Deep Practice for Self-Compassion

May 11, 2021

Information

With Michele Grand, LMT

ID6582

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00:00Good afternoon everybody.
00:01Thank you so much for joining for
00:05taking time out of your day to
00:08just spend some time grounding,
00:10letting go of all the chatter that
00:13surround you and just come into
00:15your center to find some peace.
00:17My name is Michelle Grand licensed
00:20massage therapist Smilow cancer hospital.
00:22And today we're going to do a
00:24little bit more of an in depth
00:26practice for self compassion.
00:30As we begin, bring yourself
00:32into a comfortable position.
00:34Whatever is comfortable for you,
00:36you could be sitting down.
00:39Cross legged with feet flat on the ground.
00:43You could be laying back,
00:45eyes closed or just with
00:48the lowered soft gaze.
00:52Now to begin, just simply
00:56sense your own intention.
00:59To experience your heart
01:01now and its full capacity.
01:07That starts with actually imagining the Sky.
01:11Just sensing it's great open ISS extending
01:16in all directions and sensing the curve
01:21and spirit of a smile filling the Sky.
01:28As much as possible, visualize that,
01:31and then since that openness of Sky
01:35filling the mind and that curve of
01:39a smile spreading through the mind.
01:49Connecting now with open ISS
01:54availability possibility.
01:56And letting the curve of a smile
01:59spread now through your eyes.
02:05You can sense the corners of your eyes
02:08uplifted a bit the outer corners.
02:15Softening the eyes.
02:16Now allowing the brow to be smooth.
02:21Relaxing the jaw.
02:23Sensing a slight smile at the mouth.
02:29See if you can sense the
02:32inside of the mouth smiling.
02:39The eyes are smiling.
02:41The mouth you might feel the throat.
02:45And feel the throat.
02:47As you breathe in and out.
02:53And again, sense right there,
02:55that that same curve and openness of a
02:58smile is spelt at the back of the throat.
03:08And now, imagining that you
03:11can smile into the heart.
03:13Sensing the curve of a smile spreading
03:16through the heart and chest area.
03:20Sensing it emerging,
03:23the smile emerging from inside out.
03:27And natural open Nissin space
03:30that doesn't cover over what's
03:32happening for you right now,
03:34but rather it makes room.
03:40Eyes are smiling and the
03:44mouth throat. The heart.
03:49Now see if you can loosen the belly and
03:52feel the breath received deep in the torso.
03:58Imagine and sense the same smile spreading
04:02through the belly Anne of openness at
04:05that area right beneath the belly.
04:13Now, sensing an openness and
04:14ease down through the hips and
04:16the legs right into the feet.
04:21Up through the chest sensing space
04:24open in a way back and allow whatever
04:27might be tense or tight in the
04:30body to loosen and let go some.
04:36Not just rest for a moment in a natural,
04:40relaxed state of attentiveness.
04:55Now the reign of Compassion begins
04:58with just sensing in your life as
05:01you're experiencing your life today.
05:03Whatever issues or situations
05:05are activating you.
05:07Whatever you think needs and
05:10wants attention in your life that
05:13trips OFA kind of reactivity or a
05:17feeling of sadness and suffering.
05:20That can be the place you bring
05:23this meditation to today.
05:28So take a moment and just sense what
05:31naturally comes to your conciousness.
05:36Maybe some difficult situation someplace
05:39where you might feel caught in fear.
05:43Some place where you might be
05:45caught in some some sense of grief,
05:48anger, hurt. Whatever you sense
05:50may want or need some attention.
05:58This might be a situation in your life that
06:01involves another person or a conflict.
06:04It might be a situation at work,
06:06might be something to do with your health.
06:11And as you let yourself settle on something.
06:16You might let the situation be
06:18front and center in your attention.
06:24Just allow the story to be there.
06:32If it's another person involved,
06:33you may see the person's face
06:36or hear the conversation or
06:38words that might set you off.
06:40If it's something you're
06:42anticipating is going to happen,
06:43you might let yourself see
06:45that in your mind's eye.
06:50In other words,
06:51it's as if you're winning a
06:53movie of the story in your mind.
06:55And just stop at that frame.
06:57That maybe most upsets or
06:59disturbs or triggers you.
07:03And when you get there,
07:05just freeze the frame.
07:07And begin with just recognizing.
07:09OK, this is part of the
07:12experience of my life right now.
07:16Honestly acknowledge the actuality
07:19this is a part of my life.
07:23And see if this pause right now can be
07:27part of just allowing it to be there.
07:30A willingness not to try to get rid of
07:33anything or change anything right now.
07:36Just letting something be.
07:39So for now, just to recognize and
07:42allow what's there to be there.
07:50And then with the quality
07:52of interest in kindness,
07:53we begin to investigate.
07:55You might sense first really what
07:58has triggered what's going on inside
08:01me right now? What is it like?
08:05Perhaps you're noting an emotion
08:07of anger or fear, or hurt.
08:10Or maybe you have a swirl of
08:12thoughts about the situation.
08:14Just notice what it's like.
08:22And as you investigate what it's like inside,
08:24if it's helpful for you to
08:27have your hand on your heart.
08:29As a way of reminding yourself of this,
08:33investigating with kindness,
08:35go ahead and explore that.
08:38Feel free to go down whatever
08:41track feels most alive for you.
08:51Wonder to yourself what am I believing?
08:56While this is going on.
08:59Am I believing that it
09:01means I'm a bad person?
09:02Am I believing that I'm failing
09:05and my believing my life will never
09:07work out the way I want it to be?
09:10Am I believing another person
09:12doesn't really care about me?
09:16These are just some core
09:18beliefs that are often there.
09:28Just sense how you're feeling inside.
09:34See how you feel inside of your body.
09:39As you're thinking about the beliefs.
09:45What is it feel inside your body,
09:48just scan through, feel the throat,
09:51the chest, the belly.
09:54Those are the most common areas where we
09:57can get a felt sense of our experience.
10:02When you're starting to think I'm
10:05believing it will never be different,
10:07it'll always be like this.
10:09I'll never be happy.
10:10Feel what that's like in the body.
10:18See if it's possible to go white inside
10:21the part of you that's most reactive.
10:25Most hurt angry. Or afraid and just
10:28look at the world through its eyes.
10:33Take the shape of that part of you and
10:36feel it from the inside out and sense.
10:40What is this part most wanting?
10:43What is it most needing?
10:47Sometimes the part will say it in words,
10:50and if there's words you might want to hear.
10:55Listen to what it is.
10:58That your thoughts are telling you,
11:00or it might be an image or just a felt sense.
11:11Now allow yourself to widen your
11:14attention so you feel bigger and
11:17larger than those parts of your body.
11:21So that you're occupying as much
11:23space as you could possibly imagine.
11:30Now, if you could listen to and feel from
11:33the most awake part of your being right now,
11:37what feels most engaged and alive,
11:40and what is this part of you need most?
11:49Offer to that part of you what.
11:53You most need in this moment.
11:58Offer a bit of softening.
12:04Offer attached to your heart
12:08that's tender and light.
12:11Or you may actually touch
12:13your cheek or your belly.
12:16And just communicate love to
12:19yourself through that touch.
12:27What are the words or the touch or
12:30that message the image that will most
12:33meet the needs of this part of you?
12:36What would be most healing and freeing?
12:41Some of the classic words are
12:43I care about this suffering.
12:46I am sorry Ann, I love you.
12:50Just take a moment and experiment
12:53seeing what can be offered to
12:55yourself through your touch or
12:58through your word or through an image.
13:08Imagine some being that
13:10you truly trust mother,
13:12grandmother or father a child.
13:16But some pure wise and compassionate being.
13:21And since what that being might
13:23be able to offer to express
13:26to this place in you.
13:28That needs some healing.
13:34Just know that each time you judge yourself
13:36you break your heart a little bit.
13:39You pull away from the love.
13:42That is the wellspring of your vitality.
13:47But now the time has come
13:49your time to live in trust.
13:51The goodness that you are.
13:54Your true essence,
13:56that is, pure awareness,
13:59aliveness and love. Let no one,
14:03no idea or ideal obscure this truth.
14:08And if one comes,
14:10forgive it for its unknowing.
14:13Just let go.
14:15And breathe into the
14:17goodness that you are.
14:22Explore what it means to truly offer
14:25loving presence to the life within you.
14:30You could be imagining it as an embrace,
14:33as if you're holding a child.
14:36A bathing with light and warmth.
14:39Whatever connects you with that sense
14:42of cherishing this life right here.
14:49As you sense this loving presence
14:51holding the life within you might
14:54explore who am I in this moment
14:57when there's love holding this life.
15:08Just feel a natural widening that unfolds
15:11when we open our heart in this way.
15:19We'll explore that widening by now,
15:21inviting to mind somewhat in
15:23our lives that we care about
15:26that may be having a hard time.
15:29This is an opportunity to bring your
15:32healing energy and your consciousness
15:34to someone you care about.
15:37And in the same way you had a
15:39situation in your life that you just
15:42recognized and allowed just sense the
15:45circumstance of this person's life.
15:47The ones that are causing difficulty and
15:51just acknowledge. Recognize and allow.
15:56So that this is what's true for this person.
16:01This is how it is for them.
16:03Just let it be.
16:08And in this space of letting B,
16:11you can begin to bring that
16:13person close in your awareness.
16:15Like imagining that person right here,
16:17so you could sense his or
16:19her presence and sense what's
16:21really going on more closely.
16:25We begin to investigate. With kindness.
16:30But if you could look through
16:32this person's eyes at the world,
16:35feel with this person's body anhard,
16:37what would be the worst part of
16:40what this time is for him or her?
16:44What's the fear?
16:45Doubt this person is living with.
16:48They hurt the pain from the inside out
16:51just to sense what it might be like.
16:58You might now breathe in.
17:01And feel that you're letting
17:04yourself be touched and
17:06touch this person suffering.
17:09Touch their loneliness.
17:10The fear, the doubt and the hurt.
17:16And with an out breath, you're
17:18letting that hurt and pain be held
17:20in the vastness of loving presence.
17:27As you breathe for this person,
17:29and touch the suffering.
17:30Since what this person most needs.
17:33What at the very core of that
17:35suffering is most needed?
17:40Perhaps to be loved to be seen to feel held.
17:49Send him or her in your heart so
17:52that you could offer wisdom, love and
17:56presence to them that's most needed.
18:05Now finally wiping out a little
18:08further to sense that you're
18:10breathing for all beings that are
18:12struggling and all beings everywhere.
18:15That you're breathing in and letting
18:17yourself be touched by the truth of
18:20suffering and your breathing out and stuff.
18:23And sensing that the suffering
18:25is held in a boundless presence,
18:27a boundless sense of compassion.
18:32Just now, relax any focus on the
18:35in and out breath or any concepts
18:38or ideas and just sense that you
18:41can merge with that vastness.
18:43Backspace of Compassionate Presence,
18:46which lives within your own heart.
18:56Just letting whatever arises be
18:58touched with your heart of compassion.
19:07Quiet peace is there. And a steady
19:10sense of resting in a perfect spot.
19:28Once you know the way the nature of
19:31attention will call you to return
19:34again and again and be saturated
19:36with knowing that you belong
19:38here and you feel at home here.
19:49And when you're ready.
19:52Focus once again on the breath,
19:55the inhalation. And the exhalation.
20:03Breathe in on account of three.
20:09Exhale unaccounted 3.
20:13And one more breath like that.
20:17An exhale. And when you're ready,
20:23gently open your eyes.
20:25Just look around the room softly
20:28feel a sense of presence to
20:30where you are in the moment.
20:38Bring your arms stretched outward.
20:40Feel the room. Feel the grounding
20:44of your feet on the floor.
20:47And your spine on the back of your chair.
20:51Make circles with your
20:53wrists in both directions.
20:57Arms overhead with a deep breath in.
21:01And down into propose.
21:06Thank you everybody for taking the time.
21:10Out of your data ground to take a
21:13moment and feel what lives inside
21:16of you that needs compassion,
21:18offer it to yourself.
21:19Then feel what needs compassion to those
21:22in your life and then those everywhere.
21:25And know that you're able to
21:28offer that to them as well.
21:31Peace and love to everybody.
21:33May the long time sunshine upon
21:35you and all love surround you.
21:37The pure light within you guide your way on.
21:39Be well, thank you for joining
21:42and I'll see you all soon.