Compassion Meditation

These times cry out for compassion. Take 5 minutes to generate self-compassion, in a spirit of service of all.

Pause from whatever you are doing and feel your feet firmly on the ground. Turn your palms up and focus your gaze upon your hands while you take five, slow breaths: COUNT exhale one, inhale one, exhale two, inhale two, exhale three, inhale three, exhale four, inhale four, exhale five, inhale five.
Now place your hands upon your heart. Note whatever you are feeling right now. Label it by giving it a name, allowing whatever you name to just be there for now. If a few things are present, label each feeling.
Keeping your hands on your heart, call forth a memory of someone you hold dear, someone whose presence is of great comfort to you. Use all of five of your senses to remember their comfort again right now. Notice the expression on your face as your feel this comfort, then gently let your arms go into a position of rest.
Using your feeling senses more than thinking, investigate the felt sense of this comfort as it extends throughout your body, nurturing you with just what you needed most in this moment. From your heart’s wisdom, now give this felt sense of comfort a name.
Offer this _____ comfort in return now, using these phrases: May you know ______, May I know _______ May we know ____, May all beings know ____