Hi friend!
Welcome to today's session.
When you are ready,
Get settled in for today's practice.
Close your eyes and settle into a comfortable meditation posture,
Bringing loving-kindness to the mind and body.
Without straining,
Allow yourself to settle into present-time awareness gently.
We often get frustrated with those around us,
Those we interact with and those we love.
Humans are social creatures,
Which can be beautiful when we all get along.
Other times,
People can cause us harm or push our buttons.
The heart builds a barrier,
Closing itself off slightly to protect us and ensure our safety and happiness.
Instead of closing the heart,
You can open it and train it to respond with care to those who frustrate you.
Today we will look at how we can train our hearts to do this.
Bring someone to mind whom you find difficult.
It may be someone who pushes your buttons or whom you find frustrating for some reason.
This is a practice of loving-kindness and recognition of the harm caused.
If it is your first time using this exercise,
Try choosing somebody who's just mildly challenging.
As you repeat this,
You can expand on this practice to help open your heart.
Reflect on the fact that this person is subject to the emotional experiences of joy,
Love,
Sorrow,
And grief,
Just like you.
Start by picturing the person with a smile across their face.
Begin offering a few phrases of appreciative joy.
Remembering that the practice intends to open your heart to care for this person's happiness.
Use these phrases,
May you be happy,
May your happiness continue,
May I be happy for you.
After a few moments,
Imagine this person experiencing pain or sorrow.
Notice any response in your mind or body as you do so.
Begin offering a few phrases of compassion for this person's difficulties.
It is okay if you do not feel these phrases entirely.
Offer them as much as you're able to at this moment.
May you be free from suffering,
I see your pain,
I care about your pain.
Finally,
Consider what you find difficult about the person.
Tune in to your mind and body's response as you bring the difficulty up.
Respond with a few phrases of compassion for yourself,
Setting the intention to care for the unpleasant experience.
Perhaps offer yourself these phrases,
May I be free from suffering,
May I see my pain clearly,
May I respond with compassion.
Take a moment to reflect on how you feel.
Now bring yourself back to the environment.
Thank you my friend.
I hope this practice relieved some of your frustrations today.
