Welcome to this street practice and a different way to exercise compassion.
This is a very simple technique that you can do alone or once you've tried it,
You can use to guide other members of your family.
It works particularly well with children.
This practice can be done anywhere but works best when you're outside,
In any environment where you will come into contact with other people.
You can do this on your way to work,
In the street,
Sitting in a cafe or on a walk.
For thousands of years,
Compassion has been seen as the antidote to most of life's ills.
Research has now revealed how our brains and our capacity for compassion has evolved.
When we flex our compassion muscles,
We can see how it becomes a source of courage and wisdom to tackle almost anything that life throws at us.
If we can learn to be compassionate towards ourselves and others,
To gently push aside our inner critics and allow ourselves to be flawed,
Imperfect and human,
We will become resilient and creative problem solvers.
This exercise offers a novel way to walk the compassion path.
Before you start,
Make sure you are safe,
Particularly if you are walking or sitting outside in a public place.
It doesn't need to be quiet but this practice will be easier to follow if you are undisturbed.
You should do this exercise with your eyes open.
If you're sitting down,
Settle into your body.
Relax your shoulders,
Unclench your jaw,
Uncurl your fingers,
Your toes.
Try not to be stiff.
Feel your feet in contact with the ground,
Your feet that carry you around all day long.
If you're standing or walking,
Slow down or stop and allow yourself to come into your body.
Let gravity do its work.
Notice the sounds and smells around you or if there's a breeze on your skin.
Let your body's senses come alive and let tension slip away.
Take note of how you are feeling.
If your mind is busy,
Don't worry.
Just listening to this meditation is self-compassion in itself.
This practice isn't meant to eliminate thinking but to help you know what you're thinking,
When you're thinking it.
In the same way,
You want to know what you're feeling,
When you're feeling it.
The idea is to see how one thought leads to the next and to decide if you're heading down the wrong path or if you might want to choose another.
Compassion rests in the decision you make and in the balance of whether to act upon a thought or not.
To start the practice,
Take a few deep breaths in and out to settle yourself.
Breathing in through your nose,
Into your lungs and exhale through your mouth.
Feeling your belly rise and fall with your breath.
Feel the air as it travels up your nose,
Into your lungs and out through your mouth.
Notice the texture and temperature of your breath in your nose and throat.
Then let your breath go.
Allow your breath to become normal,
To be something your body does every day.
Let's start with an open heart.
Even if you don't feel open,
You can just imagine what this might feel like.
That's enough.
Bring a sense of kindness to mind and then gently direct that kindness towards yourself.
This doesn't have to be a big grandiose feeling,
It can just be the start of a feeling.
A seed is just a wish that you might be happy,
Be well,
Be safe,
That you might be okay.
You can wish whatever feeling you need towards yourself.
Maybe you want to feel protected or peaceful.
Give yourself what you need.
Being kind is not weak or sentimental.
It is one of the most courageous and empowering things you can do for yourself.
Repeat these silent phrases to yourself.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
Notice your body's responses to each.
If the tone of one of these phrases doesn't feel quite right,
Choose another that does.
May I be well.
Relax your body after repeating each phrase.
Do this over and over.
You are creating positive intentions,
But you may not feel compassion straight away.
And that is okay.
Remember,
Compassion requires persistence and practice.
Treat yourself with loving kindness.
Pay attention to your surroundings.
Look around.
You might be standing and people are passing you by,
Or you can see others in the distance.
Recognize that all of these strangers are vulnerable.
They all suffer loss and pain.
Any of their lives,
Just like yours,
Can change in an instant.
Choose a person and send them the same good wishes as you directed to yourself.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
You can repeat any of the phrases that feel right.
You don't have to know or like any of these people.
Focusing your attention on inclusion and caring creates a powerful connection that challenges the idea of an us and them world.
See everyone that passes you by as us.
You may choose to send all of your kind wishes to one person or to several.
Follow your heart.
If you feel resistance to this practice or the people you see,
Don't criticize yourself.
Remember,
Compassion towards yourself is at the heart of this.
Gather up your attention and direct the phrases back to yourself again.
May I be well.
And notice how you feel.
You don't have to change how you feel.
You're just noting these emotions.
There is nothing to change.
It's good to keep yourself as the focus in this practice to stop your attention from flying around too much.
Use this opportunity to be curious.
Direct the phrases back to yourself.
Do you choose different ones now?
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be content.
May I be safe.
May I have joy.
As you send to your attention on these phrases,
You might notice a new connection with the people you pass.
You may initially judge someone or think you like this or that about them.
Either way,
Include them in this easy friendliness.
Maybe you feel envious of somebody or a little afraid.
This practice is about seeing humanity in those we don't know and wishing them well regardless with no strings attached.
You can adapt this practice to suit your needs.
Try it in different places.
Children can be very creative.
Be curious.
See where compassion leads you.
If a cyclist passes you by,
Perhaps you'll wish that he travels home safely.
Maybe your child will zap an elderly person their compassion,
Superhero style.
There are no rules.
Be aware of everything going on around you.
Whether it's people in the street or swaying trees in a wood.
The repetition of the phrases creates a deep connection to every living being and anchors you to this moment now.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
You may find the world explodes with colour,
Teeming with life,
Insects,
Animals,
People with you at the beating heart of it all.
May we be well.
May we be peaceful.
May we be connected.
You may hear a bird,
A dog bark or a car drive by.
You may have a memory of a certain time,
Of a certain person.
Take a moment to include them in this practice too.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
And then return to the repetition of phrases for yourself.
Every time you do this practice,
It will be different.
You never know who's going to pass by you or what you will smell or hear.
May you be content.
May you be peaceful.
May we be at one.
When you feel ready,
You can bring the practice to a close.
You can carry this new awareness into your day.
Underneath everything you do,
You can return to the silent repetition of these phrases for yourself and for anyone else you may come in contact with.
Go well.
