7 Days of Compassionate Inquiry
Intention:
Increase the frequency with which you include yourself in the circle of compassion.
Materials:
- Your journal
- Some paper (this could be your journal, but if you prefer to create in a bigger space, you may choose bigger paper)
- Markers, pens, crayons
Process:
This CI has a daily component. You may spend as little as 10 minutes per daily reflection and drawing. If you choose to participate each day, you will have a total of 7 drawings.
Please get comfortable and begin to touch in with the breath. Then, ask your precious self the following each day:
On Day 1, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
What can I do to make you feel really good?
On Day 2, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
What bothers you most?
On Day 3, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
Tell me about your perfect day!
On Day 4, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
Why are you here?
On Day 5, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
What would you like to hear from me?
On Day 6, ask:
What are you feeling right now?
How can I take better care of you?
- With loving curiosity (and even a sense of playfulness if you can!), we invite you pose the question and simply wait for responses to emerge. Once they do, write or draw your responses to each question with your non-dominant hand. If you prefer, you may simply write down your responses in your journal. Try if you can to notice what emerges after your first response, knowing that some things need a little more time to percolate before coming to the surface. If you’re finding it difficult to touch in with these answers from your adult self, you may find it helpful to ask the questions of your child self (optional).
- If you noticed there were no answers to your questions, then draw what came up for you in the absence of these. This may be the first time you asked yourself questions like these, so know that all responses (or lack of) are OK.
- Do this each day for up to 6 days.
- On Day 7, revisit your drawings and writings. Open your heart and allow the words and images to yourself to melt in, if you can. Do you notice any themes or patterns? Any surprises? Make a note in your journal of those.
- Now, is there a vow you’d like to make to yourself? An intention you’d like to state? Do so on paper. You may choose to paste a photo of yourself as a memory that just like everyone else, it is OK to ask of yourself these kinds of questions.
- Given what you know now, what do you want to say to yourself? How can you include yourself more in the circle of compassion? Even if this is just one thing. Or even if that is just acknowledging where you are now. Write any words that arise for you on the page.
- Hang this final image somewhere you can see it for a gentle reminder of how we wish to include our precious selves in the circle of compassion.
Adapted from Heather Williams’ Drawing as a Sacred Activity