'Just Like Me' Meditation (one of my personal favorites)

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Just like me.

Let's begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle in a comfortable position.

Inviting a sense of ease and relaxation throughout the body.

Breathing full deep breaths with a soft belly.

Feeling grounded by feeling the weight of your body on the ground or your chair.

Just softening around any tightness, dropping the shoulders, softening your hands and relaxing the muscles of your face and jaw.

Gently closing your eyes or looking downward just to limit visual distractions.

Today we'll be practicing acknowledging the similarities between ourselves and others.

We often focus on differences, but realizing that even people who seem very different from us in fundamental ways, just like us can become the basis of real connection.

This can include people we don't know very well, people with whom we're in conflict, or even people who we see as an enemy.

It's possible to develop a sense of compassion and understanding by coming to feel our shared sense of experience as human beings.

This practice called just like me can help overcome that sense of difference and distrust by opening channels of compassion.

So allow yourself to take a deep breath in and a long breath out.

And as you breathe out, allowing a sense of releasing any tension that you're holding in your body.

Just releasing tension.

And as you breathe, briefly scan through your body with your awareness, noticing any sensations or emotions, just noticing what's predominant for you.

And inviting a sense of spaciousness and acceptance for whatever you're experiencing right now in your body or in your emotions.

Just acknowledging them without judging anything to be good or bad, right or wrong.

And now bring someone to mind who you don't know very well.

Maybe someone who seems very distant or different from you.

Even someone you're in a minor conflict with.

And as you bring this person to mind, you may not like or you may not know very well.

Just notice if you experience any shift in sensation.

Just notice if you experience any shift of sensations in your body.

Holding this person in mind as if they were right in front of you.

And say to yourself, this person has a body and a mind just like me.

This person has feelings, emotions and thoughts just like me.

This person has at some point in his or her life been sad, disappointed, angry, hurt or confused.

Just like me.

This person has in his or her life experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering.

Just like me.

And this person has experienced moments of peace, joy and happiness just like me.

And this person wishes to have fulfilling relationships just like me.

This person wishes to be healthy and loved just like me.

And now take a moment to sense how you're feeling.

And as you hold this person in your awareness, just notice what do you experience?

And now as you hold this person in mind, and send them good wishes.

May they be well.

May they be happy.

May they be healthy.

May they live with ease.

Now shifting your awareness back to your breath, breathing in, breathing out.

Reconnecting with your body, feeling present, alive, connected right here, right now.

Thank you.