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Compassion Meditation During a Pandemic
Given the times we are in, perhaps I should start with a joke: a woman hosts a costume party in her home where everyone is supposed to show up dressed as an emotion. The woman is shocked when she opens her front door and her friend is completely naked, except for a pear around his penis. “Larry! What are you supposed to be?” she exclaims. “What?” he says, “It’s not obvious? I’m fucking ‘dis pear!” Needless to say, despair is an ugly emotion.
Despair, alongside fear, anxiety and panic seem to wait at the door for us quite regularly these days. And yet, if given the option, few of us would choose to spend our mental energy on those emotions and would prefer to focus our attention on peace and compassion.
It will surprise no one that the guy who has been meditating for thirty plus years/teaching it for nineteen would then say, “My advice is that this is a time for us to double down on our meditation practice” but…well, it is. Meditation helps us remain grounded in the midst of an increasingly groundless and uncertain situation. In addition to some of the guided meditations I’ve made available to help during these times, I wanted to offer a practice that can help us move from focusing on our anxiety and despair to offering an open heart to everyone who is suffering during this time.
