Welcome,
This is Allison with Mindful Pause Center,
And I'm so glad to bring you this practice today.
So just taking a good moment here to choose your posture.
And then as you arrive into the posture,
Looking for what's here that supports you,
You chose it for some reason.
It might be a felt sense,
It could be a thought,
An idea,
Could be a mood.
So what's here in this posture for you?
You might have a sense of your body in relationship to the space around you.
Before we bring awareness to a home base,
Just noticing how you're taking a seat in the midst of this world,
This room,
This home,
That includes so many other beings as well.
And then beginning when you're ready to shift from that sense of the space around you to whatever it is that's supporting you.
And really getting a feel for it.
Is it firm?
Is it soft?
Is it a small area of the body that's connected to what's supporting you,
Or is it a full body experience?
Is that which is supporting you warm or cold?
It's really making a sense of connection between you and that which supports you.
And as we go deeper into the practice,
Remembering that at any time you can pause really taking care of yourself in this practice if you notice yourself going outside the window of tolerance.
It is part of mindfulness to notice that,
Maybe open your eyes or shift your posture,
Go back to your home base before you engage the practice again.
So shifting from this foundation that's been set and moving your attention,
Your awareness to your home base,
Whatever that might be.
I'm going to give you a little bit of time here to get familiar with the home base.
Maybe even let your mind or your emotions pull you away and give you a chance to come back.
So I'll be silent here for a good minute.
Where is the mind now?
It's been pulled away.
Taking a moment to label thinking,
Feeling,
Remembering.
And when you feel ready,
Returning the attention to your home base.
Where is the mind now?
If you found that you've been pulled away,
Again,
Labeling gently,
Simply.
And then returning to home base.
And if you're finding home base isn't safe enough,
Isn't holding your attention enough,
You can experiment now with a different anchor.
Mindfulness is not always having steady attention.
Mindfulness includes being swept away.
It is the practice of noticing.
And once we realize,
It is the practice of coming back as many times as we need to.
And you can stay here with the home base for the rest of the practice,
Simply returning your awareness when it gets too late.
And when the mind is pulled away.
Or you can listen,
Even repeat these phrases,
Bringing to mind for this first part,
One person that you love and care about.
Maybe not choosing someone where that love and care is complicated at the moment.
Someone where the connection has some ease to it.
And then if you can bring this person to mind,
You know,
Like a photograph or see them in a film,
Maybe they're doing something they love.
If that's available to you,
Otherwise you could say their name.
Maybe like a reading a novel,
You would say a few things about their description just to bring them to mind in a as clear a way as possible.
And then listening or repeating after me,
This person I love and care about has felt unworthy or inadequate.
Just like me.
This person that I love and care about worries and is frightened sometimes.
Just like me.
This person has longed for friendship.
Just like me.
This person is learning about life.
Just like me.
This person wants to be kind to others.
Just like me.
This person wants to be content with life.
Just like me.
This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering.
Just like me.
And this person wishes to be safe and healthy.
Just like me.
This person wishes to be happy.
Just like me.
This person wishes to be loved.
Just like me.
Bringing this person to mind again.
And noticing how it feels to hold them in this way.
To hold yourself in this way.
And then if it feels good,
You can repeat these phrases silently with this person in mind.
May you and I be held in compassion.
May our pain and sorrow be eased.
May we be at peace.
And then keeping this person close by if it feels good.
Also now including others in this session tonight.
And then calling forward anybody else you'd like to include.
Anyone that you would like to wish freedom from pain and suffering.
Maybe you can now say,
Imagine they're filling up the room.
Or maybe you just want to keep it very small and intimate.
And feel free to let people keep arriving as we offer these phrases.
If it feels good,
You can experiment with the hands.
On the one on the heart,
One on the belly.
Or both at the heart.
Sometimes a hand on the cheek can feel good too.
Just a really direct sense of care.
May everyone be free from pain and suffering.
May everyone have the strength and resources to navigate their difficulties with ease.
May everyone feel their connection to others.
May everyone know the love and joy of being supported.
And then letting the phrases go.
You can let people drift off or keep them close at hand.
And noticing the quality of presence here now.
Not looking for perfect,
Just being curious.
Has anything shifted from the beginning of this practice?
Has anything intensified or softened?
And letting even that inquiry go,
Just resting now.
When you feel ready,
Beginning to move the body in a way that feels good.
And as the eyes open,
Looking for something in your environment that maybe brings comfort or a sense of ease.
It could be sound.
It could be a temperature.
It could be quality of light.
It could be a color or a form.
Thank you for your practice.
Did you feel supported by this practice?
Leave a short word or phrase in the comments to let me know.
I'd love to be connected.
Until next time,
Take good care.
