Loving kindness for self and other practice.
So to start this practice,
Settling into our posture,
A posture that is dignified,
But also a posture that embodies kindness.
So sitting down with our back straight,
Our feet resting on the ground,
Our hands resting on our laps,
With our chin parallel to the ground,
And maybe having a felt sense of a golden thread pulling us up from the crown of the head.
So settling into a dignified posture,
But also one that is comfortable and at ease to this body,
One that is kind to this body,
So that we are sitting in an alert,
Relaxed way.
And then taking a moment to touch in with the intention for this practice.
So the intention to cultivate kindness towards others and to cultivate kindness towards ourselves,
And then spending a few moments reflecting on our own motivation for doing this.
So how might this cultivation of kindness towards ourselves and others be of benefit for ourselves,
But also for those around us?
And then gently guiding our attention inwards and finding the breath within us,
And finding the breath within the body,
Noticing the air going in through our nostrils,
Filling up our lungs,
Noticing the slight pause between the in-breath and the out-breath,
And maybe noticing the air going out from our lungs and out through our nostrils,
So gently resting our attentions on the sensations of our breathing,
And then seeing if it's possible to deepen a little bit the breath,
So to breathe a little bit deeper than normal and to gently release the breath,
Both our in-breaths and out-breaths a little bit deeper than normal,
But also gently,
And then trying to see if it's possible to equalize the breath,
So breathing in a little bit deeper than normal,
With both our in-breaths and out-breaths of equal length and rhythm.
And to do this we can use counting,
So breathing in and out 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.
In the practice of meditation we are not trying to block thoughts or make the mind go blank,
But to notice how sometimes we get carried away by a thought and it turns into thinking,
And our mind wanders away,
Carried away in thinking,
And whenever we notice that,
We gently bring the mind back to this breathing body.
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.
Both our 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 our out-breaths,
And gently noticing if there is a reason for releasing quality to this out-breath.
So seeing if there is a tendency for the body to relax a little as the body releases the breath,
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 guiding our awareness towards the general felt feeling within the body.
And we might notice a sense of relaxation,
Or even maybe the opposite tension,
Or maybe a sense of stillness or again the opposite,
Agitation,
Or maybe a sense of awakeness,
Or the opposite a sense of dullness,
Or even maybe a neutral sense,
So gently noticing and letting our experience unfold.
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 our toes,
The bottom of our feet,
The top of our feet,
Our heels,
Our ankles,
Our calves,
The shin,
Our knees,
Our thighs,
The hamstring,
Our pelvis,
And maybe the points of contact between the body and the chair,
Our 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 fingers,
Our hands,
Our forearm,
The elbow,
Our biceps and triceps,
Our shoulders,
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,
The whole body breathing resting here on the ground,
And gently getting a felt sense of the weight of the body sitting here right now,
And how the weight of the body is unconditionally supported by the ground beneath the body.
And as the ground unconditionally supports the body,
The body unconditionally supports the mind.
So as we breathe out and the body relaxes a little,
And our center of gravity drops,
Our mind resting within the body,
Unconditionally supported by the body,
Our bodies 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 beneath them,
And surrounded by space,
And just taking a few moments to rest within our embodied presence,
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to be,
Nothing to achieve or to strive for.
So just taking a few moments to rest within the our embodied presence right here,
Right now.
And now as we go into the main part of this practice,
Gently bringing to mind some being in our life that we love dearly,
But with whom we have a straightforward relationship with.
Maybe someone has been particularly kind to us,
Someone we feel a spontaneous kindness towards,
And it might be a friend,
A teacher,
A loved one,
Or maybe even an animal like a family pet.
So gently bringing to mind someone whom when we think of them our heart naturally opens up to them.
And if it may take a while for someone to come to mind,
Gently letting this being to arise and allowing our experience to unfold in its own way and in its own time.
And when there is a sense of dispersion in our animal or being,
Just allowing them to be there in our mind's eye.
And it might be that 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 as if they're sitting there in front of us.
And gently noticing how does this feel to have this sense of dispersion being present here with us.
Noticing any thoughts,
Emotions,
Or physical sensations that arise within 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 crowded and in touch with the physical sensations of the body.
And then gently saying loving kindness phrases towards this person,
Animal or being.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
And gently noticing how our experience unfolds as we say these phrases for this person.
Being curious of any feelings,
Feelings,
Or feelings.
And gently noticing how does this feel to have this sense of dispersion in our mind.
Being curious of any feelings or sensations that might arise within the body.
There might be a sense of warmth and pleasant sensations arising within the body.
Or we might notice a sense of resistance has arisen,
Or a sense of unwillingness or difficulty of tension.
So in this practice we practice with the intention to cultivate kindness and being curious of whatever arises,
Letting our experience unfold as it is.
No right way or wrong way to feel.
So as we do this practice just gently becoming curious about however our experience is unfolding.
And then gently again saying loving kindness phrases towards this person,
Animal or being.
And gently watching our experience unfold.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
And gently watching our experience unfold.
No right way or wrong way to feel.
And now as we move on in the practice,
Gently acknowledging our common humanity.
We all want to be happy.
And maybe reflecting that just as this dear person,
Animal or being wishes to be happy,
To be safe,
To be free from harm.
So too we do wish to be happy,
Safe,
Free from harm.
And this is right and good.
And then gently imagining or having a felt sense of ourselves sitting with this friend,
Animal or being.
Maybe holding hands or with our arms around each other.
And then gently saying loving kindness phrases for ourselves and the dear person,
Animal or being.
May we be safe.
May we be happy.
May we be healthy.
May we live with ease.
And gently noticing how our experience unfolds.
Being curious.
Noticing any thoughts,
Feelings,
Physical sensations that might arise,
Come and go 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.
As we imagine ourselves sitting with this dear friend,
Person,
Animal or being.
And gently saying loving kindness phrases for ourselves and this dear person,
Animal or being.
May we be safe.
May we be happy.
May we be healthy.
May we live with ease.
And now as we move on in the practice,
Gently allowing ourselves this sense of this dear person,
Animal or being,
Being here with us.
To gently dissolve.
And then gently bringing to mind a younger version of ourselves.
And it may take a while.
So allowing an image of a younger version to ourselves or a felt sense of a younger version of ourselves to come to mind.
And gently recognizing that this younger version of ourselves also wishes to be happy,
Safe and to be free from harm.
And this is right and good.
And then gently saying loving kindness phrases for this younger version of ourselves.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
And gently noticing,
Becoming curious towards what arises as we bring to mind this younger version of ourselves.
And saying loving kindness phrases.
Remembering that there is no right way or wrong way to feel as we do this practice.
So gently noticing what arises as we say loving kindness phrases for this younger version of ourselves.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
And now as we move on in the practice,
Gently allowing any felt sense or image of this younger version of ourselves to gently dissolve.
And then gently becoming aware of ourselves as we sit here in this room just now breathing.
Recognizing that so too ourselves now wish to be happy,
Safe and to be free from harm.
And this is right and good.
And then gently saying loving kindness phrases for ourselves here and now.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
And gently noticing what arises as we are saying these loving kindness phrases for ourselves here and now.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
May I live with ease.
And gently noticing what arises within the body as we say these phrases for ourselves.
And now as we gently come towards the end of this practice,
Letting go of the loving kindness phrases and gently becoming aware of the body.
Noticing the breath within the body and gently noticing the points of contact between the body and the chair or the seat beneath us.
And gently acknowledging our presence within the room and gently sitting for a few moments in our seat.
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to do,
Nothing to achieve or strive for.
And to end this practice we can make an aspiration that any benefits that might arise to this practice towards myself spread outwards towards others in the world in ever-expanding circles.
And on the sound of the bell in your own time,
Gently ending the practice.
