Feeling free to use the breath as an anchor,
As a focus for your attention.
And if it feels as though that doesn't provide enough steadiness,
Always feeling free to use more than one anchor point.
So I sometimes use almost the feeling that I was breathing into my feet noticing awareness moving between the breath and the sensations in the feet.
Or if my mind's particularly busy,
I might focus on the entire body,
As if the whole body was breathing.
Knowing that there's always a range of sensations across the body that could be the focus of your attention.
Providing a sense of steadiness.
And in tuneness with the reality of our experience.
Just knowing that these sensations are a whole lot more real.
Than many of the thoughts.
Mental events going on in our minds.
Just honouring that by giving them the attention for these moments.
Just tuning into whatever combination of anchor points you've identified.
As much as you're able to,
Just extending a warm and friendly awareness to yourself.
Knowing that every time you notice the mind has wondered that this is a moment of mindfulness.
You should celebrate you've noticed it.
And just gently return your attention to your anchor point.
Is taking good care of yourself.
Savoring anything that feels pleasant.
And just being aware of it,
Allowing anything that feels less pleasant.
Inviting you now when you're ready just to bring to mind an image of someone you're fond of.
It could be a friend or a family member.
It could either be a pet or an animal.
Just anyone or any being.
That you have warm feelings for.
And just imagining them in your mind's eye.
Be saying their name to yourself if that's helpful.
Just noticing any thoughts or bodily sensations that occur as you bring them to mind.
To be feelings of warmth.
Be feelings of gratitude for everything they've done for you and all that they've been to you.
And the traditional phrases are.
.
.
May this person be safe and well.
May they be peaceful and live with ease and kindness.
Safe and well.
Peaceful.
Ease and kindness.
Just extending this well-wishing to them.
Just inclining the mind towards wishing well.
Not expecting to feel any particular way Maybe noticing your breath in the background as you repeat the phrases.
Safe and well.
Peaceful.
Live with ease and kindness.
Letting this image of this person or this being fade into the background now.
This time inviting you to bring to mind someone you know is experiencing difficulty or suffering in some way.
You might know them really well or hardly at all.
Again,
Just imagining them in your mind's eye.
When you're ready extending phrases of well-wishing to them Wishing for them to be safe and well.
Peaceful.
And to live with ease and kindness.
In the midst of whatever difficulty they're facing.
Safe and well.
Peaceful.
Live with ease and kindness.
Again knowing you don't need to feel a particular way.
Just noticing what arises.
Safe and well.
Peace.
May they live with ease and kindness in the midst of this difficulty or this suffering.
Letting your image of this person fade into the background now.
And just touching in with the body.
Be noticing the breath.
With the weight of gravity on the body.
At this time inviting you to bring an image of yourself to mind,
The difficulty that you're experiencing.
Something that's going on in your life that's difficult,
That you struggle to deal with.
Maybe you notice patterns of reactivity with this difficulty.
Noticing any temptation to be drawn into the story of this difficulty or this suffering.
As much as you're able to just letting that go and extend wishes of peacefulness and kindness to yourself.
So may I be safe and well.
May I be peaceful.
And then I leave with ease and kindness.
In the midst of this difficulty.
Noticing any tendency in the mind to try and fix the difficulty or to unpick it.
As much as you're able to,
Just letting that go.
And wishing yourself safe and well.
Peaceful.
And wishing yourself to be able to live with ease and kindness in the midst of the difficulty.
Regardless of its facts or its details.
Details of the difficulty do sort of start to come to the surface,
Just making a bit of space for them.
Acknowledging them.
Returning to the phrases.
Safe and well.
Peaceful.
And a wish to live with ease and kindness.
In the midst of this difficulty.
So not pushing anything away,
Just allowing it to be.
Using the phrases as your anchor point.
Safe and well,
Peaceful.
Ease and kindness.
Just starting to let the image of yourself fade now into the background.
Inviting you now to bring to mind.
Someone you know or you know of.
You have difficult feelings.
Someone who doesn't behave as you would like them to.
Maybe someone you have a disagreement with at work.
Maybe someone that's close to you and is part of the complexities of families.
As you bring this person to mind again.
Putting together perhaps an image or saying their name in your mind.
That regardless of your feelings this person also lives in the world and experience suffering.
As much as you're able to,
Recognizing it,
It might be difficult.
Just as much as you're able to.
Extending phrases of well-wishing to them.
To this difficult purse.
To wishing that they are safe and well.
They're peaceful.
That they live with ease and kindness.
Are you noticing any reaction or any resistance in the mind when you do this?
Maybe thoughts about worthiness.
Noticing these as thoughts.
And inclining the mind towards offering well-wishing.
To this difficult person.
Noticing any stories?
You'll be noticing any objection that comes up in the mind.
As much as you're able to,
Just resting your attention on the image of this person and extending the phrases.
May this difficult person be safe and well.
May they be peaceful.
Live with ease and kindness.
Knowing that they also experience ups and downs in life and suffering.
This,
If this in any way feels difficult or overwhelming.
Inviting you to maybe put some of your attention on an ankle point in the body.
Perhaps the breath or the feet.
Safe and well.
Peaceful.
Live with ease and kindness.
And as before,
Allowing the image of this person to fade into the background now.
Returning your attention to this momentary experience.
Perhaps the feet on the floor.
Gentle movement of the body as it breathes.
Just resting in any after-effects of this practice.
Knowing that this practice is just about inclining the mind towards these attitudes.
His attitudes of friendliness and kindness and care.
Recognising that all beings experience suffering.
The ups and downs are an inevitable part of life.
Maybe just moving your attention now to taking a few deep breaths.
Knowing that each in-breath is a new beginning,
A chance to start again.
And each out-breath is a letting go and a letting be.
Just inviting you if you'd like to return your attention to the screen and open the eyes,
Maybe just have a little stretch.
Recognising a shake is always good as well.
We just shake off any.
.
.
Negativity or any elements of that practice that feel difficult.
