Let's begin this practice by finding a comfortable position,
And pausing for a moment to honor the placement of the body as a simple act of kindness and compassion.
Once the body is settled,
Then give yourself a moment to notice any neutral or pleasant feelings in this moment,
Establishing a ground of okayness or goodness in which we can build upon,
Aligning ourselves with our natural capacity to care.
And before exercising this capacity,
Give yourself a moment to check in to the lived experience of the body,
And while openly observing the sensations and feelings in the body,
If you discover a part of the body that feels tight,
Contracted,
Or even reluctant in this practice today,
As an expression of compassion,
Bring a quality of caring attention to this part,
And with each out-breath,
Giving the body permission to relax and release,
Intently and compassionately revealing a posture of ease.
And along with this deepening sense of relaxation,
Coming to rest in the stillness of being,
And finally complementing relaxation and stillness with a quality of wakefulness.
Once again,
To support this dynamic equilibrium,
Engage in a cycle of coherent breaths,
Breathing in and out for a count of five,
And within each part of the breath as you breathe in,
Invigorate the quality of wakefulness,
And as you breathe out,
Deepening the quality of relaxation.
And now release the technique of coherent breathing,
And tend to the breath as it settles into its natural rhythm.
And of course,
If at any time in the practice you experience the body falling into a heaviness or a dullness,
Then again,
Utilize the breath to refresh,
Elongating the inhale,
Arousing a sense of curiosity,
And alternatively,
If tightness begins to form,
Elongate the exhale,
Relaxing more deeply.
Otherwise,
Continue to allow the breath to simply be,
Trusting the body to breathe,
And exploring what is it like to receive a breath opposed to taking a breath.
And while noticing the breath,
If the mind begins to wander,
Recognize the distraction,
And let your first response be that of relaxation,
Of loosening up.
And in that loosening,
Release whatever it is that has pulled the mind away,
And gently,
Kindly,
Compassionately,
Return,
Allowing the mind a moment to settle.
And now,
Alongside the sensations of breathing,
Observe the wide variety of sensations and feelings throughout the body.
And as you tune into this language of the body today,
Is there a sensation or feeling that indicates a state of unrest,
Of agitation,
Of uncertainty?
If so,
Bring caring attention there.
And as you explore deeper into this area,
Bring forth the simple question,
What do you need right now to feel supported?
How might this part of the body feel cared for?
And if intuitively,
There's a clear response that arises,
Then follow that response with your heart,
Breathing out a sense of care and support.
Maybe this care is conveyed with words.
May you find ease.
May you experience peace.
Maybe this sense of care is better conveyed through a gesture,
The light placement of a hand on the belly or the heart.
Trusting in your own inner wisdom for how to best care for yourself in this moment.
And now,
Along with connecting with yourself in this way,
Give yourself a moment to open awareness to our collective experience.
And in this vast landscape of relationship with others,
Humans and non-humans alike in the world around us,
Is there a person or another living being who calls for your attention right now?
And if so,
Bring them to mind,
Honoring them as a fellow living being who experiences the breath,
Who experiences sensations and feelings,
Who experiences different thoughts,
Intentions,
Aspirations.
Acknowledging this one you've brought to mind has a range of emotion,
On occasion experiencing sadness,
Fear,
Joy,
Anger.
And finally,
Recognize this one,
Like yourself,
Cares to be well and happy.
This one cares to not suffer.
And upon feeling deeply with this person,
Express a sense of care for them.
As you breathe out,
Again trusting your own intuition and extending forth whatever qualities of compassion or kindness feel beneficial.
It may be helpful to express this kindness and compassion through words.
Breathing out,
You may recite the words.
May you find ease.
May you discover peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
And whatever the phrase is,
Let these words stir the heart.
And with this stirring,
Consciously expressing care to another.
And finally,
Throughout this practice,
If you feel a genuine sense of care has arisen for yourself and another,
Give yourself a moment to simply rest in that care,
Savoring its qualities,
Letting it impress more deeply upon the body,
Heart,
And mind,
Letting this care remind us of our natural state,
Resting in love.
And before bringing this practice to a close,
Consider as we move back into the day,
Into a more active way of life,
Where would you like to be more mindfully aware to proceed with kindness and compassion?
And if through this consideration a clear intention arises,
Sustain that intention in your heart and mind,
Letting it come to fruition when the conditions are ripe.
Let's bring our session to a close.
Thank you for your practice today.
