Ascension Mission

Guided Practice

• Find a comfortable way of sitting, eyes gently closed or open with a soft gaze. 
• Settle in, and feel what’s here. Begin with a few deep breaths. (pause)
• Allow the body to take over the rate and rhythm of your breath.
• Visualize a small being, whether it’s an infant child, a small puppy, or a kitten. And notice that feeling of nonjudgmental love, unconditional love, and complete adoration. Slowly turn that feeling towards yourself. Give yourself that same nonjudgmental love, unconditional love, and complete adoration. Silently say to yourself: May I be happy and healthy, may I be free of suffering, and may peace dwell in my heart. (repeat once more)
• As your mind begins to wonder, bring to mind a person or a group of people that you find easy to love. Picture them standing before you, and say to yourself: May I be happy and healthy, may I be free of suffering, and may peace dwell in my heart. (repeat once more)
• Slowly bring into your mind a group of people who you would consider acquaintances. Picture them standing before you and say to yourself: May they be happy and healthy, may they be free of suffering, and may peace dwell in their hearts. (repeat once more)
• As their image begins to fade, bring into your mind a person or a group of people who you may not even know their name but you see them from time to time. Picture them standing before you, and say to yourself: May they be happy and healthy, may they be free of suffering, and may peace dwell in their hearts. (repeat once more)
• And now bring into your mind a person or even a group of people who you find difficult to love. No, this is not the opportunity for forgiveness. It is simply a recognition of their suffering. Picture them standing before you and say to yourself: May they be happy and healthy, may they be free of suffering, and may peace dwell in their hearts. (repeat once more)
• Finally, once again, wish yourself well: May I be happy and peaceful.
• And congratulate yourself on having done something that not only cultivates self-compassion but compassion for others. It is a wonderful gift to yourself and the world around you.
• Take a nice deep breath, and exhale all the air inside your lungs. 
• And slowly allow yourself to come back into clock time, but with a greater sense of awareness, a greater sense of inner peace, and a greater sense of your own compassion and compassion for others.

Final Closing Remark

• May you fill up from within & spill out to those around you without reservation or budget.  
• Be a part of the flow of the giving and receiving of attention and compassion. 
• I hope you will explore creating phrases of well wishing in your own words to bring special meaning to this practice.