Kindness for other practice.
So to start this practice settling into our posture so adopting a posture that is supportive of the practice.
Back straight,
Feet resting on the ground,
Hands resting on our laps,
Chin parallel to the ground,
And maybe having a sense of a golden thread pulling us up from the crowns of our head.
So a dignified posture but also one that is comfortable and at ease to this body.
One that is kind to this body.
So sitting in an alert relaxed way and then taking a moment to touch in with the intention and motivation for this practice.
The intention to cultivate kindness or even perhaps just to familiarize ourselves with what might sometimes prevent kindness from flowing.
Knowing that we do this in our own benefit but that would also be of benefit to those people we come in contact to during our daily lives.
And our own motivation for doing this practice.
How might we hope to benefit from this practice for ourselves and others?
And then gently guiding our attention inwards and finding the breath within the body.
So noticing the flow of the breath going in through our nostrils filling up our lungs.
Noticing the slight pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.
And noticing the flow of the air going out from our lungs and out through our nostrils.
And gently resting our attention on our breath wherever it feels most prominent to us.
And then seeing if it's possible to deepen a little bit breath.
So to breathe in a little bit deeper than normal.
Both our in-breaths and out-breaths being gentle.
So breathing in a little bit deeper than normal with both our in-breaths and out-breaths being gentle.
And then trying to see if it's possible to equalize the breath.
So breathing in a little bit deeper than normal with our in-breaths and out-breaths of equal length and rhythm.
And to do this we may use counting.
For example breathing in on a count of three or four.
Or we can use phrases.
Breathing in I know I'm breathing in,
Breathing out I know I'm breathing out.
Breathing in I know I'm breathing in,
Breathing out I know I'm breathing out.
And we might notice that thoughts still arise within the mind.
And that's absolutely fine.
During the practice of meditation we are not trying to block thoughts or make the mind go blank.
But to notice when we get engaged with thoughts and thoughts turn into thinking and our mind wanders away.
And when we notice that throughout this practice gently bringing the mind back to the cultivation of kindness.
Breathing in I know I'm breathing in,
Breathing out I know I'm breathing out.
Breathing in I know I'm breathing in,
Breathing out I know I'm breathing out.
In-breaths and out-breaths a little bit deeper than normal and of equal length and rhythm.
And now gently focusing a little bit more on the out-breaths.
And maybe noticing if there is a tendency for the body to relax as the body breathes out.
And then trying to see if the mind can learn from the body.
So as the body breathes out and relaxes our mind relaxes involvement with thinking.
Letting thoughts pass freely through the mind and begins to settle.
And now gently letting our breath fall into its natural rhythm.
And gently becoming aware of the general felt feeling within the body.
Maybe there's a sense of tension or the opposite relaxation,
Stillness or the opposite agitation.
Or just a neutral sense.
So noticing and letting our experience unfold as it is.
And then gently becoming aware of the points of contact between the body and the chair,
The feet and the ground,
Our hands resting on our laps.
And then gently scanning through our body.
Noticing the bottom of our foot,
The top of our foot,
Our heels,
Our ankles,
Our calves,
Our shin,
The knee,
Our thighs,
Our hamstring,
The buttocks and the points of contact between the buttocks and the chair,
Our pelvis,
The lower back,
Maybe noticing the curvature of the spine,
Our abdomen and maybe noticing the rising and falling of the abdomen with the breath,
Our upper back,
Our chest,
Our shoulders,
Our fingers,
Our hands,
Our forearm,
Our elbows,
The triceps and biceps,
Our necks,
Our face,
Our ears,
Eyes,
Nose and mouths,
The back of our head and the top of our head.
And then gently noticing the whole body breathing resting here on the ground.
And gently having a general felt feeling of the weight of the body and how the weight of the body is unconditionally supported by the ground beneath the body.
And as we breathe out and the body relaxes,
Our mind rests within the body unconditionally supported by the body,
Body resting on the ground unconditionally supported by the ground beneath the body.
So mind and body resting here right now unconditionally supported by the ground and surrounded by space and just taking a few moment to rest within our embodied presence.
And now as we move towards the main part of the practice gently bringing to mind some being in our life that we love dearly but with whom we have a straightforward relationship.
So it may be someone has been particularly kind to us,
So someone we feel a spontaneous kindness towards and this may be a person like a friend,
A teacher,
A loved one or an animal like a family pet.
So just allowing someone for whom we feel a general felt sense of kindness to arise within the mind.
And it may take a while for someone to come to mind.
So gently letting this being arise and allowing our experience to unfold in its own way and in its own time.
And when there is a sense of dispersion or animal being,
Just allowing them to be there in our mind's eye.
And it may be we have a felt sense of them being there or we might have a visual sense of them being there.
And then gently imagining or having the general felt feeling that they are sitting there in front of us.
And gently noticing how does this feel.
Are there any thoughts,
Emotions or physical sensations that arise in our experience when we bring this dear person or animal to mind?
So being curious and open towards whatever arises while at the same time being grounded and in touch with the physical sensations in the body.
And then gently saying loving kindness phrases towards this person,
Animal or being.
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
May you be happy,
May you be safe,
May you live with ease.
And gently being curious of any feelings of sensations that might arise within the body.
As we say these phrases,
We might notice a sense of warmth and pleasant sensations arising within the body.
Or we might notice a sense of resistance as arisen,
Or a sense of unwillingness or difficulty or tension.
So whatever arises within the practice,
We practice with the intention to cultivate kindness and being curious of whatever arises,
Letting experience unfold as it is.
So no right way or wrong way to feel.
And then gently again saying loving kindness phrases towards dispersing animal on being and watching what unfolds.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease.
And gently noticing what happens when we say these loving kindness phrases.
So being curious,
Noticing any sensations of warmth,
Openness that might arise,
Or resistance or numbness that might arise within the body.
So allowing our experience of the practice to unfold on its own.
And gently noticing whatever arises with an attitude of openness and curiosity.
And then gently again saying loving kindness phrases towards dispersing animal or being and watching what unfolds.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from fame.
And gently noticing whatever arises within the body,
With an attitude of openness and curiosity,
No right way or wrong way to feel.
And now gently as we come towards the end of this practice,
Gently letting go of the loving kindness phrases,
And gently becoming aware of the body,
Becoming aware of the breath within the body,
And gently acknowledging our presence within the room,
And sitting for a few moments in our seat.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to achieve or to strive for,
Just resting here right now.
And to end this practice,
We can make an aspiration that any benefits that might arise through this practice spread outwards towards the people in my life and the world,
In ever-expanding circles,
And on the sound of the bell,
Gently ending the practice.
The bell is invited.
