So first,
Get really comfortable in your chair,
Lean back fully,
Gently close the eyes.
And as you make this transition into meditation,
See how much gentleness,
How much kindness you can summon toward your experience as it presents itself to you.
So first,
Bring a kind of affectionate awareness to your whole scalp.
Notice how that feels.
Bringing a warmth and affection to your forehead.
Imagine you could relax your scalp,
Your forehead,
Even your mind.
Relax the eyes.
Relax the little muscles around the eyes.
Relax the jaw.
Soften your neck and soften your throat.
Soften your shoulders.
Soften your chest.
And let the chest be light and buoyant.
Let your belly relax.
Let your arms relax.
Relax your legs.
Relax your feet.
Feel your legs supported by the chair.
Feel your feet supported by the earth.
The ground will hold you.
Every version of you.
The ground will hold you as you are.
And now feel your whole body.
Relax your whole body.
And now notice that your breathing.
Allow the breath to settle into its own natural pace.
Follow the breath with your mind.
Already an act of self-compassion.
And now go ahead and take one hand and put it to the heart or the chest.
Feel that warmth of contact.
The warmth of the palm to the chest.
The warmth of the chest to the palm.
Feeling your own natural warmth.
Feeling your heartbeat.
Sense around the heart and sense the three-dimensionality of the breath.
And now send yourself the wish,
May this heart be happy.
May this heart be honest and authentic.
True to itself and happy.
And now connect with the quality of the heart by setting an intention.
An intention from the heart.
I release myself from judgment.
I offer myself goodwill.
I give myself compassion in every situation.
In all circumstances,
I give myself warmth and compassion.
Let your heart receive the wish.
Let your heart set the intention.
And adding the words,
May I be kind to myself.
May I take care of myself.
May I let myself rest.
May I know that I am equally worthy when I am doing something and when I am doing nothing at all.
May I experience ease of connection.
Ease of well-being.
Ease of being on my own side.
May I always offer myself a loving presence.
Wherever I am,
May this loving presence be.
No need to think,
Just feeling.
Feeling fully into those words.
The feeling of the hand on the heart.
Feeling the strength of that intention which is innate to you.
May I be kind to myself and taking care of myself.
I take care of all beings.
Connecting to myself,
To my heart.
I connect to all beating hearts everywhere.
And in my self-compassion,
May I be free.
Feel your heart beating below the hand.
Feeling that warmth you're offering to your heart just with your awareness and this contact.
And you can gently place your hand back down onto your lap.
And dedicating this practice to your happiness every day of your life.
And dedicating this practice to the happiness of all beings everywhere.
You will hear the sound of a bell.
Listen to its sound fully.
And when you can no longer hear it,
Beginning to open your eyes.
Opening up your ears.
Belling.
