36 : Meditation : Practicing Compassion For Those Who Are Suffering
Welcome to The Mindful FIRE Podcast, where we explore living mindfully on the path to financial independence and beyond. I'm your host Adam Coelho and I'm so glad you're here.
This guided meditation is a practice of offering kindness and compassion to those who are suffering.
With so much suffering happening in the world, the question of how I can help often leaves me feeling overwhelmed. But this simple practice of Metta, or loving kindness, which I learned from Sharon Salzberg and others, is a way of offering kindness and compassion to those who need it. Think of it as sending out kindness or good vibes to those who are suffering. It’s incredibly powerful. Not only does it feel good and put positive energy into the universe, it orients your mind towards kindness and helping. Training this muscle of compassion makes it more likely that you’ll recognize opportunities to help those in need in your own part of the world when the situation arises.
In this practice we begin by settling the mind by checking in with ourselves and then eventually finding our way to the peace of the breath. Then we switch gears into the loving kindness compassion practice which we direct towards our self, someone suffering in our life and finally to all those who are suffering in the world.
I hope you enjoy this practice and would love to hear what you think. Drop me a DM on Instagram @themindfulfirepodcast and don’t forget to subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday!
Be well, my friends.
Full Show Notes : https://bit.ly/36vRwcD
More Inspiring Interviews : https://bit.ly/3AWQHrh
More Guided Meditations : https://bit.ly/3xFAHYS
Adam Coelho: [00:00:00]
Let's begin by finding a position that allows you to be both alert and relaxed. At the same time,
sitting with us tall, straight back, closing her eyes are gazing down and just resting your hands. Wherever is comfortable for you. And let's just begin with three deep breaths.
[00:01:00]And as we begin this practice. Just take a moment now to check in with yourself
or often rushing from thing to thing. And so it can be really helpful to just take a moment to notice how you're feeling in your body and in your mind. And so just checking in with yourself and noticing how you feel right here in this.
[00:02:00]And allowing whatever you feel to be exactly as it is
right now. It's like this.
and whenever you're ready in your own time, and in your own words, Find your way to the breath sensations, noticing wherever they're most vivid in your body right now. And just arresting your awareness on the sensations of [00:03:00] breathing in
and breathing out, riding on the waves. Moment by moment by moment and breath by breath by breath.
[00:04:00]To be exactly as it is and experiencing each with curiosity, kindness, and openness, allowing it to unfold in its own way and just observing, breathing in. Aware that I'm breathing in.
breathing out. I'm aware that I'm breathing out.
[00:06:00] [00:05:00]Anytime you notice your mind is drifted off. No problem. The mine's just doing what it does. And so just noticing that the mind is wandered with that same kind, curious and open attitude towards yourself and whatever's arising in your experience and then just gently choose to come back to the breath and to begin again, each in breath is a new beginning.
Each out-breath the chance to let go
resting in awareness of this and breath
and this outbreath
[00:11:00] [00:10:00] [00:09:00] [00:08:00] [00:07:00]And again, if your mind has drifted off, just noticing with kindness, awareness is vast enough to include anything, including our thoughts and just choosing to bring it back to the breath and to start again.
[00:12:00]and now I invite you to join me in practicing some compassion.
So much suffering in the world, especially right now. Let us practice [00:13:00] sending some well-wishes to those who need it and let us begin with ourselves because in ways, big and small, we too are suffering
and so if you'd like putting a hand on your chest and over your heart, and one on your belly, if whatever's comfortable for you and repeating silently, these phrases of well-wishes, may I be happy in an E.
may I be healthy and safe?
May I be free from illness, [00:14:00] pain, and suffering.
may I recognize my strength and my resilience.
may I feel loved and support.
And allowing a wish to arise, whatever you wish for yourself and taking it in.
Let's take a deep breath together, breathing in.
[00:15:00] And now let's bring to mind someone who, you know, that is suffering is sick or experiencing suffering of some sore or some loss of a loved one.
And imagine them in your mind's eye, as you repeat these phrases silently in your mind, may they be happy and at ease,
may they be healthy? And safe.
[00:16:00]May they be free from illness, pain, and suffering.
May, they recognize their strength and their resilience.
May they feel loved.
and allowing a wish to arise, whatever you wish for this person and imagining sending it out to them and it reaching them as you repeat it silently.
[00:17:00]Taking a deep breath in
and letting it go.
and now I invite you to imagine all those who are suffering, imagining everyone in your mind and let us extend these wishes to them.
May all who are suffering, be happy. And at ease
male who are suffering, be healthy and safe.
[00:18:00]male who are suffering. Be free. From pain, illness and suffering.
May all who are suffering, recognize their strength and their resilience.
I may all who are suffering feels loved and supported
and allowing a wish to arise, whatever you wish for all those suffering.
[00:19:00]
And let us finish this practice with three deep breaths together, breathing in
once more.
And when you're ready, opening your eyes and returning to the room.
Thank you for practicing with me and for your compassion.
Adam Coelho
Host of The Mindful FIRE Podcast
Adam Coelho is the founder and host of The Mindfulness FIRE Podcast. He's also a father and husband and has been at Google for the last 10 years. He has been facilitating mindfulness and emotional intelligence courses at Google including the popular Search Inside Yourself (siyli.org) course. Adam is a commitment to creating opportunity through connection. He does this by connecting with others and by bringing people together. I'm excited to have you join me in this exploration by joining my email list. No spam I promise.
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