Greetings everyone and welcome to today's virtual meditation on the line.
My name is Anthony DeMauro.
I am a staff member at the Contemplative Sciences Center and I work with the Dalai Lama Fellows program.
I'll be your meditation facilitator today.
Just some brief framing around the practice we're going to do.
It's what I call it,
The benefactor practice.
And really what we're going to be doing is calling to mind some benefactor that we've had in our life.
So somebody who has been a source of love or care.
Someone who has been a pretty reliable source of that.
And it could be a person,
A family member,
A friend,
A romantic partner,
A teacher.
It could be a pet or perhaps even some other being.
You could call to mind just nature and the abundant ways it cares for us.
Or perhaps some deity that you have a loving relationship with.
So really no limits on that source of love and care.
But with this meditation,
We're going to invite them into this meditation with us.
And really the only thing we have to do is imagine that they are sharing that love,
Sending that love and care to us as they typically do.
And we're just here to receive it.
We're just here to open up to their love and care and really see how much of it we can receive,
See how much we can connect with it and really just kind of soak in it.
So that's what we're going to be doing and I'll provide guidance throughout.
So I invite you to find a comfortable posture for this meditation.
You're welcome to close your eyes.
That's going to help you focus and connect.
You're welcome to keep them open and just lower your gaze a bit.
And then I'll invite you to start by just taking a few deep breaths.
Then you can allow the normal pace of your breathing to return and continue throughout the practice.
And then we'll take a few moments just to arrive in the practice in our bodies.
And so to do this,
If we can just imagine that our attention and awareness is kind of moving,
Dropping down from that mental cognitive brain space where we send so much time and just sort of dropping down into the feeling body.
Maybe just connecting with some of the sensations that you have available to you,
Whether it's feeling your feet on the floor,
Some sense of connection to whatever you're seated on,
Or just feeling your body taking up some space,
Allowing yourself to drop into those sensations of the body.
Then we'll move into this portion of the practice where we are calling to mind,
Calling to heart,
That benefactor,
That person,
That being that has been a reliable source of love and care.
And so you might visualize that person,
That being in your mind's eye,
Or you might just have some felt sense of being in their presence.
Take a moment to call them in and connect in whatever way feels right for you.
And once we establish that connection,
The next invitation is to imagine that they are offering their love and care.
And here again,
Might be different ways they do that.
Maybe it's some words or a gesture or just their loving gaze might be enough.
Take a few moments to just imagine that that's happening.
Even feel that that's happening.
And as that continues,
See if you can open up to it more and more.
Leave it as fully as possible.
If you're noticing any barriers or challenges to receiving that love,
That's okay.
That happens.
And it's important to just take note of those barriers,
But you don't need to,
At least within this practice,
Spend too much time sorting them out.
Just take note,
Set them aside for now and just come back to that intention to receive,
To continue opening up and imagining that benefactors love and care are just pouring into you.
If needed,
You might remember or imagine reliving some time when they really showed up for you.
When they really offered their genuine care.
You can sort of recall that moment and allow yourself to again,
Just receive,
Just be held in their care.
And just take a few more moments to abide or soak in that loving care.
If you conjured up in this practice,
Set aside that opening or receiving and now just abide.
Just be with whatever you're feeling.
I'm here.
Thank you.
Wow.
Then to close out this practice,
Maybe the final thing we can do is just offer this benefactor some gratitude,
Taking a moment to really appreciate the source of love and care in our lives.
Even that act of receptivity to their gifts of love and care brings us into a sacred relationship with them.
Then you can take your time to just slowly transition out of this practice,
Maybe with the intention to just remember and keep in mind that you are loved and cared for.
It might be a simple act of recalling or remembering that will help you revisit that feeling and carry it with you throughout the day.
That is the end of today's Meditation on the Lawn.
We hope you join us again next week for another session.
Thanks for practicing with me.
