Hello and welcome to this meditation on friendship and shared connections.
This guided meditation will begin with a brief overview of this practice,
Followed by instructions.
A bell will then signal the start of this meditation and followed by a bell at the end of this meditation to mark the completion of this practice.
So the overview of this practice is that positive connections that we have with other people as human beings has a really profound effect on our well-being,
Happiness,
Life satisfaction,
And there's also a clear correlation between having a large support network and increased dopamine activity in our brain's reward network center.
But apart from the practical benefits,
There are also a lot of spiritual benefits as well.
In Buddhism,
For example,
There is a story of Ananda,
Who was the Buddha's cousin,
Who suggested to the Buddha that good friendship was half of the holy life.
And the Buddha corrected him and stated,
No Ananda,
Don't say that.
Friendship is not half of the path,
It is a whole way.
And he also emphasized the importance of Kalyana Mitra,
Which is spiritual friendship.
So clearly there are a lot of benefits of friendship on our spiritual path and reminiscing of our shared connections with other people.
Now for this practice,
What I'd like you to do is to close your eyes.
And rather have your attention up in the head,
For example,
Direct your attention or mind's eye to the heart center located in the middle of your chest.
And in this practice,
I will go over a few prompts.
And I want you to allow the feeling that comes with the prompt to sink in.
So we'll have you visualize certain scenarios.
And it's not important to visualize with 100% accuracy.
But instead,
I want you to get in touch with the feeling associated with a certain memory.
And that's actually more important.
So the general signpost is you want to be generating feelings of warmth,
Of goodwill,
And a feeling of softness in the heart area.
Now there are some aids you can use to help your practice to get associated with this feeling of warmth.
One thing you can do throughout this practice is to put a soft smile on your face,
Especially after reminiscing of a fond moment.
You can also mentally say thank you after thinking of a particular memory close to your heart.
This will help support the feeling within you.
With your attention,
Rest it in the heart area.
Bring forth a memory of a recent shared experience with a friend.
This could be something very small,
Like sharing tea with a friend or walk in the park.
Just bring that small moment to your heart.
Think about what you feel grateful for in that moment.
Was it connection?
Was it presence?
Or just the ability to be yourself with another being,
Without any expectations,
And just enjoying the moment.
And from your heart center,
Begin to thank your friend for that experience,
That small moment that both of you share together.
You can further strengthen this feeling by mentally saying thank you in your mind.
And you can put a soft smile on your face as you do this.
Really melting in with this moment.
With your attention still rested in the heart area,
Now bring forth a memory of the time that you spent laughing with a friend.
Humor and laughter uplift the spirit.
They provide a respite from the stresses that life inherently has.
So really just take time and enjoy the funny moments of life.
Times you spent smiling and laughing uncontrollably sometimes.
And reminisce of that.
I'd recommend putting a smile on your face as you continue to reminisce of this moment of laughter with a friend.
With your attention still rested in the heart area,
Now begin to think of a mentor or a friend that has supported you through the difficult moments in your life.
Whether they are still present in your life,
Or no longer present,
Thank them for helping you on this journey of life.
What a gift it is to be reminded of the goodness in humanity.
There are few experiences of these can really help us to learn to trust and open up with the world.
Seeing an image of them in your heart center,
Begin to send them thanks.
You can mentally note this by saying thank you,
And having it radiate to them.
With your attention rested in the heart center,
Now think of all the times you've helped others.
This may be challenging for some,
Because it is easy to think of the good deeds of others,
And not oneself,
But you too make an impact in the world.
How have you helped others and supported them in their lives?
It could even be something small like a long talk with someone,
Or simply offering your presence without any judgment.
These very small actions,
And even actions of non-doing,
However small,
Can help others without even you realizing it.
As you see the person that you've helped really feel supported,
Begin to also see the ripple effect that this help has caused.
By helping this person,
They are now more inclined to help others,
Or at the very least their presence alone can influence others positively,
As they feel more at peace.
See them in your heart center,
Supporting those that are close to them,
Their family members,
Their friends,
And their community at large.
And really wish happiness for everyone involved.
Now take a moment to reflect on the uplifting connections that we have with others in this world,
And how that can create a positive ripple effect.
In the same way that positive experiences shared by you and friends and mentors have uplifted and changed your life,
Begin to wish that for all beings in the world.
And visualize in your heart center,
Beings everywhere,
Sharing close experiences with others,
Feeling uplifted,
Sharing laughs,
And being happy,
And also feeling supported and safe without any judgment from others.
Now take a moment and take both of your hands and rest them at your heart center.
And simply just observe how you feel in this present moment,
Compared to the beginning of this practice.
By practicing today,
You are positively affecting others by your presence alone.
And by reminiscing and sending goodwill to all beings,
You also uplift yourself in the process.
This really speaks to how connected we are to those all around us.
And in this journey of life,
We are all in this together.
So take a moment and now thank yourself for practicing today.
