Let's begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle into a comfortable position.
You may close your eyes or keep them slightly open,
Allowing the spine to lift and the shoulders to soften.
Today we will practice compassion.
Begin by taking a full breath in and a long breath out,
Then allowing the breath to find its natural rhythm in through the nose,
Out through the nose,
In through the nose,
Out through the nose,
Just as it is.
Let's start by inviting compassion for ourselves.
As human beings,
We all have moments of difficulty,
Challenge,
Suffering.
Take a moment to acknowledge the difficulties that you have experienced or you are experiencing now in your life.
It may help to think of a specific difficulty or you can keep it general.
Now imagine someone you know who cares about you.
It can be someone present in your life now or from the past.
It can be a dear friend,
A family member,
Or a teacher.
Or it can even just be the general idea and feeling of a caring person.
Now imagine this being responding to your difficulties with warmth and understanding.
Allow yourself to receive their warmth and understanding,
Their wishes for your well-being and happiness.
Allow their care and concern to fill your whole body and mind.
As you breathe in,
Breathe in compassion for yourself.
You may also want to say words to yourself,
Such as,
May I be well,
May I be healthy.
May I find the resources that I need to pass this difficulty.
As you breathe in,
You can think of yourself as breathing in this compassion for yourself,
Taking it in and really letting it sink into your body and your mind.
Now bring to mind someone you know who is having a difficult time.
It could be someone at work or in your personal life,
Someone that you care about.
Bringing this person to mind along with the awareness that they're struggling right now.
Now let yourself feel what you would wish for them.
You may wish them health,
Happiness,
Contentment,
Or it may not be a specific word,
But more of a general feeling,
A general wish for their well-being.
Imagine them receiving this compassion,
Receiving your wish for their well-being.
Now if you're able to,
You may want to expand your wish of compassion more widely to anyone experiencing difficulty or pain.
You may say to yourself,
May their suffering be relieved.
May they be well.
And as you breathe out,
Breathing out compassion for others.
And even if you're not able to connect directly with feelings of compassion,
Just bringing kind awareness to whatever it is you may be experiencing right now.
Breathing in compassion for myself,
Breathing out compassion for others.
In compassion for myself,
Out compassion for others.
Now letting words go,
Returning to an awareness of the body,
Settling in on the breath.
Just naturally breathing as you are,
Not trying to change it.
Notice how you feel right now.
Are there any sensations in the body?
Slowly notice around the face,
The head,
The heart,
The chest,
The belly.
As you continue noticing what happens in your body,
You may now slowly open your eyes.
Breathing as needed,
Returning your awareness to exactly where you are.
Namaste.
