It's a New Year - Meditation

Use this simple meditation daily to create and nurture compassion in your life. This can be practiced in just a few minutes.

Come into a comfortable seated position on the floor or in a chair. Sit with the back flat, your head up, shoulders relaxed and chest open. Rest your hands in the lap or on the knees. Close your eyes, deepen your breath and release any thoughts from the mind. Gently repeat the following softly out loud or in your mind:

May I be safe,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy,
May I be at ease.

Then you may replace the “I”s with “you”s, thinking of a specific person, a group of people or the whole planet. Picture them in your mind as if they are seated in front of you. I start with my family, go on to my friends and neighbors, even the cashiers in the stores I frequent. Then I go on to the world.

Finish with a few slow, deep breaths, feeling compassion, love and kindness flowing through your body. Take a moment or two before moving on with the rest of your day.