So just allowing the activities of the day,
The sensing questions,
To slowly fade as you close your eyes.
Retaining that sense of people here supporting you in your practice.
I can usually feel the energy of the group even though you're not physically present with me.
There's a different quality to meditating alone.
So not only are you receiving the support of the group,
You're one of the people in the group giving that support to others just by virtue of showing up and inclining your mind to what's good,
Beautiful and beneficial.
So appreciate yourself,
Your courage,
Your wisdom and kindness in offering yourself this gift.
A gift of rest and a gift to go inside and get to know your body and mind as it is right now.
Without judgment,
Not to cure but to care.
Just settling into your body,
Maybe gently passing your awareness through each part of the body just to see that it's positioned comfortably.
Sometimes pressing or tight,
Restrictive pieces of clothing you can loosen up.
You may want to roll your shoulders,
Stretch your back and neck.
Maybe take a deep breath and allow the out breath to release tensions.
To remind you that this is the time to let go.
Just a few deep breaths.
I'd like to invite you at the start of this meditation to do a little visualisation or imagination with me.
You don't have to be great at visualising but we're going to evoke either an image or a felt sense of somebody who you consider a very kind and benevolent person.
It could be somebody in your life or it could be a teacher or a religious figure such as the Buddha or Kuan Yin,
The goddess of compassion.
See if anybody comes to mind.
Imagine yourself sitting in front of this benevolent being who wishes that you'd be free from suffering,
Free from the causes of suffering and experience deep contentment and peace.
If memories come to mind they also may carry feelings,
Impressions.
Really make this as real as you can.
If you have difficulty getting that sense of safety in another person's presence or you can't think of anybody who represents those qualities to you,
You might want to choose a place instead,
A safe place,
Maybe real or imagined.
Perhaps with the sun shining gently on your face or the sound of the water,
The sea gently lapping on the shore.
A place where you feel safe,
Accepted and at ease.
Whether you've chosen a person or a place,
Imagine being regarded with kindness,
With respect,
Even by the nature,
By the trees.
That's how that feels.
We're going to imagine that penetrative kindly gaze coming right into our body.
Right into our mind and heart and spreading from the top of our head through each and every pore of the skin,
Cell of the body.
Taking light on any feelings,
Emotions or thoughts and also infusing those feelings,
Those thoughts and emotions with kindness and warmth.
Inside the eyes of a Buddha,
Simply concerned with your own freedom from softening.
Let the mind be very open.
Receptive to whatever arises.
You may want to focus your awareness in the body or have a more open awareness of everything that arises in body and mind.
This could include the breath,
Whatever it is.
And regarding that experience with kindly eyes,
The main focus of your practice.
Realizing the effect,
Soothing,
Healing effect of compassion.
Keep up the good physical things you can do.
Keep it Minecrafts.
.
And if it helps to deepen a sense of intimacy,
Connection and care,
Especially if any pain,
Distress,
Suffering arises,
I might wish to add a few words of compassion.
Something simple like,
May I be free from softening and its cause.
Or may I hold this with kindness.
And in the same way that we do with the practice of metta,
You can repeat this if you wish.
Opening in the space between each phrase to the emotional resonance in the heart.
Letting our mind incline towards compassion,
Towards that freedom from suffering.
And be very gentle.
Using soft soothing words without trying to produce a particular result,
But just trusting the intentions to incline the mind to that freedom from suffering.
Namaste.
Not focusing on the suffering itself but the freedom from that suffering which has a pleasant aspect.
Michiganard.
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