Hi,
This is Dhirumanas,
Recording at the London Buddhist Centre,
And today's meditation practice is focusing on cultivating self-love.
So it's very possible to think of self-love in either quite sentimental or quite sort of overly grandiose terms.
But put simply,
It's just about cultivating a relationship to your experience,
Particularly your experience of yourself,
As broadly positive and contented enough that you're able to cultivate love towards others and to act more confidently and beneficially in the world.
So we'll do that by,
I'll guide you through an awareness of the Veda-Nara around your heart and we'll drop in some phrases and we'll see what effect they have.
So taking a moment to get yourself set up as normal for meditation.
So starting by developing some awareness of the body.
Letting your weight on the seat and on the floor.
Letting your weight just settle down with gravity.
All the sensations of contact,
Of pressure,
Warmth,
Where you meet the seat and the floor are moviey.
Merci beaucoup.
Noticing if you're holding any tension in your face.
Not needing to wear any expression right now.
Bringing your awareness into your throat.
Sensations in your throat,
Your neck and your shoulders.
Seeing if you can feel your way into any of the way that you're holding your shoulders up.
Feeling any tightness in your shoulders and your back.
And allowing that awareness to soften the shoulders.
And bringing your awareness into your belly.
What does that feel like in your belly?
Seeing if as you breathe out you can just let go in your belly a little bit more.
Settling onto your seat.
Settling onto your seat.
Allowing the muscles of your thighs and buttocks just to soften.
And now expanding your awareness to fill the whole of your body.
All the sensation in your body.
From your feet.
All the way through to your hands and the top of your head.
Sitting in a broad awareness of your body.
What's that like?
Now tuning in to the sensations around your heart right in the centre of your chest.
Not expecting anything in particular.
Just curious,
Drawing your attention into the area of the heart and seeing what you find there.
Not trying to change anything.
Just noticing the quality of the Veda NΔ.
Is the feeling tone pleasant?
Pleasurable?
Or is it unpleasant,
Maybe tight or sore?
Or maybe more neutral,
Maybe you don't feel very much at all.
That's very normal,
That's just a neutral Veda NΔ.
And you may notice a range of Veda NΔ,
You may notice change or movement.
Just becoming interested.
That's just a neutral Veda NΔ.
And if your mind goes off,
Just notice that that's happened.
And what that feels like in this area around the heart.
And as you hold your awareness at the heart,
Just noticing as feelings arise,
Maybe images come into your mind,
Maybe words.
Not looking for them,
But just being aware of what arises as you hold your awareness at your heart.
That's just a neutral Veda NΔ.
And continuing this attitude of open,
Interested awareness of this area.
We'll just drop in a few sentences and see what effect they have.
Firstly,
May I be well.
Saying to yourself,
May I be well.
And saying if you can mean it.
Just dropping the sentence in and then waiting.
Watching for a response.
May I be happy.
Taking an interest and getting close up to whatever the response is.
Even if it doesn't feel like anything at all.
Or even if it's fearful or painful.
Just becoming interested in that response.
When you say to yourself,
May I be happy.
And saying to yourself,
May I be well.
And saying if you can mean it.
Sometimes you may not feel like you do mean the words.
But even if that's the case,
Treat it as an experiment.
Pretend that you do.
See what that feels like.
And saying,
May I be happy.
Dropping in the phrase like a pebble down a deep well.
Just watching for the response as it lands.
And saying,
May I be free from suffering.
And lastly,
May I make progress.
And saying,
May I be happy.
Continuing to sit here and watch the response in your heart.
As you drop in the phrases,
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be free from suffering.
May I make progress.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
And relaxing any effort that you're making.
Dropping the phrases.
And just sitting in a broad awareness.
For a bit longer.
Feeling the effects of the meditation.
And relaxing any effort that you're making.
And relaxing any effort that you're making.
And relaxing any effort that you're making.
And relaxing any effort that you're making.
And relaxing any effort that you're making.
