Practice Of Kindness & Care

Research shows that meditations focused on cultivating kindness, goodwill, and warmth toward oneself and others can increase one’s sense of well-being and social connection. Practices like this are particularly helpful when faced with challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Practice of Kindness and Care utilizes breathing techniques, visualization, and repeated phrases to keep your mind focused on heartfelt wishes of kindness and well-being towards oneself and others.

Transcript

We find ourselves in an unprecedented time in human history,

Facing a new reality of social distancing,

Fear,

And anxiety over a highly uncertain future and concern for the health and wellbeing of ourselves,

Loved ones,

And society.

The situation is rapidly changing and evolving globally in front of our eyes as we watch the news and respond to pings from our phones throughout the day.

As individuals and as a society,

Now more than ever we must draw upon our innate capacity for resilience and cultivate an ability to be deeply present,

Calm,

And grounded when faced with the challenges this pandemic presents daily.

We must bring forth the best qualities of our human nature,

Our kindness,

Care,

And compassion towards ourselves and our loved ones,

Classmates,

Coworkers,

Neighbors,

And fellow global citizens.

This contemplative practice focuses on developing feelings of goodwill,

Kindness,

And warmth towards oneself and others.

Research shows that meditations focused on cultivating kindness and care have significant benefits including increasing wellbeing,

Providing relief from illness,

And improving emotional intelligence.

In this practice,

You will actively cultivate appreciation and gratitude and kindness towards the people you know and love as well as towards people you may have never met or only know in passing.

You will reflect on how even these seeming strangers touch your life through the invisible web of interdependence and connection.

Despite physical distance due to social isolation,

You can increase your ability to feel connected to others with a sense of gratitude for loved ones,

Friends,

Family,

And so many members of society that make it possible for all of us to engage in daily life.

This contemplative practice utilizes breathing techniques,

Visualization,

And repeated phrases to keep your mind focused.

The phrases suggested in this guide of meditation are heartfelt wishes of kindness and wellbeing towards oneself and others.

Feel free,

However,

To use different words or phrases that are more meaningful to you and that express your intentions for things like wishing good health,

Happiness,

Peace,

And safety to yourself and others.

As you settle into this meditation,

Allow each phrase to flow in and out with your breath and notice what arises,

Allowing any reactions to be held in the same spirit of welcoming kindness.

The goal of this meditation is simply to cultivate a heartfelt wish of kindness and appreciation towards yourself and all those with whom you are connected in this vast world of interdependence.

And as you do so,

To notice how it feels to cultivate that kindness and appreciation.

We will now begin this guided practice by listening to the sound of the bell.

Bring your full attention to the sound of the bell as it brings you to the here and now in the present moment.

Make yourself comfortable,

Finding a stable but relaxed posture.

This practice can be done in a seated position on a chair,

A couch,

A meditation cushion or bench,

Or you can lie down on a bed or mat.

If you are seated,

Sit with your spine upright but not stiff.

Allow your feet to be hip distance apart with the soles of the feet in contact with the ground.

Allow the arms to rest gently in your lap with your hands placed on your thighs or resting on top of each other in the center of your lap.

Soften your shoulders,

Relax the muscles in the face and bring your attention to your posture from the top of your head down to the soles of your feet.

If you're seated on the floor,

Make sure your hips and knees are at ease and you're sitting towards the end of your cushion with your pelvis tilted slightly forward.

And if you're lying on a bed or mat,

Allow your body to rest peacefully,

Relaxing your muscles and allowing your body to succumb to the weight of gravity.

In whatever position your body is in,

Bring your attention to this moment.

It is only in this moment that we have the ability to fully arrive and live fully.

Begin to anchor your attention on the flow of your breath in and out.

As you breathe in,

Feel the full length of your breath,

The rise of the belly,

The expansion of the chest,

And the feeling of the air entering your nostrils.

As you breathe out,

Feel the body respond and feel subtle sensations that are present.

Just one breath at a time.

Moment by moment is your practice right now.

Be with the rhythm of your breath.

Be with the sensations of your body.

Anchor your awareness in this moment breath by breath.

And when other thoughts arise and redirect your attention away from the breath,

Just notice their presence and make a choice to return your focus back to the breath.

Your mind may wander repeatedly throughout this practice.

This is just the way the mind is designed.

It becomes our practice to notice when the mind gets caught in another thought and to bring it back to the intended focus of this contemplation.

As you notice your breath and your body,

Begin to become aware of the vast networks in your body at work right now,

That moment by moment keep you alive and well.

Notice and feel your lungs,

Your heartbeat,

And the blood circulating throughout the body.

Notice your sense organs,

Your eyes,

Your ears,

Your sense of touch and taste,

Which constantly send signals to your brain and body about your inner and outer environment.

Out of this silent reflection,

You will begin to feel a sense of awe and gratitude for the forces working within your body and around your body to keep you alive and well.

You're now invited to generate a wish for the continued presence in your life of all these forces and other conditions that support your own well-being and flourishing in your body and your mind.

A wish for the continued ability to be in a safe and caring environment,

Surrounded by friends,

Family,

Mentors,

And trusted others who love and care for you and whom you love and care for deeply.

A wish for the continued inner and outer resources to keep your body and mind healthy and resilient.

A wish for the ability to transform anxiety,

Fear,

And worry into courage,

Hope,

Radical presence,

And a sense of connection to a higher meaning and purpose in your life.

As you sit here breathing with awareness,

You may like to silently repeat this phrase or another to yourself.

May I be safe,

Secure,

And at ease.

May I be healthy and well in my body and mind.

May I be happy and live in peace with myself,

Loved ones,

And the world around me.

May I be resilient in the face of adversity and change and live a life of meaning and purpose.

Now bring to mind someone or a group of people whom you deeply care about.

This person or group of people could come from your family,

Your mother,

Your father,

Your child,

Your sibling,

Your grandparent.

Could be friends,

Mentors,

Or teachers,

Or even your family pet.

Take a moment to bring this person or group of people to mind,

Either imagining where he,

She,

Or they are right now,

Or imagining he,

She,

Or they are near you in this moment.

Take a moment to reflect on why this person or these people mean so much to you in your life.

Perhaps they've continuously helped you in some way,

Provided support to you in a time of need,

Or simply cared for you and your loved ones.

Perhaps a sense of awe and gratitude arise when you think of this person or people and memories of being together.

Perhaps a sense of hope for future times together comes to mind.

Now reflect on how during this historic pandemic and all of its uncertainty,

This person or these people may be fearful,

Anxious,

Or worried about his,

Her,

Or their health and security of that of their loved ones.

Imagine it was possible to give these people all the stability,

The well-being,

And support that they need as though you were offering them a gift.

If it's helpful to keep your mind focused,

Silently repeat these phrases as you breathe in and out.

May you be safe,

Secure,

And at ease.

May you be healthy and well in your body and mind.

May you be happy and live in peace with yourself,

Loved ones,

And the world around you.

May you be resilient in the face of adversity and change and live a life of meaning and purpose.

Imagine these people whom you care about truly having all these conditions that you wish for them.

Feeling peaceful and resilient in this moment.

Now bring into your awareness people outside of your immediate circle of friends and family and mentors.

Think about people whom you don't know by name or know very little about who have supported you in the past,

Are supporting you in the present,

And will support you in the future.

Bring to mind people in your community who work at the grocery store,

As truck drivers,

At hospitals,

In government offices,

And for the media.

Think of the food that you ate today or that you bought at the local grocery store.

Think of all the people that made that food available to you.

Think of the devices you use such as your phone,

Your computer,

TV,

And all the technology that supports those devices like the internet,

Satellites,

And cable.

Now think of all the people it took to produce those services and goods.

Think of those who work in hospitals,

Your family doctor,

The pharmacy,

And countless others who serve you and your community.

Reflect on the fact that all of these people in different parts of society are struggling during this time just like you and your loved ones.

They too wish to be well and healthy,

Safe and secure,

Resilient and radically present in the face of adversity and change.

They like you and your loved ones wish to live a life of meaning and purpose.

You are now invited to vividly bring to mind these people,

Healthcare workers,

Food producers,

Educators,

Government employees,

And allow for a sense of gratitude to arise for the service they provide to you and your loved ones and the world at large.

From this sense of gratitude,

Perhaps you can generate a wish for the healthcare workers,

The grocery store suppliers and employees,

Those who work in the government around the world,

And countless others to feel that they too are safe and supported.

If it's helpful,

Silently repeat these phrases as you breathe in and out.

May they all be healthy and well in their bodies and minds.

May they all be happy and live in peace with themselves,

Their loved ones and the world around them.

May they all be resilient in the face of adversity and change and live a life of meaning and purpose.

Imagine people in our society truly having all these conditions that you wish for them and being resilient and peaceful in this moment.

Now take a moment to turn your attention back to your breath and body.

Notice how you feel in this moment after generating care,

Gratitude,

And kindness towards yourself and others.

As you prepare to move into the rest of your day or evening,

Imagine ways to bring this practice with you.

Look for people to whom you might silently or actively offer appreciation,

Kindness,

And care to them.

Look for ways to establish a sense of connection to others,

Even though you may find yourself physically isolated from your friends and family and countless others you would normally physically interact with in the world.

Consider how you can go about the rest of your day still feeling connected to all of life and a sense of joy that these people bring to your life and that you bring to theirs.

Consider how also you can be connected to the reality of others suffering,

Their fear and anxiety about the future,

How you can offer a sense of relief and care to those around you.

Really start to transition out of your seated or lying down position by moving your body gently and opening your eyes when you are ready.

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