CMP Guided Compassion Exercise

Welcome to Community Mindfulness Project's guided compassion meditation.

Assuming a posture that is balanced,

Upright and dignified,

Maybe ensuring that the spine is straight,

Moving away from the back of the chair if you like,

Maybe imagining a piece of string attached to the top of your head that's gently pulling you upward.

And if you wish,

Taking a moment to lean forward just slightly and back to center,

And backwards just slightly,

Back to center,

Just over to the right a bit,

Back to center,

Over to the left,

Back to the center,

And then twisting sort of along an axis,

Allowing the head and the shoulders to look over to the right and back,

And a very slight gentle twist to the left with the head,

Neck and shoulders and torso,

And back,

Just having a sense of where your center of gravity is most balanced and solid,

Maybe creating the sense of a home base.

Raising the sternum a little bit by tucking the shoulder blades together slightly and gently tilting the chin downward just a bit to relieve the pressure from the back of the neck.

If you like,

Allowing the eyelids to slide down over the eyes if they're not already,

Or casting your gaze downwards a few feet in front of you.

So we'll begin by taking an inventory of our internal states,

Using some authentic observation,

Just checking in without judgment,

Accepting and honoring what is here for you in this moment.

So first let's just tune into the quality of our attention.

Are we clear minded in the moment or slightly foggy or cluttered,

Just noticing and that's it.

Taking a moment to notice any thoughts or images that might be moving through the mind right now.

Sort of like watching fish in an aquarium,

There goes a striped one.

There goes a red one.

We're not trying to hold on to them,

We just let them keep swimming.

Noticing any emotions that may be moving through us in the moment.

Emotions are often very subtle and fleeting so there may not be anything that stands out.

Just noticing that if that's the case.

Moving attention into the body,

Noticing whatever sensations are present.

Noticing the points of contact with the chair and the ground,

Or the cushion.

Perhaps the sensations of clothing touching the skin or the movement of air around the body.

And observing any other sensations that are arising in or on the body.

And now inviting openness and relaxation into the body,

Beginning at the top of the head or the forehead.

Just moving gently through the body very deliberately,

Softening as we go.

You can use the exhale to soften if you like.

And it may take several exhalations to allow the shoulders to lower all the way for example,

Or to get the jaw or the hands fully relaxed.

Just taking your time as you go.

Wisdom and clearance.

And you may wish to see what it might be like to soften around the heart area.

Is there a change in the body when you consider this as an option?

There may not be,

But a sense of curiosity and exploration and play are wonderful supports to a meditation practice.

Now I'm inviting you to take a few intentional deep breaths at your own pace,

Allowing the breath to flow all the way into the belly.

And if you'd like,

You can place one hand on your belly to be sure that the breath is reaching your abdomen.

And now allowing the breath to flow naturally at its own rhythm.

No need to exert any control over it,

Just allowing the body to breathe all by itself.

There is nothing to do right now but to be here present with the body as it breathes,

Bringing a caring presence to this moment.

Now we'll narrow our focus to the sensations of the breath,

Either at the abdomen or the tip of the nose,

Still following the natural rhythm of the inhale and the exhale.

And with curiosity and kindness,

Observing with continuity the sensations of the breath,

Either at the belly or at the nose.

Now,

With curiosity and kindness,

Observing with continuity the sensations of the breath,

And now let's begin our compassion practice with ourselves.

As to be compassionate for others,

We must first be compassionate towards ourselves.

So inviting you to put both hands on your heart,

One on top of the other,

Feeling their warmth,

That sense of contact.

You can also put your hand any place that feels soothing and comforting,

Like on your belly or on your cheek,

Noticing what it feels like both to offer that caring gesture and also to receive it.

And now acknowledging something in your life that may be causing you discomfort,

Maybe it's something large,

Like the illness of a loved one,

Or something small,

Like an achy knee for example.

Understanding this source of discomfort and then offering these words to yourself in a warm and a caring tone.

I may be having a tough time right now with work or family or illness,

Whatever it may be.

Everyone feels this way sometimes.

May I be kind to myself in this moment.

May I give myself the compassion I need.

Or if you like offering yourself one of the following wishes,

May I feel peace,

May I be free from suffering,

May I feel relief,

May I love myself just as I am,

May I sense my worthiness and well-being.

One of my favorites,

May this serve.

Understanding any of the phrases that have meaning for you.

If you find at any point that the practice moves from an embodied mind to a mind that is embodied,

Practice up into the mind where you begin to analyze or rehash somehow something,

Just letting that go gently and coming back to these offerings of compassion to yourself from the heart.

Because this need is allowing the hands to float down and settle on your lap if you like.

I'm bringing into your circle of care a loved one or a dear friend who may be experiencing some difficulty large or small.

Taking a moment to acknowledge the suffering this person may be experiencing.

Again acknowledging it without looking to its source or trying to find its solution.

And with an open heart allowing the aspiration to arise,

May you be free from suffering.

May you find relief.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm or whatever phrases work for you and your care for this person.

You As we do this practice it can be helpful to check in and notice sensations in the body that arise as we offer compassion.

This is an embodied practice.

Perhaps checking in to notice where in your body you feel compassion and if it's not immediately evident just noticing that.

So now expanding your circle of care to include someone you don't know well.

A co-worker,

A store clerk,

Someone whose path you may have crossed today who may be struggling and if you don't know the exact nature of their struggle we all have struggles in our lives so just knowing that in some way they may be experiencing discomfort.

And for a moment perhaps seeing the world through their eyes and tenderly acknowledging their pain and allowing the aspiration to arise may you be free from suffering.

May you find relief.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm or whatever phrases work for you and your care for this person.

You And with someone we don't know well if we don't know the exact nature of their discomfort we can always just offer whatever suffering you may be experiencing.

I wish for you relief.

And now expanding your circle of care to include a person you may be having difficulty with,

Someone who challenges you in some way.

And for a moment acknowledging some level of suffering or discomfort that they may be experiencing whether it's known to you in its exact nature or not and seeing the world through their eyes,

Tenderly acknowledging their pain and with an open heart allowing the aspiration to arise may you be free from suffering.

May you find relief.

May be safe from inner and outer harm or whatever phrases work for you and your care for this person.

And if this feels too difficult you might try these phrases.

Just like me this person is seeking happiness in his or her life.

Just like me this person is trying to avoid suffering in his or her life.

Just like me this person has known sadness or loneliness and discomfort.

Just like me this person is seeking to fill his or her needs.

And just like me this person is learning about life.

You you And now expanding your circle of care to include beings all around the world and allowing the universal aspiration to arise.

May you be free from suffering.

May you find relief.

May be safe from inner and outer harm or if you like including yourself at the same time may we all be free from suffering.

May we all find relief.

May we all be safe from inner and outer harm or whatever phrases you like.

You you you May all beings everywhere extend and receive compassion to and from themselves and others.

Take care.