can be practiced formally or informally throughout the day for any length of time.
For download of the following meditation, please go to
and click on
“Breathing Compassion In and Out” for an mp3 file of that meditation
Breathing Compassion In and Out
•
Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a few relaxing breaths.
•
Scan your body for physical stress, noting the location and quality of the discomfort. Also allow
yourself to become aware of any stressful emotions that you may be holding in your field of
awareness. If a challenging person comes to mind, let yourself be aware of the stress
associated with that person. If you are experiencing the suffering of another person through
empathy, let yourself be aware of that discomfort as well.
•
Now, aware of the stress you are carrying in your body, inhale fully and deeply, drawing
compassion inside your body and filling every cell in your body with compassion. Let yourself
be soothed by inhaling deeply, and by giving yourself the compassion you deserve when you
experience discomfort.
•
As you exhale, send out compassion to the person who is associated with your discomfort, or
exhale compassion to living beings in general.
•
Continue breathing compassion in and out in a normal, easy rhythm. You can experiment with
“warming up” your breathing, perhaps by inhaling and exhaling “light”, “warmth”, “tenderness”,
“soothing”, “comfort”, “ease”, “love”, “compassion” or “kindness”. Occasionally scan your inner
landscape for any distress and respond by inhaling compassion for yourself and exhaling
compassion for those who need it.
•
Gently open your eyes.
By now, MSC group members have learned the two core meditations of the MSC program –
Affectionate Breathing and Loving-Kindness Meditation – and a variety of informal practices such
as the Self-Compassion Break, Mindfulness in Daily Life, Soles of the Feet, and Breathing
Compassion In and Out. Participants receive support from the co-leaders and other group
members to practice 40 minutes each day, making the practice as natural and delightful as
possible. We say, “If it doesn’t feel like a long exhale – “ahhhhhhhhh” – then it isn’t self-
compassion”. If it feels like a task or a chore, we explore together how to make self-compassion
practice more pleasant, like play.
The Retreat
A 4-hour retreat that occurs after session 4 or 5 is an opportunity to strengthen and deepen one’s
meditation practice in a supportive environment. It’s conducted primarily in silence, except for
instructions by the co-leaders. The retreat schedule is flexible and follows the needs of the group.
New meditations are also introduced, including the Compassionate Body Scan, Pleasure Walk,
Compassionate Walking, Restorative Yoga and Mindful Eating. All meditations remind the
practitioner to bring a warm, affectionate quality of attention to their efforts. For example, in the
Compassionate Body Scan, the instructions begin with placing their hands over the heart, and then
we move our awareness through the body, sensing and allowing our sensations to be as they are,
occasionally evoking gratitude for the selfless work of a body part or the wondrous way that it
functions on its own. We also incline our attention in a loving way towards the body as a mother
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