Equanimity Meditation with Cindy Wolquist.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down with your eyes closed or gazing softly.
And bring a soft attention to your breath.
No need to force the breath to be a certain way.
Feeling yourself settle a bit now as you gently pay attention to the body breathing.
Reflecting on the benefit of a mind that is settled,
A body that is settled and still.
Bringing a gentle attention to your heart and notice how it feels to you in this moment.
Does it feel a bit constricted or tight,
Perhaps open and joyous or somewhere in between?
Not judging,
Just kindly notice the area of your heart.
You may want to place your hand on your heart and offer it a blessing of kindness and gratitude.
Allowing this kindness to gently soften the heart region.
Repeating the following phrases to yourself while knowing all things arise and pass through.
Breathing in,
I calm my body.
Breathing out,
I calm my mind.
May I feel peaceful.
May I feel settled and at ease.
May I learn to see the arising and passing of all things with equanimity and balance.
Reflecting on the things that are outside of our control.
Knowing that we can only control our own nature.
Bringing awareness to your breath as it flows in and as it flows out.
How does your body feel as it breathes?
Noticing sensations arising and falling away.
Invite the quality of equanimity and peace to grow within you.
Softening the belly to receive this peaceful sensation.
Allow yourself to know the sense of peace and ease within your own being.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Belly expanding and softening on the in-breath.
Belly receding towards the spine on the out-breath.
May I feel peaceful.
May I feel settled and at ease.
May I be deeply rooted like the oak tree as I notice the coming and going of events.
May I also be flexible like the willow willing to change and transform.
Using this quality of peace and equanimity to now expand out to those that you care about and who have cared for you.
Perhaps visualizing each person or animal as you recite silently the phrases.
May you feel peaceful.
May you feel settled.
May you feel at ease.
May you also be flexible like the willow willing to change and to transform.
And may you be deeply rooted like the oak tree as you experience the coming and going of events.
May you learn to see the arising and passing of all things with equanimity and balance.
May you feel peaceful.
May you feel settled.
May you feel at ease.
May you be deeply rooted like the oak tree as we notice the coming and going of events.
May you also be flexible like the willow willing to change and transform.
May you learn to see the arising and passing of all things with equanimity and balance.
I wish you happiness as you make your own unique choices.
Now envision a person or animal closest to your heart and offer these blessings once again.
May you accept things as they are.
May you be deeply rooted like the oak tree as we notice the coming and going of events.
May you also be flexible like the willow willing to change and transform.
I wish you happiness as you make your own unique choices.
Imagine each loved being surrounded with peace.
Breathing gently,
Patiently and lovingly offering these blessings of ease.
Now envision a neutral person and send these blessings.
May you feel peaceful.
May you feel settled.
May you feel at ease.
May you be deeply rooted like the oak tree as we notice the coming and goings of events.
May you also be flexible like the willow willing to change and transform.
Offering now a person you have some challenges with and offering once again the following blessings.
May you feel peaceful.
May you feel settled.
May you feel at ease.
May you be deeply rooted like the oak tree as we notice the coming and going of events.
May you also be flexible like the willow willing to change and transform.
I wish you happiness as you make your own unique choices.
Now sending these blessings out into the world.
May we bring equanimity and compassion to the events of the world.
May we know peace.
May we live with an open heart.
May we learn to see the arising and passing of all things with equanimity and balance.
Returning to your breath.
Noticing the sensations of breathing within your body.
Noticing the area around the heart.
And recalling the gift of a peaceful heart to yourself and all those around you.
