Hello and welcome to this meditation.
Today we will practice compassion.
What is compassion?
What does compassion look like to you?
And what does compassion look like in your life?
How is compassion expressed and embodied?
Compassion may look like a feeling that arises when you are confronted with another being suffering and you feel motivated to relieve it.
Compassion asks you to look into your heart and discover what gives you pain and then refuse under any circumstance whatsoever to inflict that pain and suffering onto anyone else.
Let's begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle into a comfortable position.
Allow a lengthening of the spine.
Drop the shoulders.
Unfold your waist and allow your eyes to close.
Notice any sounds near or far and begin to fade them out as you bring your awareness to your breath.
Just observe your natural breath as it enters your nose.
Witness it as it expands your belly and follow it as you exhale.
As you continue to follow your breath,
Allow yourself to sigh out your exhale through your mouth.
Do that two more times.
Allow your breath to soften and return to its normal gentle rhythm.
Release your urge to control it.
Just observe.
Soften your jaw by allowing your tongue to be wide and flat on the bottom of your mouth or by resting the tip of your tongue on the upper front teeth.
Let's begin by inviting compassion for ourselves.
As human beings,
We all have moments of difficulty,
Challenges,
And suffering.
Take a moment to acknowledge the difficulties you've experienced or something you are currently experiencing in your life.
It can be something general or it may be helpful to think of something specific.
Now bring to mind a person you know who cares about you deeply.
Perhaps a dear friend,
A beloved family member,
Or even a mentor.
It can even be just the general idea and feeling of a caring person.
And now imagine this being responding to your difficulties with much understanding and much warmth.
Allow yourself to receive their wishes for your well-being and happiness.
Allowing that understanding,
Warmth,
Care,
And concern to fill your whole body and mind as you breathe in.
Breathe in compassion for yourself and you can say the following words to yourself.
May I be well.
May I be healthy.
May I find the resources that I need to pass this difficulty I am experiencing.
And as you breathe in,
You can think of yourself breathing in this compassion for yourself,
Taking it in and really letting it sink into your body and mind.
And now bring to mind someone you know who is having a difficult time or that you know might be suffering.
It could be a co-worker,
Someone in your personal life,
Someone you care about.
As you bring this person to mind,
Place them over your heart along with the awareness that they are struggling.
Let yourself feel what you would wish for them.
You may wish them health,
Happiness,
And contentment.
Or it may not be specific words,
But more of a general feeling,
A general wish for their well-being.
Imagine them receiving this compassion.
And now if you're able,
You may want to expand your wish of compassion more widely to anyone experiencing difficulty or pain.
You may say to yourself,
May their suffering be relieved.
May they be well.
And as you breathe out,
Breathing out compassion for others,
Sending it out into the universe on your exhale.
And even if you're not able to connect directly with feelings of compassion,
Just bringing kind awareness to whatever it is you may be experiencing right now.
Breathing in compassion for myself,
Breathing out compassion for others,
Breathing in compassion for myself,
Smiling as I breathe out compassion for others.
And now letting the words go,
Returning to an awareness of the body,
Settling on the breath.
And notice how you feel right now.
Are there any sensations in the body?
What is true for you in this moment?
Pay attention to the face,
The head,
The heart,
The chest,
And the belly.
As you continue noticing what happens in your body,
Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale it out through your mouth.
Let's do that two more times.
Inhaling through the nose,
Filling the belly and exhaling it all out.
One more time,
Releasing,
Allowing your breath to come back to its natural rhythm.
You may now slowly open your eyes,
Gazing forward for a moment to come back into your environment,
Returning your awareness to where you are in this space,
Stretching as needed,
Placing your hands together,
Bring them to your heart center and bowing to yourself in gratitude for this practice of compassion today.
Love always the wisdom,
Truth and peace in me honors the wisdom,
Truth and peace in you.
