The focus for this meditation will be Upekkha or equanimity.
Equanimity is a way to remain in balance between life's inevitable pains and pleasures without falling into hatred or craving.
Equanimity is the fourth of the heart practices and includes all of the other heart practices,
Loving kindness,
Compassion,
And gratitude.
In this meditation,
We will include loving kindness by silently saying to ourselves,
I feel you and I know you.
We will include compassion with the phrase,
I care for you.
We will include gratitude with the phrase,
I appreciate you.
And we'll include this equanimity phrase,
I allow you as you are.
So let's begin by finding an upright supportive posture if you're physically able to.
And allowing the body to rest around the upright spine.
And taking the awareness inward by allowing the eyes to close or softly resting your gaze at a point in front of you.
And we will begin and end this meditation with the sound of the bell.
And settle into this meditation by giving ourselves a few deep in and out breaths.
And over time,
Allowing the body to breathe itself as you watch the breath return to its natural rhythm.
And let's gently guide the awareness inward towards the body,
Scanning throughout,
Softening any points of tension held,
Starting with the face.
Softening the brow.
Softening the eyes.
Unclenching the jaw.
Scanning downward into the shoulders and allowing the shoulders to rest.
As you feel the weight of the arms resting.
The weight of the hands resting.
Bringing ease into the belly by softening the belly.
Feeling into the points of contact with your seat,
The support of your seat.
As you scan your awareness all the way through the legs and down to the feet.
And so now let's guide the awareness even further deeper into your own heart.
Maybe even envisioning that you're breathing in and out from this heart space.
And touching into your deepest intention to remain in balance with life as it is.
As we approach this present time experience with an open heart through silently saying the phrase,
I feel you.
Breathing in and out,
I feel you.
I feel you.
Approaching whatever is in your present time experience with an open heart,
Whether that be painful or pleasurable or anything in between,
With the phrase,
I feel you,
Over and over again.
Breathing in and out,
Silently resting in the phrase,
I feel you.
So let's expand this heart of equanimity by including the phrase,
I know you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I feel you.
I know you.
Welcoming in a sense of familiarity and intimacy with this phrase,
I know you.
A willingness to get to know whatever is present.
So breathing in and out,
Over and over,
I feel you.
I know you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I feel you.
I know you.
And now expanding our practice by including a heart of compassion with the phrase,
I care for you.
Becoming the caregiver for our own experience.
I care for you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
Breathing in and out.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
Over and over.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
As any part of your experience is calling for that nurturing love of compassion,
Lean into this phrase,
I care for you.
Over and over,
Coming back to these phrases.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
And now expanding the practice to include a heart of gratitude with the phrase,
I appreciate you.
Breathing in and out.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
Fully embracing any part of your experience that is calling to be celebrated with the phrase,
I appreciate you.
Over and over.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I appreciate you.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
And I appreciate you.
And the full expression of equanimity is cultivated through allowing experience to be exactly as it is.
With the phrase,
I allow you as you are.
So breathing in and out,
Silently resting in the phrases,
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I allow you as you are.
Embracing this direct experience exactly as it is,
Without clinging or fighting.
With the phrase,
I allow you as you are.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
Inclining the mind towards balance and equanimity by coming back to the phrases over and over.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
I feel you.
I know you.
I care for you.
I appreciate you.
I allow you as you are.
We will end this meditation with the sound of the bell.
