For this practice,
We're going to be doing love and compassion practice for self and love and compassion practice for a loved one.
So compassion for self,
You know,
It acknowledges our own suffering and it responds with self-compassion rather than self-judgment or self-criticism,
Which can be so challenging in and of itself.
But it recognizes our wish to be happy,
Wish to be free from suffering and pain.
This practice that we're going to do is to connect with that deeper level of whatever,
Whatever you feel as far as suffering or pain that you've had,
Any obstacles maybe,
And on a deeper level,
On a deeper level to those,
That pain on a deeper level to those obstacles is your wish to be free from that pain,
Free from the suffering,
Free from the discomfort.
It's your wish to be happy.
So the practice of a loved one,
We're going to practice recognizing that just like we want to be free from pain,
We don't want to suffer.
Our loved one also doesn't want to suffer.
Our loved one also wants to be happy.
They want to be happy 24 seven,
Just like we want to be happy 24 seven.
So this practice is to connect with that basic innate goodness in ourselves and that shared basic innate goodness in a loved one.
So as we begin the session,
Let's take a moment to check in with your posture.
Notice that even the smallest act,
The simplest movement of moving into your seat,
Maybe scratching your head,
Moving around,
Getting comfortable,
Moving is that wish to be at ease.
It's that wish to be free from suffering.
You can keep your eyes open.
And if you do just gaze up 45 degree angle or gaze down,
Just right past the tip of your nose.
Or if it's more soothing,
Feel free to,
To close your eyes again,
Whatever works best for you and your practice is okay.
So we'll take a few deep breaths just to settle in to where we are right now.
So let's bring awareness to what is happening in your body.
What do you feel?
See whether you can let go of the doing energy and just be rest in open awareness.
Just be as you are.
And if you hear a sound,
Allow that sound to come into your awareness and let it come and let it go.
Maybe a thought,
Allow the thought to move through your awareness too.
Just let that come and let it go.
And take a moment to reflect on your motivation.
Why are you doing this practice?
Why does this matter to you?
Why are you doing this practice?
Why does this matter to you?
Now bring to mind an instance of suffering from your past.
Maybe a difficult situation with your family member,
A difficult situation at work.
Just anything at all.
Maybe something didn't go your way.
Bring to mind any instance of suffering in your past right now.
Reflect on the discomfort that you felt during this time.
Maybe you feel a little bit of sadness,
Maybe you feel a little bit of sadness,
Maybe you hurt,
You feel hurt,
Angry,
Confused.
Why did this happen to me?
What did I do to deserve this?
Whatever you're feeling right now is okay.
Now imagine as you breathe in,
You're breathing in all those feelings of pain and suffering from that experience.
Breathe all that in.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine that all that pain is being alleviated.
Imagine that all that pain is being alleviated.
There's no need to alter your breath.
No need to change how you're currently breathing.
Just match the imagination to how you're breathing right now naturally.
As you breathe in,
You're breathing in all that pain.
When you're breathing out,
You're letting it go.
If it's helpful for you,
You can also say a few phrases.
Something that helps you to breathe out that pain and remind you that all you want is just to be happy.
You can repeat it softly in your head.
May I be free from suffering.
May I be free from pain.
May I be free from inner and outer harm.
May I be safe.
Let that sit with you long.
If your mind wanders,
That's okay.
Just watch your thoughts come and come as they choose and as they please and come back to the practice.
May I be free from suffering.
May I be free from pain.
May I be free from inner and outer harm.
May I be safe.
Now rest your mind in open awareness.
Let everything be as it is.
Now let's transition to having compassion for a loved one.
Bring to mind someone who you feel a connection.
This could be a family member or a friend,
Maybe a pet or a plant.
The important part is just to feel any affection that you have towards them.
Feel that love that you have towards them.
And imagine that that person or that plant or the pet,
Imagine that they're right here with you right now.
Just visualize.
Visualize the person.
Get a felt sense of them.
Paint a mental picture in your head.
How do they look right now?
Use whatever helps you to connect with them.
Maybe it's a scent or a smell.
Maybe it's the sound of their name.
Whatever you choose,
It's okay.
They'll recognize that just like you,
They face challenges in their life too.
Just like you,
They don't want to suffer.
Just like you,
They don't want to be in any pain.
Just like you,
They just want to be happy.
Now remain connected to this recognition.
And maybe say the following phrase is in your mind as I say it out loud.
Just see how that sits with you in this experience right now.
Now thinking of the loved one,
Say,
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
Now thinking of the loved one,
Say,
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from pain.
May you be free from pain.
May you be free from inner and outer harm.
May you be safe.
If these words don't resonate,
That's okay.
Choose whatever phrases you want to share your wish for them to be free from suffering.
Just like you,
They wish to be happy.
Now with the next breath,
When you breathe in,
Let's breathe in all of their sadness,
All of their hardships,
Their suffering,
Breathe that all in.
And as you breathe out,
Wish that they are free from that suffering,
Free from those hardships.
So breathe in all their suffering.
And breathe out all the freedom from that suffering.
Remember,
It's completely normal to get lost or distracted.
Maybe a sound comes in your field of awareness or thoughts.
Just notice that and then gently return to the practice.
Continue with the phrases.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from pain.
May you be free from inner and outer harm.
May you be safe.
Just like you,
They want to be happy.
Now we can let go of the phrases and the images and simply rest in open awareness.
Just be with your experience exactly as it is right now.
So let's dedicate anything positive that's come from this practice to the well-being of everyone.
As we open our eyes,
If they've been closed,
Move around a little bit and reconnect to the world around you.
So let's take a moment to settle in and reflect on the practice.
Notice any insights,
Confusion,
Or anything else that impacted your meditation experience.
How might these experiences influence your practice?
How do you feel right now?
Okay.
Okay.
