The World The World Hello World,
My name is Bhante Sujatha,
The loving kindness monk.
Ever since I was a young monk,
My heart has always guided me to children.
I often dream of a world where people grow up with an open,
Compassionate heart and with tools to stay in the present moment.
Today I want to help young people of the world learn to meditate.
Let's begin by sitting or lying down comfortably and closing your eyes.
You can use pillows or blankets to make yourself as comfortable as you can be.
Take a few deep cleansing breaths as you begin to relax.
Bring all of your attention to your right foot,
Noticing how it feels.
Squeeze the right foot,
Making a fist with your entire right foot and all five toes.
Tense and squeeze it tightly.
Hold this tension for a few deep breaths.
It is okay that your mind is wandering,
That is your brain doing its job.
Be grateful,
This is the nature of the mind,
Moving,
Chasing thoughts.
I am so grateful your mind is working.
Then release all tension in the right foot suddenly.
Relax it completely and notice the tension releasing.
You may feel a tingling sensation in the foot.
Take a moment and think of things that have gone well in your life.
Make a list of what you are grateful for.
Maybe your parents,
Your friends,
Maybe you are grateful for the food you ate today.
Make your own list of what you are grateful for.
Take a deep breath,
Keep your eyes closed and your body still.
Keep breathing.
Now move your attention to your left foot.
Notice how it feels.
Squeeze the left foot,
Making a fist with your entire left foot and all five toes.
Tense and squeeze it tightly.
Hold this tension for two deep breaths.
Move slowly up and around the body,
Squeezing one body part at a time to create tension immediately,
Followed by the constressing sensation of release and ease.
Follow each part with a deep cleansing breath.
Here's a sample progression you can follow.
Right foot,
Left foot,
Right ankle and calf,
Left ankle and calf,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Right thigh,
Left thigh.
All feet and legs,
Hips,
Belly,
Entire lower body from tummy down,
Chest and heart,
Right arm,
Left arm,
Right hand,
Left hand,
Shoulders,
Neck,
Face,
Whole body at once.
Now let go of this focus and just breathe with me.
What we focus on grows.
Think of what you are grateful for.
Apply action to your desires if you want something to do its work.
Keep focusing on what is right,
Not what is wrong.
Make room for gratitude every day.
You did very well today.
This simple body scan and gratitude exercise will be so good for you.
Together let's make a strong determination to practice a little each day.
We can do it together.
When you fail,
Just try again.
Failing is a good lesson.
When you are ready,
Please open your eyes.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
Choose loving kindness.
