A Meditation for Difficult Times

Here’s a practice you may want to use in challenging times. It is a practice that invites us to sit with and create compassionate space, for whatever arises. 

A caveat: if this practice ever gets overwhelming, simply stop, bring awareness to sounds around you or your breath, or simply go for a walk or talk to a friend. The pain is real, but the story doesn’t have to be. 

This practice will invite us to turn compassionately towards our emotions. 

1. Sit in a comfortable position. You can even lie down if you feel comfortable doing so. Just be mindful of not getting too cosy, as you may fall asleep. If you do, don’t worry about it – it means you need it. 

2. Bring awareness to your body, perhaps starting with the feet, noticing the sensations of your feet as they touch the ground. Notice the legs and anything that they brush up against. Observe your seat and the feeling of it. 

3. Gradually move towards your abdomen, stomach and chest. Allow your awareness to simply rest there, becoming aware of what is present, while noticing the physical sensations of what is there. 

4. Here you may simply ask yourself a question, ‘What is here for me today?’ 

5. Again, notice what is arising in your body. It may be nothing. It could be your stomach churning. It could even be your heart beating or racing in a certain way. 

6. Allow your mind to rest in observing a particular feeling or sensation, perhaps asking again, ‘What is here for me today?’ 

7. Perhaps a strong emotion or feeling arises at this point. Naturally, our mind may want to push this away or, if it’s pleasant, to feel more of it. But, here, the invitation is to allow whatever is coming up to come up. 

8. Compassionately create space for any feelings to be felt, even if you can’t feel anything. You’re not pushing away or craving anything, you’re being kind to whatever arises. It’s here, so it is real. 

9. Tend to your feelings like a mother would tend to her crying baby. Be gentle, be warm. 

10. End your practice by taking ten deep and slow breaths, breathing down into your stomach and exhaling through the nose into the front or back of your body. Do more if you have the time and space. 

Excerpted from my book, Still Together. Click here to purchase a copy.