In this meditation,
We will recall a moment of caring connection from some time in our life,
And re-inhabit that moment.
Although we may have forgotten or not paid much attention to such caring moments,
They are crucially important for our development as human beings.
In any such moment of loving connection,
Someone sees us,
Or we see someone,
In their essential dignity,
Worth,
And potential.
To recall such a moment of loving connection repeatedly in a meditation practice helps us sense more of the dignity and potential in ourselves and in others,
And helps us settle into the basic openness of mind and heart from which loving care comes.
To prepare for this meditation,
You will need to bring to mind a moment of caring connection with someone from any time in your life.
A caring moment is a moment you can recall from any part of your life,
A moment of relative unconditionality,
When someone was rooting for you,
Taking joy in you,
Wishing you well.
It could be a moment of loving care,
Or of joking,
Or play,
Or laughter together,
Or a moment when someone was deeply listening to you,
Or really seeing you,
Or just a moment of simple communing together.
If it makes you happy to recall such a moment,
It is suitable to bring to mind for this practice.
Try to remember such a moment now with someone you liked to be near,
With whom you felt happy,
Well,
Safe,
Loved.
It might be a close relative,
Or a friend of your parents that smiled upon you,
Or a teacher,
Or counselor,
Or a mentor,
Or perhaps a caring person somewhere in your community.
A moment with someone somewhere that makes you happy to recall.
It could also be a moment with a beloved pet.
When you have such a moment in mind that you can recall,
Now just sit in a relaxed way,
With back comfortably straight,
With eyes closed,
Or gazing downward,
And we'll begin the meditation.
Now recall a caring moment,
And imagine that person or being is present to you now in that way.
Bring this moment to mind not as a distant memory,
But as though it is happening right now.
Imagine this person or being is communing with you in the goodness of your being,
Your deep worth and potential beyond limiting judgments.
Just happy you exist in this moment,
Taking joy in you,
Wishing you well.
Explore just opening to this,
Accepting this caring perspective and energy,
Letting this caring figure commune with you in the depth of your being,
Just wishing you well.
Relax into this experience of loving connection and energy,
Letting it infuse your whole body and mind.
Accept this loving energy into your whole body,
And receive it into your whole heart and mind,
As much as you can right now.
When the mind wanders,
Let the loving power of this caring moment,
Like a magnet,
Draw the mind back to it.
Just being in that moment now.
Just being in that moment now.
Now let the images of this moment fade,
And let yourself just be merged into oneness with this gentle energy,
Dropping all frameworks of mind,
Letting your heart and mind just fall completely open.
Let any patterns of thought and feeling that arise,
Just relax,
Unclench,
And unwind within this openness of heart and mind.
Now let the images of this moment fade,
And let yourself just be merged into oneness with this gentle energy,
Dropping all frameworks of mind,
Letting your heart and mind just fall completely open.
