Hi,
Welcome to a meditation for compassion.
This meditation is one that I really enjoy doing.
It helps to promote balance between the compassion that we have for ourselves,
But also the compassion that we give to others.
It's often off balance in our lives.
You might be a giver and you're constantly providing and taking care of other people and you may lack the ability or the time or the awareness to take care of yourself.
Or maybe you're somebody that's really into self-care.
I know I have been lately and taking care of myself and being aware of what my needs are which can result in me not being as compassionate to others as I'm so focused on what my needs are.
So this meditation is really to help us balance both of those out together as both are very important.
So we're going to find a comfortable seat.
Whatever that looks like for you,
I'm going to sit up on a block here.
You can also do this meditation lying down if you'd like,
But wherever you're at,
Just getting comfortable.
If you're sitting,
Taking a tall spine,
Soft shoulders away from the ears and just resting your hands in your lap or on your thighs.
As you begin to tune into your breath,
Allowing the rest of the day to fall away,
Noticing the movement of the breath within the stillness of the body.
As it moves from the belly,
Through the heart,
Through the throat,
Into in and out,
Through the nose or through the mouth.
Not breathing in any particular way just yet.
Just noticing your own natural rhythm.
As the mind wanders,
Because it will,
Just coming back to that breath,
Noticing the inhales and the exhales.
And in your own time,
Beginning to increase the length of those inhales and those exhales making those inhales just a little bit longer and lengthening those exhales.
Breathing through the nose or through the mouth.
Just finding a little bit more space in the body.
And taking that length just a bit further.
Deep inhales.
And complete exhales.
Continuing to inhale and exhale,
Finding your focus just on the inhales for now.
So on your inhales,
Noticing the end of that inhale right when you get to the very end.
Holding for a moment and seeing if you can get a little bit more,
Just a little sip of air at the top of the inhale.
And release.
Let's try that again.
Deep inhale in.
And a little sip of air at the top.
And release.
Beautiful.
One more time.
Let's do it one more time.
As you take that inhale in,
You take that little sip of air at the top.
Hold it for just a moment.
And notice that exhale,
That need to release.
And just let it go.
Continuing to breathe deeply,
Evaporating your focus to the exhales.
And when you get to the end of that exhale,
Try to push out just a little bit.
Beautiful.
Again,
Deep inhale in.
And on the exhale when you get to the very end,
Just a little bit more,
Just give it everything you've got.
Release it all out.
Beautiful.
One final time.
Deep inhale in.
And this time at the end of that exhale,
When you've given that one little extra push,
Notice that ache that you feel for that inhale,
That need for that inhale.
And take that fresh air back in.
Beautiful.
And continuing those deep inhales and exhales,
Where we take that little sip at the top and that pause for that need to release.
And on that exhale at the very bottom,
A little bit more push.
And that pause,
That ache to inhale.
And we're going to label our inhales and our exhales now.
So move into our meditation for compassion.
Labeling our inhales as compassion for ourselves.
Feeling all the way up on that inhale.
Compassion for ourselves.
Labeling that exhale.
Compassion for others.
Deep inhale in.
Compassion for ourselves.
And exhale out.
Compassion for others.
Continuing those deep inhales and exhales.
Finding that label.
Noticing on that inhale,
The more that you draw in,
The more that you need,
That there's always more room to take care of yourself,
To find more compassion for yourself.
Deep inhale in.
And exhale out.
Releasing out all of that compassion for others.
At the very end of that exhale,
Noticing that there's always just a little bit more to give.
Pushing out just a little bit more compassion for others.
Beautiful.
On that inhale in of compassion for ourselves,
We notice that there's room for us to give just a little bit more.
That pause,
To receive just a little bit more,
That pause at the top lets us know that it's time to balance everything out and give to others.
So deep inhale in.
Little slip at the top for more self-compassion.
And notice that need to give to release that exhale out.
Beautiful.
Coming back to that exhale.
And on that exhale out,
Recognizing that there's always just a little bit more to give to others at the end of that exhale.
And that pause at the end,
That ache to take care of ourselves,
That ache for self-compassion.
Deep inhale in.
Little slip.
Pause.
And exhale out.
Self-compassion for others.
The end of that little bit more,
That ache to take care of ourselves.
We'll continue those deep inhales and exhales at your own pace.
Labeling those inhales as compassion for yourself.
And labeling those exhales as compassion for others.
And slowly beginning to return back to your natural breath.
Releasing any control.
And whenever you're ready,
Beginning to open the eyes,
Coming back to this space.
Releasing any movements you need to come back here to your mat,
To your block,
To your chair,
To your cushion.
Thank you for joining me in this practice tonight.
Namaste.
