When You're Overwhelmed With All the Suffering in the World
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Welcome to Meditation for Anxiety. I'm Katie Kramitzos. I'm the creator of the Women's Meditation Network and your guide here. I am so grateful you've taken the time to be here with me right now. This episode is made possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. And after a message from them, we'll begin today's episode. If you'd like to listen ad-free, become a premium member by following the link in the show notes.

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buy a Tundra or Tacoma today. Visit buyatoyota.com, Toyota's official website for deals, or stop by your local Toyota dealer to find out more. Toyota, let's go places. Today's guided meditation is dedicated to Karen and to anyone out there who has ever found themselves shedding a tear for someone else's suffering. Your heart feels heavy. Your stomach feels sick.

and your eyes are threatened with tears. You see yet another story of suffering, another reminder of the darkness in our world, and it makes you sink. Whether the suffering has touched you directly or someone you have never met, these deep emotions are a reminder

that we are all connected and that ultimately we're the same. This feeling of overwhelm can make you feel helpless, depressed or even hopeless. So the intention of today's meditation is to help you flush out those deep emotions and to allow yourself to see that the only way to transcend the suffering in the world

is through compassion, forgiveness, and shining your own light as bright as you can. Go ahead and get yourself into a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Close your eyes and settle yourself in, making any adjustments to your body, releasing any tension or discomfort.

and just let yourself relax into your position. Let yourself feel the rhythm of your breath, feeling it fill you as you breathe in and relax you as you breathe out. Take a moment to bring to mind some of the suffering you've seen or experienced lately. Maybe it's one specific scene or vision

Or perhaps it's a culmination of news stories, posts, or stories you've been seeing. Whatever it is, hold this vision in your mind and notice the emotions that arise. Sadness, anger, fear, guilt, hopelessness,

Just recognize any of the emotions you may be feeling. What a beautiful heart you have, my dear. Feeling so deeply for the suffering around you. Honor these emotions. And then imagine them exiting your body with every exhale. Disappearing into the space around you.

Continue to do this for the next minute or so, recognizing any emotions that are present in you and releasing them with every breath out. Now, I want you to see the people or beings

involved in these scenes of suffering. See those who are suffering, those who are causing the suffering, and even those whose suffering might not be immediately visible, but still related. Now take a deep breath in, and as you breathe out, imagine waves of compassion emanating from you and surrounding everyone.

Soft pink clouds of energy spreading compassion for the victims. Compassion for those causing harm. Compassion for others impacted. Take another deep breath in and exhale out more compassion. Watching as the pink clouds surround all involved.

and bring your breathing to its normal rhythm. And as you do, feel yourself flooded with forgiveness. Forgiveness for those suffering. Forgiveness for those causing the suffering. Any forgiveness that you may need for yourself. And feel as the heaviness of suffering lightens just a bit.

Bring that soft pink cloud of compassion onto you and ask yourself, "What can I do to alleviate this suffering?" Maybe something comes to you right away, a small or a big action that you can take. Or maybe you're unsure and that's okay. Just allow this question

to sit with you for a bit. What can I do? Your light has the ability to infuse others with light. No matter how small or big your actions are, know that others see your light. Your desire to alleviate the suffering around you

And they are inspired to do the same. Shine your light, beautiful. Namaste.