10-Minute Compassionate Image Practice With Thupten Jinpa

I would like to invite you to join me in a short practice and this practice we call it compassion image practice and it's part of a meditation exercise we use in compassion training specifically aimed at cultivation of self-compassion and the aim of this practice is to really find an image that resonates with you an image which you can associate with qualities of total acceptance groundedness wisdom understanding no judgment and kindness so I will guide you through the practice and you know you can choose the image that really speaks to you so find a comfortable posture you know slow down the energy of your body by noticing points of contact like your hands resting on your knees or your feet touching the ground and keep your spine straight so that it facilitates alertness unless you have a medical condition but otherwise keeping the spine straight is helpful and draw your mind inwards by resting your attention on your breath breath you know consciously paying attention to breathing in and breathing out now with that relatively settled state of mind bring to your mind any image that for you is associated with qualities of acceptance groundedness no judgment kindness even affection and wisdom so for some people it could be a grandparent a mentor a kind teacher from your primary school time or a well-known figure alike for example for many Tibetans it's His Holiness the Dalai Lama or for some people it could be even your pet that you truly love whose love you know is unconditional or for some it may be an image from nature like the vast ocean that is deep even though on the surface there may be turbulence but underneath it still is profound and it's spacious or it could be this amazingly deep blue sky or for some it could be a tree like an old tree that is as huge roots very grounded stable and projects the energy of serenity with its thick foliage and for some individuals who are more religiously inclined it could be a religious image like Christ or like the Buddha so cultivate that image and necessarily be visual the image could be a sense of the presence now in the presence of this image let your guards down open your heart and then imagine a sense of total acceptance no judgment the energy of kindness emitting from this image to you in the presence of this image you don't have to pretend anything you can be truly who you are and whose acceptance of you is not conditional upon anything the simple fact that you are a human being just like any other person deserving of love is enough allow your heart to open to feel these things unconditional acceptance finding understanding no judgment and love finding love in brief making you feel at total ease even feeling serene of a deep freedom let's stay a little while whatever energy these thoughts bring and the image brings to you and the tone of that experience is that of soothing that of assurance that of acceptance and let's remind ourself all of these are coming from source that is in us we can call upon when needed it's like a spring well that we can draw on from and if you feel like it you can even gently bow your head as if in the manner of expressing a bow of gratitude to this image okay okay now you can now bring your attention back on your breathing just feel the calmness and the restfulness and when you're ready you can open your eyes now some individuals may have to work a little bit harder to try to cultivate that image but it's an effort that is really worthwhile because once you are able to cultivate a certain image that resonates with you because it is your own creation you will have the ability to you know tap into it when you need especially when you are struggling and also this ability to feel total acceptance without judgment is a powerful experience which is really important and helpful to be able to you know be more self-accepting self-forgiving and also allowing the kinder part of who we are to extend towards ourselves as well so it helps foster self-kindness and greater self-compassion as well