Welcome!
We're going to take a little dive into Buddhism today.
My dear friend Maddie was telling me about Karuna,
Which is compassion for pain and particularly the compassion or desire to alleviate the suffering of others.
Karuna is a kind of empathic concern for the pain and difficulties that we all experience.
So this is going to be the focus of our meditation today,
Cultivating Karuna or compassion.
So the first thing we have to do whenever we meditate is get comfortable.
Find a seat that feels right for you on a chair,
Cushion or the floor.
Let's just take three deep breaths to kind of settle in before we start the practice.
Go ahead and close your eyes.
I always like to do a deep sighing exhale.
It's meant to release endorphins and give your body a sense of peace.
So take a deep breath in.
Let's do another one together.
Deep breath in.
And one final deep breath together.
Breathing in.
Lovely.
You're doing such a good job.
Now let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Just breathe normally and notice how it feels.
And now we're gonna begin this heart practice.
Strengthening your heart,
Strengthening your compassion.
Imagine someone you know who's really struggling right now.
Maybe it's a friend,
A family member or even someone you've just heard about.
Picture them clearly in your mind.
Notice their expression,
Their posture.
Allow yourself to witness what they may be going through.
Say to yourself,
I see your pain.
I recognize your suffering.
Take a moment to really connect with their experience.
You are a witness to their suffering.
You do not have to take on the experience of their suffering,
But you can open your heart to understanding the reality of their pain.
Now imagine you could offer them comfort.
Picture yourself sitting with them,
Offering a kind presence.
Maybe you place a hand on their shoulder or simply sit beside them in silence.
Say to yourself,
May you find relief from your suffering.
May you find peace.
Say that again.
May you find relief from your suffering.
May you find peace.
Now let's expand this experience.
Think of a group of people who are experiencing hardship.
Maybe it's a community affected by a natural disaster or people living in a conflict zone.
Picture them in your mind.
Allow yourself to truly witness their suffering.
Don't flinch from it.
Recognize their pain.
You are a witness.
You are acknowledging the suffering that they are living through.
And say to yourself,
I see your pain.
I witness your suffering.
May you find relief.
May you find peace.
Imagine your heart opening and sending out waves of compassion to all of these people.
You're sending out a wave of energy and care and surrounding them.
Now bring this compassion back to yourself.
Acknowledge your own struggles and your own pain.
Say to yourself,
I see my pain.
I witness my own suffering.
May I find relief.
May I find peace.
Allow yourself to receive the same compassion you've been offering to others.
How does that feel?
Take a moment to sit with this feeling.
Invite this compassion to fill your heart.
Spread through your whole body.
Let it radiate outwards,
Touching everyone around you.
Let it extend out around the world.
Let it surround those that you love,
Those that you don't know,
And those even that have harmed you.
That's the most challenging one sometimes.
Just see what it feels like.
When you're ready,
Bring your attention back to your surroundings.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Stretch if you like.
Open your eyes and just take a moment to extend that compassion with your eyes open to everything that's around you.
Everything and everyone.
Thank you for sharing this compassionate space.
Remember,
Compassion is a gift we can give to ourselves and others anytime we choose.
You don't have to take the other person's emotions on.
You don't have to live their experience.
But you can be a caring,
Loving witness and advocate for yourself and others.
