Begin by momentarily opening to the spaciousness of your mind and the wellspring of compassion within you. Now let yourself feel whatever unhappiness and pain you are feeling at this moment. You may be disappointed by a friend, or you may have disappointed a friend. You may be angry at your boss, physically ill, alienated from the world, or feeling ugly, ashamed, or inadequate. You be gripped by envy, depression, or fear. You may be feeling arrogant or smug. Don't blame yourself and don't blame anyone else either. Instead, bring your awareness to whatever painful feelings are present, and then wish for yourself to be free from the suffering you are experiencing. Imagine your suffering in the form of hot, grimy, smoke and bring that smoke into the core of self-grasping at your heart. There, it dissolves every trace of self-centeredness, as though vaporizing a dense black knot. Now, your boundless, radiant heart is fully revealed. From your true heart, breathe out the brilliant light of happiness, joy, and ultimate well-being to yourself.
You may expand this practice to include the suffering you have not yet experienced – your future suffering. Breathe in the suffering you may experience this evening, tomorrow, next month, or next year. Breathe in the suffering you may experience the rest of your life. Imagine the suffering of future illness, loss, disappointment, and death, and breathe these into your heart now. Take into yourself the suffering of this moment and the suffering that awaits you. Then breathe out tender-hearted relief.
— Aura Glaser in A Call to Compassion