This is number eight,
Growing compassion.
Begin by finding a comfortable posture and by bringing your awareness to the breath.
Take a few moments to let yourself arrive and allow the breath to draw you gently into internal awareness.
Allow the gaze to soften,
The eyes to close.
The stillness of your awareness welcomes your breath into the heart.
Breathe and connect with heart.
Feel its abundance,
Sense its wisdom.
Following the next breath,
Silently repeat,
I am compassion five times.
Take five further breaths here,
Noticing what occurs in your awareness as the statement echoes through.
Keep repeating the words if you wish.
Be your experience and welcome what is arising with curiosity and with deep listening.
First we're going to bring compassion to self.
So bring your attention to a challenging aspect of your own life.
What is it?
How does it make you feel?
What emotions come up as you contemplate the situation?
Place one hand on your heart and offer yourself the gift of your own abundant compassion.
Take five breaths here.
Hold yourself and the challenge within compassionate awareness.
Be with yourself.
In these short moments,
Offer yourself comfort.
Attend to yourself with acceptance,
Love and patience.
Take five further breaths here.
Next we're going to bring compassion to a loved one.
Bring a loved one to mind,
Someone close and dear.
Visualize them with you.
Feel their energy.
Sense their presence and offer them the bounty of your compassion.
Stay with the energy.
Observe what occurs,
Noticing sensations,
Images,
Feelings and thoughts without holding on.
Take five breaths,
Breathing here in loving awareness.
Next we're going to bring compassion to someone in need.
So bring to mind a person or group of people who are in need.
Call them to mind.
Visualize being with them and offer them the gift of your compassionate awareness.
Stay with the energy.
Observe what occurs within,
Noticing transitory sensations,
Images,
Feelings and thoughts without holding on.
Take five breaths here.
Next we're going to bring compassion to an individual you find challenging.
Call them to mind.
Hold them in your awareness and offer them the energy of your compassion.
If difficult emotions arise,
Place both hands on the heart and take five deep breaths.
Stay with the energy.
Observe what occurs,
Noticing transitory sensations,
Images,
Feelings and thoughts without holding on.
Take five breaths here.
Finally,
We're going to bring compassion to all living things.
We can bring to mind all living things by visualizing planet Earth.
Hold the collective life of this planet in your awareness and offer your energy of loving compassion to it.
Stay with the energy.
Observe what occurs,
Noticing sensations,
Images,
Feelings and thoughts that arise without holding on.
Take five breaths here.
When you are ready,
Gradually return to wakefulness.
And at the perfect moment,
Just allow the eyes to open.
That was number eight,
Growing compassion.
Thank yourself for finding time for this practice and don't forget to record your reflections in your mindfulness journal.
