Welcome to your practice.
My name is Helena and I will invite you to take your seated position.
Today we're going to practice loving kindness.
Loving kindness in the Buddhist teachings is also known as one of the four immeasurables.
Also you might find translations as one of the four divinables.
These are qualities on any person that should have strongly grounded.
In their daily practice.
It's also known as immeasurable because ideally you should offer to an immeasurable number of people.
This is also a quality that never runs out just like love.
And loving kindness offers us the quality of being friends with everybody.
Not having resistance,
Not having a conditional feeling towards other person.
So today we're going to take this practice just for ourselves.
In this first stage we offer loving kindness to ourselves for just becoming a better friend to ourselves.
Whether it's for our mind,
For our emotions,
Or even for our body.
Just being better friend to ourselves.
So let's begin with the practice.
Take a comfortable seated position.
Hands can stay on your thighs,
Belly,
Or even in your heart center if you're required to add more of a gentle touch to yourself.
Soften your gaze,
You can close your eyes.
And start just noticing your breath,
Noticing your body.
It might be possible that maybe you feel some resistance,
Whether it's a tension,
Maybe a different spot of temperature.
It can be something else.
It can be discomfort.
So just take your time for just noticing that.
And maybe through your breath you can take a deep breath,
Inhaling,
Exhaling.
Use your breath to soften that area.
It might happen,
A change,
Or maybe not.
But that's okay.
Just continue observing with a gentle touch of awareness and a gentle touch of compassion towards yourself.
And let's begin by repeating these phrases to yourself.
You're welcome to add some visualization.
Bringing a positive energy,
Wishing you the best,
Wishing yourself the best outcome.
May I be free of enemies.
May I be free of dangers.
May I be free of mental anxieties.
And may I pass my time with a healthy body and a happy mind.
You can take the words of dangers.
And I will remind you that it's not about outcomes where you find your physical integrity in danger.
But it's more like those obstacles that doesn't allow you to be free of suffering.
Like a critical voice.
The way that you talk to yourself maybe with a harsh voice.
You can observe what are those dangers that doesn't allow you to grow kindly,
Thriving.
In the world of enemies,
It's not about people that want to harm you.
But once again,
It can be something that doesn't allow you to be happy.
This can be challenges as your environment.
Challenges like in your workplace.
People that might be toxic.
Challenges,
Obstacles that put you in a pause.
That might define the way that you see yourself.
And lastly,
Mental anxieties.
These can be these mental challenges that you have for yourself.
Greed,
Anger,
Impatience,
Doubt.
Doubt is a big one.
Maybe you find yourself that you don't feel that you can overcome every obstacle or reaching your capabilities of 100%.
Reaching your dreams,
Overcoming obstacles.
Visualize yourself in a positive view.
Don't allow to put too much effort in the words.
Allow yourself to just expand the loving kindness to yourself.
This loving awareness to yourself.
Feel how the sensations soothe,
Softens,
Heals your body.
May I be free of enemies.
May I be free of dangers.
May I be free of mental anxieties.
And may I pass my time with a healthy body and a happy mind.
May I be free of enemies.
May I be free of dangers.
May I be free of mental anxieties.
And may I pass my time with a healthy body and a happy mind.
And continue practicing in silence.
And if at any moment you find yourself distracted or maybe thinking on something else,
Just with a gentle touch,
Come back to your breath.
And start repeating the phrases back to scratch.
And continue in silence.
Thank you.
.
.
.
.
Gently,
You can start adding some movement into your body.
Maybe wiggling the toes,
Moving gently your hands and fingers.
Blinking your eyes,
Adding gentle movements maybe in your neck,
Head,
Shoulders.
Take a moment for noticing the presence of loving awareness in your body,
In your mind.
And as best as possible,
Continue expanding or sustaining that sensation throughout the whole day.
Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you in your practice.
It's been an honor and a joy to be here for you.
You have a wonderful day,
My friend.
