I'm Jonna,
Thank you for joining me for this practice.
I want you to know that I am doing this class and this meditation today because I need it just as much as you do.
So if you found your way to this video because you are dealing with a relationship in your life in which you're either estranged from this person,
This other person,
Or there's conflict and there's a lack of communication.
Today,
We are going to practice how to nurture ourselves through that and shift the energy.
And when I talk about energy,
I not only mean the energy between you and this person,
Of which you only have the control of your part.
The energy that you take on because of the conflict and because of the the needs that aren't being met for you in this relationship.
So join me in a comfortable seat and this whole practice is going to be about caring for yourself and hopefully also shifting the way you view the situation with this other person.
Find a seat in which you can be both alert and relaxed and gently begin to close your eyes.
And we'll just take a moment to ground together.
So just bring awareness.
Your body that you're sitting and just notice where you are and although your eyes are closed We're still able.
To notice where you are.
On this planet.
In this moment.
You don't have to see it.
To know that you're still there.
And much like your geographical location right now.
This other person.
Is still present.
In your life.
Even.
If your relationship has shifted even if there is no communication.
Perhaps no contact.
Yet you are still aware.
That this person.
Is in your life in some capacity because this person affects you.
And for that reason you are sitting here with me today practicing.
So we're gonna begin by just bringing awareness.
To the conflict that you're experiencing with this person.
So go ahead and place your hand on your heart or on a part of the body.
That feels nurturing to you.
And just offer yourself some grace in this moment.
Just notice.
Your hand is on your body.
And often.
Our heart space.
Is where we hold.
Difficult emotions,
Perhaps you hold it in other parts of the body.
Or in sensations of pain or suffering.
Yet it is the stories in our head.
That feed and continue to refeed that pain and suffering.
So we are going to address that.
The stories and the conflicts.
Of the mind.
And how they affect the body.
So you can let your hand rest again wherever it was.
That part of the practice was just to bring awareness.
To the fact that emotions can also be felt in the body.
And thoughts.
Are what continue to feed our emotions.
So we'll begin now by just focusing on this conflict in our minds.
What is it?
That you're facing.
And I want you to just bring awareness to whatever you're saying about it.
So let the story unfold for a moment.
And I'll let you sit here in silence as you allow that story in your head of suffering and pain that you're experiencing to unravel.
Let yourself hear the story of your mind.
About this relationship.
It is,
Of course.
A story that can change.
And although you cannot change another person their beliefs or actions.
You can change.
How you approach your relationship,
Even if it's an estranged relationship.
So now that story that you just let unravel in your mind.
We're going to allow that story to become just a few words.
Can you summarize that story?
Into just a few words.
So an example of this would be.
Someone has hurt me.
Or I have hurt them.
Where this situation is hard.
Where it feels unfair.
So just a few words to describe.
What you're experiencing.
And now,
As you say those words,
I want you to allow them to be felt in the body.
So say those words to yourself.
This summary of the story.
Of this conflict,
Of this relationship,
Those few words.
And notice.
Where they are felt in the body.
And if there's resistance to feeling.
I offer you this moment to gently and slowly allow the sensations to be felt in the body.
This practice is about allowing.
Instead of resisting,
Instead of saying this shouldn't happen.
It is happening.
It is here now.
It is real for you.
Allow it to be felt.
I am right here with you.
With my own words and story.
That I too am feeling.
And I too am allowing my body to feel.
And I want you to share this common humanity.
I do.
I'm struggling with a relationship with someone I love.
Who sees things differently.
Our relationship has changed because of this.
And I want you to know your connection to others.
Many people experience this.
Many people suffer.
Because relationships change.
And sometimes.
Become estranged.
Become weaker.
Or more feeble or more effortful.
You are not alone in this.
And I want you to say to yourself,
I am not alone.
Other people suffer with difficult relationships.
It is not just me.
Know that there are people on this earth right now.
In this moment.
Suffering with the very same words that you had just said in your head.
They are struggling with a relationship with something.
Is causing some sense of pain to them.
So I want you to just imagine in your mind now.
All of us on earth who are feeling this experience.
Connected by a common human energy.
A common human suffering.
And just visualize that connection to others.
As if thread.
Winding around the planet,
Connecting all of us.
And in this moment,
Allowing us to know that we are not alone in this disconnected relationship.
It is part of being human.
And now I want you to take your hand.
And again,
Place it on your heart or on a part of your body.
That feels nurturing.
And we are going to offer.
Compassion to ourselves.
And I say we because I want you to still know this connection to others.
You are not sitting alone in a space.
But you in this moment are connected to all of those of us.
Suffering.
Because of the pain of a difficult disconnected relationship.
And I want you to say to yourself in this moment,
It's okay,
Sweetheart.
Or dude or buddy or whatever a term of endearment is,
It's okay to feel it.
Okay to love someone and care for someone.
And at the same time maybe not have it feel reciprocated or perhaps just feel the complication of how difficult it is.
To love this person or feel loved by this person.
It's okay,
Sweetheart.
I say these words to myself.
As you say them to yourself.
And we are connected.
By all the humans struggling right now.
Struggling with love and loneliness and disconnection.
Different beliefs.
Perhaps the idea that we're not unified.
Yet we are.
You and I and those others.
Sitting here right now suffering together.
And now in this moment,
I want you to know that that other person also suffers.
Also feels the pain of disconnection.
Whether or not this person is aware of it.
Or knows how to express it.
On a soul level,
The level of our essence,
Of our being.
We are all connected.
Through common suffering.
So in this moment.
Bear witness to your own suffering.
And know.
And that the beautiful soulful part of this other human.
Also suffers.
With your hand on your heart.
I offer you the opportunity.
To send the compassion.
That you are giving yourself in this moment.
To this other being,
This difficult person in your life.
Or this person with whom there is a difficult,
Strained relationship.
I offer you the opportunity to send loving kindness to them also.
And if.
.
.
You are not ready to do that.
That is okay.
Instead,
I want you to continue to fill your own cup with loving-kindness.
Let that loving kindness.
That okay sweetheart energy flow through your own body.
Because if you are not able to share that kindness with this other person.
Your cup is not yet full.
That it can be.
Because this act of self-compassion is a practice.
It's not a one-off.
It is a practice I want you to continue every day.
That you suffer.
So let's take one last breath together,
Inhaling this beautiful compassion.
And exhaling that compassion to everyone else,
You and I and all the others.
Experiencing suffering.
You can let your hand relax.
And you can gently open your eyes.
Know that you are not alone.
There's a lot of energy out there.
That is not unifying.
And there are a lot of differing beliefs.
And it makes it very hard at times to feel connected to one another.
So in those moments,
Find the people with whom you connect.
And connect on whatever level it is you can.
Generally,
It's on that level of suffering where we all feel the common human connection.
Thank you for practicing.
