Dealing With Difficult People

This gentle practice draws on loving kindness practices to begin to create a warm, affectionate feeling toward all living beings. This is a gentle and restorative practice, promoting overall happiness and wellbeing. This practice can be especially powerful when done with the Ten Day Course: Ten Days to Deeper Meditation. This practice can be used with Day 10.

Transcript

First,

Just finding your sitting posture,

Whatever that is for you today.

Finding to the body its needs and just settling in.

Finding the breath when you're ready.

Finding your body as you just sit here and breathe.

Finding the body with breath and releasing.

Just this.

And now I want you to think of someone you're having trouble with.

They can be someone who's actually in your daily life,

Like a boss or a spouse.

Or someone who's giving you trouble in your mind,

Like an ex who betrayed you or a friend who's done you wrong.

Just thinking of someone you're having trouble with.

And really seeing them in your mind's eye.

And I want you to try to hold them in your mind while I say these next statements.

And just noticing what arises for you.

Not trying to make anything specific or special happen.

Just seeing what happens when you hold your mind on this person while contemplating these sentences.

This person has a body and a mind just like me.

This person has feelings,

Emotions,

And thoughts just like me.

This person has at some point been sad,

Disappointed,

Angry,

Hurt,

Or confused just like me.

This person has in his or her life experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering just like me.

This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering just like me.

This person wishes to be safe,

Healthy,

And loved just like me.

This person wishes to be happy just like me.

I wish for this person to have the strength,

Resources,

And social support to navigate the difficulties in life.

I wish for this person to be free from pain and suffering.

I wish for this person to be happy because this person is a fellow human being just like me.

And now just letting go of the contemplation of the person and returning to your breath.

This simple inflow,

This simple outflow of breath.

And just sitting here and breathing into whatever you might be feeling right now.

Sitting here as long as you like and breathing.

Reviews

Excellent! I plan to return to this one often. Thank you.

I love the concept, I wish it had more context. I also get why it may not need it, and accept it for what it is. Thank you for sharing.

I'm struggling hard with my coworker who has kind of stabbed me in the back. I don't know what I expected from this, but it wasn't what I got. Instead I'm in tears thinking about ways we can try to work together, having a real human take you at conversation with her and letting her know in a kind way how I feel, and trying to find a way that we can move forward in teamwork. Thank you so much for this.

Thank you . Very useful and find your voice gentle and reassuring Allowed me to soften xx

A very calming & peaceful zen moment. Thank you 🙏🏽

Helps to see another person and not just some other.

Loved this and will save it when I have a resentment against someone- but please change the bell at the end. For people like me that have sensitive ears it’s a painful sound. Thanks

This meditation helps me with processing anger and pain after betrayal and abandonment by my husband of 20 years. It’s not easy, but I will keep doing it. Thank you for providing this. 💕🙏💕

Thank you 🙏🏼

Just what I needed today as I consider a difficult relationship. Thank you Michelle! 💜🙏🏻

Hi Michelle
You have an amazing voice and calmness in your talk. I was wondering if one can overcome extreme emotions of anger and frustration while dealing with people who have more superiority in role ( e. g. boss) since in your talk you asked to implant seeds of equality in ourselves and other person, which I found difficult to implement.
Regards,
Arpit.

Spectacular and so very relevant in stressful times with family

So simple...so powerful!

That was simple but powerful... I actually wish it was longer... thank you 🙏🏽

A beautiful healing meditation 🧘🏼‍♀️ This is just what I needed. I’m going to share this with my adult daughter, in hopes of connecting and understanding. Tysm

i found this to be of great benefit at this challenging time in ny life. thank you

I wish I had found this when I was at work. Might have helped with my boss. Now I'm retired. Thank you.

Powerful meditation. It brought up strong emotions. I would have liked it to be longer and provide some suggestions for closure with what came up.

Nice and focused and brief

Thank you Michelle! That was very nice!