Close your eyes and start to notice your breath.
In a time of uncertainty,
Of fear,
Of anxiety,
You may have forgotten that your body knows what to do.
It's breathing.
It's keeping you alive moment by moment without any effort on your part.
So just be aware of where your breath is.
Do you feel it in your stomach?
Do you feel it in your chest,
In your neck?
Just notice and take a mental note of your observation.
Notice that as soon as you become aware of something,
Maybe you try and control it.
Can you just let it be?
Just observe,
Just silently witness everything that's going on.
We're going to be doing a meditation for spreading compassion during a difficult time.
So first just start to deepen your breath.
You can place one hand on your heart,
One hand on your belly,
So that when you take a breath in,
You notice.
You notice where that breath is,
Even deeper.
Try to elongate your breath.
Maybe try and do four counts in and four counts out.
Notice that there's a pause right before you inhale and right before you exhale.
Maybe try and linger in that pause a little bit longer.
And sometimes it helps if you open your mouth and let the exhale go out of your mouth.
So as you pay attention to your breath,
Start to scan your body.
Notice where you're holding tension.
Notice where stress has accumulated.
With every exhale,
Imagine that you're letting a little bit of that go.
You don't need to hold on anymore.
Start to deepen your breath even more.
Maybe now you're at six,
Seven,
Eight counts in,
Maybe three,
Four,
Hold.
Then try and exhale even longer.
Try and double your exhales.
So if you're taking four counts in,
Try and hold for four counts and then exhale for eight counts.
Make it be an audible exhale.
Next,
I invite you to witness any feelings,
Any emotions.
Notice what is here now.
Is it stress,
Is it fear,
Is it uncertainty?
Just witness again.
So much of our time is filled with go,
Go,
Go.
And maybe this is the time to connect,
To witness what is within,
What we're holding onto that no longer serves us.
So now as you're focusing on your breath and witnessing whatever emotion or feeling you're experiencing,
Start to name it.
So as we inhale,
We say,
There is discomfort here.
There is fear here.
I am experiencing uncertainty.
I am experiencing severe anxiety.
And notice that when you name it,
It's kind of like you're giving yourself permission.
You're validating it.
Whatever you're feeling is so valid right now.
And just know that in this point in time,
There are billions,
Literally billions of people feeling the exact same way.
You are not alone.
So say that to yourself.
I am feeling blank and I am not alone.
I am feeling anxiety and I am not alone.
I am feeling sadness and I am not alone.
This is a moment of fear and I am not alone.
Deep breathing,
Deep,
Deep breaths.
Exhales,
Let it go.
And now let's bring a little compassion to ourselves.
In this moment,
May I be safe.
In this moment,
May I be joyful.
In this moment,
May I find gratitude.
In this moment,
May I be free.
Deep breathing,
Deep breaths.
Now let's extend that compassion to others.
In this moment,
May we all be safe.
In this moment,
May we all be free.
In this moment,
May we all be healthy.
Whatever it is that you want to say,
Go for it.
In this moment,
May we all be blank.
So you can repeat that to yourself,
This three-step compassion meditation.
The first one,
Acknowledging your feelings,
Which is so important,
Validating them,
Just sitting with them,
Being aware of them.
And saying a little prayer for yourself,
A little piece of compassion,
May I be safe.
And then extending that out to your neighbor,
Your animal,
Your loved ones,
Mother Earth,
This entire world.
May we all be safe.
And you can continue this,
Breathing in and out as long as you wish.
May you be well.
May we all be safe.
May we all be well.
May we all be well.
May we all be well.
