Witnessing the suffering of others can be deeply painful. In this guided meditation, Anushka Fernandopulle helps you cultivate both compassion and the ability to soothe yourself in the face of that pain.
How to Do This Practice:
- Find somewhere peaceful, sit down and get comfortable. Once you’re ready, gently close or soften your eyes.
- Start taking deep breaths and relax your body. Part by part, release tension in different areas of your body.
- Think of someone or a group of people you know or have heard of who may be having a hard time. Bring to mind an image of them.
- Connect with whatever it is they are struggling with. Mentally, make some wishes of compassion for them. For example, “May you be free from pain.” Or, “I am here with you.”
- You can also use this practice to focus on your own pain. To do this, call to mind your struggles and give yourself the same compassion you gave others.
Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.
Today’s Happiness Break guide:
ANUSHKA FERNANDOPULLE is a meditation teacher who trained in Buddhist meditation for over 30 years. After studying Buddhism at Harvard, she spent four years in full-time meditation training in the U.S., India, and Sri Lanka.
Check out Anushka’s upcoming meditation retreats: https://www.anushkaf.org
Follow Anushka on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/ytn3vvhz
Check out Anushka’s Dharma Talks: https://tinyurl.com/ydacvamn
Related Happiness Break episodes:
Fierce Self-Compassion Break: https://tinyurl.com/yk9yzh9u
Who Takes Care of You: https://tinyurl.com/5xmfkf73
A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y
Related Science of Happiness episodes:
How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6
How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc
Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h
We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2tcp2an9
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com