And welcome back good people so let's begin our meditation on appreciation so find a comfortable but alert position in which to sit or recline let your eyes relax or close and we'll start with concentration practice to help our minds settle and get re-centered and just let your breathing be natural notice where in your body you can feel the breath maybe it's in the stomach or abdomen maybe it's in the chest and bring a gentle awareness to the breath as you breathe in gentle awareness as you breathe out great in appreciative joy practice,
We're cultivating a mind and a heart that shows appreciation,
Joy,
And gratitude for the good fortunes we experience within ourselves and our environment and sometimes that environment includes other people we come to understand that our happiness increases when we can appreciate the happiness in others so we can begin our appreciative joy practice by repeating the following phrases for ourselves may I be happy for the joy I have may my joy increase may I be grateful and content okay and now bring to mind someone who has benefited you or has been especially kind to you this could be a loved one,
A friend,
Or a teacher,
Or a mentor as this benevolent being comes to mind,
Tune into the natural desire to see this person happy,
Free from suffering,
And at ease with life the practice is to counteract any greed,
Ill will,
Or envy,
And to recognize how our joy is connected to the joy of others repeat silently to yourself the following phrases just as I'm happy for the joy I have,
I'm happy for the joy you have may your joy increase may you be grateful and content okay,
And so let this being go and bring to mind a neutral person and we can have vicarious joy for this neutral person,
Someone we see regularly,
Maybe but don't know very well it might be someone who works somewhere you go,
A coworker,
A person you've seen at meetings,
Or maybe just a neighbor although you don't know this person well,
You can recognize that just as you wish to be happy,
This person wants to be happy as well you don't need to know what their happiness looks like again,
Offer this person phrases of appreciation I'm happy for the joy you have may your joy increase may you be grateful and content and now letting this neutral person go,
Think of someone whom you might find difficult or toward whom you feel resentment,
Hurt,
Or jealousy this might be even a friend that you've just had some conflict with and offer the same phrases of appreciation I'm happy for the joy you have may your joy increase may you be grateful and content now imagine extending your joy and appreciation to the Buddha nature and all beings and we can say together,
I'm happy for the joy of all beings may your joy increase may we together be grateful and content alright now letting go of all thoughts of others,
Return your focus to your own body,
Mind,
Heart and just notice any discomfort or tension or difficulty you may be feeling notice if you're feeling any new lightness,
Warmth,
Relaxation,
Or joy notice especially if you feel any increase in your ability to appreciate the joy you and all beings have experienced and whenever you're ready,
Allow your eyes to open and gently return your attention to the space around you hey,
Thanks for your practice today
