This is the self-kindness meditation and you can do this practice in any posture sitting,
Lying or standing up.
So getting comfortable in your posture and I'll lead the practice as though you're sitting down.
So getting comfortable in your chair,
Feeling your feet on the floor,
Your body in the chair,
Letting your posture be upright,
Dignified and relaxed.
If you'd like to,
Close your eyes or lower your gaze,
Whatever is comfortable for you.
And as this practice is bringing self-kindness,
Perhaps placing a hand on the heart,
Maybe somewhere in the chest area around the heart or other area that feels comfortable for you.
And we're using the warmth and the touch of the hand to bring a sense of kindness to our experience,
A sense of soothing,
A sense of kind awareness to ourselves in this moment.
I'm going to invite you to bring to mind a person that makes you smile.
It can be a person,
It can be another living being or another living thing,
Someone or something that makes you smile,
That makes you feel happy.
Maybe it's a child,
A person,
A pet.
And as you bring this living being to mind,
And your mind might move about and you might bring up different people,
Different beings,
So settling on one and you'll have time for all the others with other practices.
So settling your mind on that one being,
That one person,
Bringing them to mind and just resting in their good company,
Feeling their presence,
Enjoying their company.
And they too,
Like us,
Want to be happy and free from suffering and difficulty,
Just like every other living being.
And as you hold this image of this living being that makes you smile,
Enjoying their company,
Maybe wishing them some kind words.
Maybe something like,
May you be safe,
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful,
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy,
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease,
May you live with ease.
And as you say the words in your mind,
Just feeling the importance of these words and this well-wishing that you're sending to this other living being.
And every time you notice your mind wandering,
Just kindly and gently bring it back to these words and the sense of well-wishing that you're sending.
And just savoring the importance of these words and these wishes for this living being.
Just taking your time,
We're not forcing anything,
So just sensing this sense of well-wishing to the other living being.
And when you're ready,
Perhaps adding yourself to this circle of goodwill.
And again,
Maybe with the hand on your heart,
Feeling that warmth and sending yourself kind and warm well-wishing through the hand,
The warmth,
The touch of the hand.
And maybe sending the two of you those words of well-wishing.
So you and the other living being,
Maybe saying to yourself and to them,
May we be safe,
May we be safe.
May we be peaceful,
May we be peaceful.
May we be healthy,
May we be healthy.
And may we live with ease,
May we live with ease.
And just seeing if you can receive that sense of well-wishing for yourself,
As well as the other living being.
Can you let that sense of well-wishing and warmth and goodwill sink in to yourself?
Can you receive that and welcome that into your experience?
And then if you'd like to,
Letting go of the other living being and just holding yourself in your awareness.
Visualising yourself,
The whole of your body in this moment,
Noticing any stress,
Any uneasiness,
Any tightness.
And if you can,
Letting that soften,
Letting it go.
And maybe offering yourself those words of well-wishing.
May I be safe,
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful,
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy,
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease,
May I live with ease.
And just seeing if you can let the sense and importance of those words sink in.
Sinking into your own experience right now.
And as we practice with those words,
There might be some other words that you'd prefer to say to yourself that are more meaningful to you in this moment.
So perhaps you'd like to choose some different words that speak to you more directly than the words I've used.
So just sensing what other words,
What other qualities,
What other characteristics,
Kindness.
What other words come to mind,
If any,
For you right now?
What other words might you like to say or hear being said to you?
And if you can't think of any words,
Maybe thinking about the words you'd say to another person.
The words and messages you'd like them to hear.
Maybe saying them to yourself in this moment.
Maybe something like,
May I be kind to myself?
May I accept myself as I am?
May I feel enough?
May I feel worthy?
Or some other words.
So repeating whatever meaningful words you'd like to say silently to yourself.
Letting the meaning,
The intent,
The importance sink in.
And if you'd like to,
Take a few breaths.
Resting quietly in your own body and savouring this goodwill,
This sense of well-wishing.
Sensing the compassion that flows naturally from your heart.
And knowing that you can return to these phrases or other phrases at any time that you'd like to.
And then letting go of the meditation,
Opening your eyes or raising your gaze.
Taking in the room,
Maybe a bit of movement,
The fingers,
The toes,
Letting the body move how it wants to do.
And going about a transition into the rest of your day.
