that you care about. That cares about you. Could be a person or a pet. Maybe not the most complex relationship that you have. Just someone or something that when you think about them, Brings a light smile to the face. A lightness of mood to your heart. And perhaps noticing if a more complex relationship presents itself. And maybe choosing something a little more simple. It doesn't have to be someone you're very, Very close with. Just a light relationship. Again, That brings a smile to your face. And once you've decided who or what that might be, Bring that person, That being, To mind. Imagining them here with you in this moment. Sitting next to you. Sitting with you. And noticing what that's like. How does the body respond to having this cared-for person or being with you? What do you notice in the body? Take your time. Checking in and noticing what's here. And shifting attention to the heart, Your emotions. How does it feel, Emotionally, To imagine sitting with this person, This being, That you care about? That cares about you. And shifting attention again to the mind. The experience of thinking. And without having to get caught up or lost in thought, Just gently peeking into what the process of thinking is like. Fast or slow. Same kind of thought coming back again and again. Or maybe something different. There's no wrong answer to this. It's just checking in and noticing what's here in body and heart and mind. Take a few moments now just to notice. How are you responding to imagining being with this cared-for person or being? If you find some difficulties, You may want to choose a different person or being. That's okay. It's not always the one that's most helpful in this first time trying it. You can choose someone or something else. It's okay. And now, Imagining this person, This being, Having a small hurt. Small hurt. A stubbed toe. A small disappointment. A little sadness. Something manageable. Not overwhelming, But manageable. And as you imagine this cared-for being in some small hurt, Some small distress, How does that influence how you are in this moment? What do you notice happening in the body as you sense their small distress? What do you notice responding in the heart, The emotions? And how do those emotions make themselves known to you? And noticing thinking as well, The experience of thinking. What's that like as you sit with this cared-for being in their small distress? And now, Offering some small help, Some care. Maybe just an imagined hug or pet. Whatever it happens to breathe that might bring some joy or a little relief to this cared-for being. What might that be in your imagination? What would it be like to offer that care, That compassionate action to their distress? To be able to perhaps help with that. And as you take this action, Even if this action is simply listening to the other, Notice how you are responding to their relief as well. Taking compassionate action. How does that feel in the body? Is it different than just feeling the distress? How does taking compassionate action feel in the heart, The emotions? Is that a little different than just feeling the distress? How does taking compassionate action influence experiencing thinking? Is that maybe a little different than just experiencing the distress? Take a few moments and get to know this abiding in compassion, This taking action on another's distress just by your presence, And how it influences how you feel in your body, In your heart, In the mind, And when you're ready. Imagining this cared-for being or person departing, Moving on with the rest of their day, And allowing yourself to come back to home base, And checking into that experience and inhabiting that, Returning to you in this moment, Aware of sensations in the body, Touch, Hearing, Whatever might be making itself known through the senses, Noticing the emotions that are here now, Perhaps making a note of what you find, And gently peeking at the experience of thinking as well, And what's that like. When you're ready, You can open your eyes, And perhaps listening to the body still with mindful presence, How does the body want to be moved after sitting still? And maybe giving yourself a good stretch, Whatever might feel nice to you, Whatever the body is calling for. This concludes the meditation on compassionate abiding. Thank you for your time, Your dedication, And your care.