So again take a good posture that is comfortable,
Relaxed,
At the same time alert and awake.
There is a classical image in the Buddhist teaching here,
Sitting like a mountain.
So imagine you are sitting like a mountain,
Stable,
With a lot of grace,
Grounded,
Centered.
Have you ever been to court where the mind inches the reintroduction of life from any American relationship?
During this practice of self Tonglen,
Tonglen for ourselves,
We again begin with a few moments of quietly sitting.
And to settle into a calm space.
With a greater awareness that is open,
Clear and kind.
And we can use this beautiful,
Obvast view to inspire this inner space within ourselves.
And again we can imagine and consider as if you are breathing right from the heart,
Right at the heart.
And settling into a natural rhythm of the breath.
And again you can close your eyes if you wish.
And we are extending now healing to all the parts of ourselves that need healing attention.
So turn your mind within and become aware and sense any part of you,
Of your being that needs healing,
That needs compassion right now.
Anything that has an expression in your body perhaps,
In your mind.
Just give that space,
Allow that space.
Perhaps there is a disquiet or restlessness,
A sense of sadness as you grow silent or quiet.
Or irritation,
Impatience.
Or something that comes up that is unresolved.
So just practice whatever is present here in this moment.
And also in your body any tightness,
Tension.
Perhaps in your throat area,
Belly,
Abdomen.
And imagine that part that is holding and experiences this form of suffering.
And consider touching it with the kindness of your breath.
While resting and feeling connected with a part of your being that is whole,
Open and kind.
And you can imagine this aspect of yourself that is having a hard time,
That is struggling,
Sitting in front of you right now.
And now imagine embracing yourself,
This aspect of you that feels troubled or experiences that difficulty.
Embracing yourself like a true friend would.
And the aspect of yourself that is whole,
That feels okay,
That feels spacious,
Is gazing at with great kindness and understanding.
Because you know it so well.
It is free of judgment and really this whole-hearted wish to find ease and freedom from suffering,
From that particular pain.
So allowing your compassionate heart to go out,
To open up to the suffering.
And you can imagine sending yourself,
Sending to the part that is hurting,
Whatever is needed.
Consider with each in-breath touching and connecting with that difficulty,
Whatever is difficult.
And imagine with love,
With this great sense of tenderness from your compassionate heart,
Breathing in whatever weighs heavily.
Whatever the suffering aspect of yourself is experiencing.
So breathing out with love,
With warmth.
You can imagine breathing out reassurance to yourself,
To the part that is suffering,
That is struggling.
And breathing in,
Connecting with the aspect that is the suffering,
Breathing in the suffering,
Breathing in the tightness or tension,
The stress or difficulty.
So we are fully embracing with each of our in-breath the part that might feel misunderstood,
Frustrated,
That has been hurt as a child or in relationships.
And we imagine the part of ourselves that is doing the practice,
The part of us that is whole,
Open and loving is holding that part.
Really feels and understands it.
And embraces it all with each in-breath.
You can even imagine saying,
I understand,
I am here.
So while doing it we can acknowledge any part of ourselves that is grieving or feels bitter or angry,
That has doubts,
That feels vulnerable.
So with the in-breath contact right there,
Right here.
We can imagine breathing it into our open compassionate heart.
That is open heart space at the center of our being.
It is a kind of courageous willingness to stay with what is difficult,
To be present.
To embrace it like a true friend would without any judgment,
Without any snarky comments,
Without any stories attached to it.
Just fully embracing it.
So with each out-breath offering love,
Understanding,
Clarity,
Joy,
Whatever is needed.
So now work with this exchange,
Embracing your own experience of suffering,
Breathing it in with compassion and breathing out with great love and understanding.
Whatever you need most,
The aspect of yourself that holds the suffering.
And imagine as you continue doing it,
It melts away this experience of suffering.
So breathing in with compassion and breathing out with love.
And whenever you notice you got side tracked,
Got distracted or there is a gnarling sense,
Is this really working or you are coming up against resistance,
You can work with that.
So consider breathing in the distraction,
Breathing out acceptance,
Breathing in the resistance or perhaps the fear.
Again breathing out ease,
Spaciousness,
Acceptance.
And as you continue to flow with the in-breath and out-breath doing the exchange,
Consider and trust that the part of yourself that is hurting,
That is struggling,
That is really having a hard time,
That is fully receiving what you send it.
And even imagine it is breathing it in and becoming more and more happy,
Radiant,
Content,
Peaceful.
And as you do it your own good heart becomes more spacious,
More open,
More expansive.
And your own luminous,
Radiant good heart is shining out more and more powerfully.
And with self-tonglade we may on a visceral,
Physical level sense tenderness or love.
And this feeling of tenderness is a bond to the suffering others may be feeling right now.
Our experience of suffering is not separate.
So we can consider that as we are working and embracing like a true friend would our own experience,
Helping others,
Working with other experience heal their suffering,
Connecting and transforming their suffering.
So breathing in with compassion and breathing out with love.
Embracing fully what's there and we can imagine that the part of us that is holding the experience is really now fully happy,
Contented,
Joyful and at peace.
And we can consider there is actually no difference between the part of ourselves that is doing or has done the practice and the part of ourselves that is sitting in front of us.
So we can dissolve the visualization,
Let go of it,
Any images.
But fully for a few more moments rest in this open tender heartedness or warm heartedness.
And in case this open and warm heartedness feels like a stretch that's ok.
We can consider the possibility to rest in this open heartedness and this deep friendship with our own experiences.
The self compassion,
The self kindness to hold ourselves,
All aspects of ourselves with great compassion and kindness.
Now open your eyes if you had them closed and rest in the space of this healing,
Kindness of compassion.
Allow your awareness to mingle in that space.
And again when you hear the meditation bell take that experience into the lunch break,
Enjoying your food,
Enjoying your meal somebody else has prepared.
So allow this experience to mingle with the next moment and the next.
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