So we're going to start with a brief check-in.
So take a moment to relax and close your eyes and get comfortable and for the next couple of minutes please be very gentle and kind to yourself.
Let's start by taking three deep breaths into the belly.
You might find it handy to actually put your hand on your belly if you're feeling quite tight,
If you're feeling any tension in the body and that might help you breathe into the belly,
Getting more air into your body.
Then let your breath just be as it is and breathe normally and take a moment just to notice now the sensations in your body.
Notice how you feel and very gently without any judgment,
Without any stress,
Just with an attitude of kindness.
Ask yourself how you're feeling physically,
How are you emotionally and how are you mentally right now.
Just notice it and we can notice that at any given time we want to be well,
We want to be happy and that even when we're aware that we are feeling stressed or tired or suffering in some way,
Even allowing for all that to be true,
We want happiness and we want ourselves and others to be well.
So we can make that the focus of our attention first that we want to be well and be happy.
So now take a moment and breathe into your heart.
You might visualize this,
You might feel how it would be to breathe into the heart if it's something that's difficult for you to imagine.
You may even put your hand on your heart if that doesn't come particularly naturally.
And now allow yourself to say these simple phrases gently and kindly to yourself as though you were dropping a very small pebble onto the surface of a lake and this pebble,
Small as it is,
Creates great ripples across the surface.
May I be well?
May I be happy?
May I find peace?
And as you keep breathing and keep being aware of your heart you can say these phrases over and over just gently dropping them in.
May I be well?
May I be happy?
May I find peace?
Now you may be somewhere where there are people around you,
Your colleagues or your family.
Perhaps you can bring those people to mind if they're not nearby.
And you can be aware that they also are doing the best that they can.
That they too might be suffering more than they would like.
And that they also want to be happy.
And so you can gently and kindly wish the same for them.
Bringing them to mind you can gently say,
May you be well?
May you be happy?
May you find peace?
You can say this several times to one person or several people if that's right for you.
And perhaps you can see them,
Imagine them together doing something that makes them happy.
Or just generally being in a good place.
Now take another moment just to see how you feel in the body.
See how you're feeling emotionally.
And see how you are mentally.
And as you open your eyes,
Take for at least the next couple of minutes if you can,
To wish well every person you see.
No matter what they look like,
No matter what they wear,
No matter who they are.
Wish all of them happiness and well-being as you start your next activity and you go about your day.
