Hi friend,
Welcome to today's session.
Today,
Let's reflect on people.
Mindfulness is not just a quality you bring to your own body and mind.
It's also possible to tune into those around us with mindfulness.
This is called external mindfulness,
And it is an important part of practice.
When you see another person,
Do you see them as a three-dimensional being?
Or do you label them as names such as checkout clerk,
Soccer mom,
Or my annoying coworker?
With practice,
You can train the mind to see other people as humans objectively,
Just like you.
Not just giving them labels,
But just like you would want others to do for you.
Engage in this exercise when you are in the presence of other people.
You can spend a few minutes with this practice at work,
In the grocery store,
Or sitting on a park bench.
It's a short exercise,
So you can listen to it first,
Even if you are not in public,
And do it again,
Or even do it on your own later.
It works best to start with people you don't know that much about,
Which is why I recommend a public place.
As you practice,
Take it up a notch by applying this to your loved ones.
Now,
If you are in a public place,
Let's get started with the practice.
You can do this sitting,
Standing,
Or even walking.
When you see someone else,
Notice the label the mind habitually gives that person.
Notice if you find the person attractive,
What their job or role is,
Or any other snap judgments.
Don't force anything down or deny the presence of these thoughts.
Your mind is designed to categorize and label things,
And we all judge others.
Just notice whatever is present.
Begin to observe this person with a beginner's mind as if you've never seen a person before.
Start to see them as a living,
Breathing,
And feeling being.
Recognize that this person has friends,
A job,
A place they might need to be in five minutes,
And so on.
This person loves people and has people who love them.
Bring awareness to this person's possible experience.
Like you,
They have hopes,
Dreams,
Fears,
Sorrows,
Regrets,
And joy.
You don't need to know this person's whole life story to ensure they are subject to pleasant and unpleasant emotional experiences.
End your practice with this person by offering a single phrase of loving kindness,
Such as,
May you be happy today.
You can continue this practice with other people you encounter during your day.
Take just a few moments to reflect,
Recognize,
And offer a phrase of loving kindness.
Great job today,
My friend.
Feel free to return to this track at any time and see if anything changes.
