And I always suggest beginning with the eyes soft,
So just letting the muscles around the eyes be at ease.
And letting the focus within your eyes be soft as well.
So that there's a feeling of your eyes being perhaps just a little unfocused.
This tends to have an instantly calming effect.
And also it changes the way that we pay attention internally.
So that our inner field of attention is less narrow,
More open,
More receptive to whatever's arising.
And we're going to look for another quality in the eyes today as well,
Which is kindness.
And we've all had experiences of looking with love,
Looking with kindness,
With fondness,
With appreciation.
And we can remember what it's like to do that.
So you can call to mind now some specific memory of looking with kindness,
Looking with love.
I like to remember looking at my children when they were small and they were sleeping.
Maybe you have a similar experience,
But your memory could involve looking at a lover,
A partner,
A dear friend,
Even a pet.
And as you recall that memory,
Just notice the qualities that arise within your field of vision.
Perhaps softness,
Warmth,
Joy,
Cherishing.
So just noticing whatever qualities arise and noticing how those qualities can persist as you turn your inner field of attention more toward the body,
Toward what's happening there.
And letting that inner field of attention be soft,
Warm,
Letting it be cherishing,
Appreciative.
And just letting those qualities meet whatever arises.
Observing the movements of the breathing with kindness.
Observing the breath flowing in and out of the body with kindness.
Noticing the sensations in your skin with kindness.
Noticing the sensations arising from your muscles and your joints with kindness.
And you may have thoughts arising,
Some of them may be unwelcome,
But just seeing if you can meet those too with kindness.
They're not your enemy,
They're just internal sensations,
Inner sounds,
Inner images conjured up by your own mind.
Meet them all with kindness,
The kind inner gaze.
You may be experiencing certain feelings around the heart or elsewhere,
Maybe pleasant,
Maybe unpleasant.
Or maybe there's a neutral feeling tone,
That is,
You don't feel anything or you're not sure what you're feeling.
So whatever's there,
Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant or neutral,
Meeting that too with a kindly inner gaze.
Meeting it as best you can with acceptance and cherishing and warmth.
And just continuing to observe whatever arrives with kindness.
