Welcome.
This meditation is an invitation for you and your partner to slow down,
Soften and reconnect to presence and heart.
So take a comfortable seat.
You can be facing each other.
You can choose to rest your hands together or simply place them gently on your knees for instance.
And then I want to invite you to gently close your eyes for a moment.
And at your own pace take a long,
Deep,
Slow breath in and out.
You can do that a few times,
Maybe three full,
Long,
Deep inhalations and exhalations.
And as you're doing that,
Feel the space around you quieting down.
And know that these next minutes are just for the two of you.
Nothing else to do,
Nowhere else to be.
So just take a moment here and land in silence and in presence.
And then begin to notice a bit more consciously your own breath.
Not changing anything but simply following each inhale and each exhale.
Just witnessing the breath.
Now,
Allow your awareness to expand,
To widen.
And see if you can sense the rhythm of your partner's breath.
Meaning,
Without forcing anything,
See if your breathing can begin to gently synchronize.
Very gently,
Just slowly starting to match up your inhalations and exhalations.
If you notice that that becomes a bit of an effort and it becomes strange or hard to breathe,
Then you can just stay breathing.
It's really about almost letting it happen by itself.
And notice also that whether you're successful in these next few minutes to gently kind of co-regulate and synchronize your breathing,
Just that attitude of attunement will bring you more in harmony.
So the synchronization of breath is a way to do it but the intention is actually what we're doing.
So don't feel bad or nervous if it somehow doesn't work right away.
And as you're practicing like this,
Feel how the nervous system calms down when two people breathe in harmony.
Maybe you're also noticing your body starts to relax a bit more.
And so in this way,
Let each breath be a reminder.
We are in this life together.
And then as you let go of that practice,
Maybe to kind of cleanse the palate,
Take a long,
Deep,
Full inhalation and a long,
Deep,
Full exhalation at your own pace.
And then we're going to shift towards a practice of gentle eye contact.
So depending on how you're sitting,
Maybe you want to move positions to enable that.
Make any adjustments necessary.
And then when you're ready,
Softly open your eyes and look at your partner.
And I also want you to feel free to break eye contact for a moment for any reason.
You don't have to explain yourself.
Sometimes eye contact can be very vulnerable.
So if for any reason or any moment you somehow need to look away,
I want you to feel free to feel that you have permission to do that.
Let's not make eye contact a have-to,
Okay?
And so including that consent,
Looking in each other's eyes,
Let your gaze be gentle.
Completely free of pressure.
Absolutely free of expectation.
Simply noticing the miracle of this human being in front of you.
Noticing the life in their eyes,
The subtle expressions,
The presence.
And if you feel shy,
Maybe smile into it.
If emotions arise,
Welcome them.
Whatever comes is welcome here.
So just for a few more moments in silence,
Just simply relax,
Breathe and see each other.
And then we're going to gently move on to the next phase or practice.
So you can either gently close your eyes again or just keep a soft gaze to the wall or to the floor in front of you,
Whichever you prefer.
And then bring your attention to the center of your chest,
Your heart space.
At first,
Just simply putting your awareness there.
Noticing any spaciousness,
Sensations or anything else that you might find in your heart space.
Then we're going to do a very simple visualization and you don't have to be good at it,
You can also just kind of get into the feeling of it.
If visualization is not your strong suit,
Doesn't matter at all.
With that in mind,
With each inhale,
Imagine drawing warm golden light into your heart.
And then with each exhale,
Imagine sending that light across to your partner.
Again,
Not making it into a huge effort,
Just very lightly and playfully allow this visualization to almost do itself.
And then can you feel this very gentle current flowing between you,
Back and forth,
In and out,
Your hearts beating and breathing together.
And then,
As an optional additional practice,
You can either keep on doing this visualization and if it feels right,
You can also add some intentions of love,
Silently repeating to yourself words like,
You are safe with me,
Or I cherish you,
Or I see you.
And of course,
Any words that come to you specifically.
So see if some words come and then you can charge your visualization with these intentions for a few more moments.
And just let these words radiate through the golden light that you are sharing.
And then we're going to slowly shift towards the final practice.
So again,
Maybe to cleanse the palate,
Just take a long,
Deep,
Full,
Joyful inhalation and long,
Deep,
Full exhalation.
And then I want to invite you to,
Again,
Take a specific position,
Place one hand over your partner's heart and let them place a hand over yours.
And then take another deep breath together first.
And just for a moment,
Allow your hand to make even deeper contact with that breathing human being in front of you by the sheer sense of touch.
And without cognizing or interpreting,
Just let the experience of feeling this other human being so close,
Just be there.
And then,
In silence,
Bring to mind one thing you deeply appreciate about this person.
And allow that thing to fill your heart,
This gratitude,
As if offering it like a gift.
Really feeling that appreciation in your heart center for a few moments.
And then,
When you are ready,
Take one final deep inhale together and release with a sigh.
And then you can bow gently to your partner with gratitude for this shared moment.
So this practice is always here for you.
Whenever you wish to return to connection,
Presence and love,
You can breathe together,
See each other and remember the simple beauty of being here,
Side by side.
Thank you for sharing this meditation.
