Come to sitting upright on a chair or sofa.
Coming to presence through your posture.
Feeling your feet on the floor and your body on the chair or sofa.
Feeling grounded sitting here.
Now bring your attention to your breath.
You sense your breath.
What are the sensations related to your in-breath?
What are the sensations related to your out-breath?
So rather than thinking about the breath,
Sensing the breath,
Directly experiencing it,
One breath at a time.
Now bring to mind a friend of yours.
That might be a very old friend or a new friend.
That might be your best friend or a general friend.
Now imagine this friend sitting opposite here with you right now.
Imagine that he or she just like you is sitting here upright looking into your eyes.
And as you're sitting here with your friend,
Bring to mind the quality of him or her that you don't like so much.
Maybe he or she sometimes is late.
Or maybe this friend makes you a bit nervous sometimes by talking too much.
So bring to mind this annoying quality of your friend.
And as you bring this quality to mind,
Can you notice if this quality brings up a certain emotion for you?
Anger or sadness,
Maybe anxiety or shame or guilt.
If so,
Can you identify what that is?
And where in your body you experience this emotion?
This emotion had a color.
What color would it be?
If it had a texture,
What texture would it be?
And now still sitting here with this friend,
Gently let go of this quality you don't like about this friend.
Then bring to mind all the qualities you actually do like about him or her.
Maybe this friend knows how to make you laugh.
Or maybe this friend is always there for you when you're going through a hard time.
Whatever it is,
Bring to mind all the qualities of this friend that you like,
Still looking into his or her eyes.
How are you feeling now?
Is maybe your mouth taking on the form of a gentle smile?
Maybe you feel a warm,
Fuzzy feeling in your chest.
Do you maybe even feel the urge to give your friend the big hug?
How do you feel inside?
And now keeping all the things you like about this friend in mind,
Bring back to mind this one thing you don't like about him or her.
But this time hold this attribute in a bigger space by also being aware and appreciating all the things you love about him or her.
And also acknowledging that just like you,
No one's perfect.
And no one has to be perfect.
We're all wonderfully imperfect humans.
Now,
If you like,
You may give your friends an imaginary hug,
Thanking him or her for your friendship.
Being grateful that you have this friend.
Feeling gratitude.
Now,
Letting go of imagining this friend.
Bring your attention back to your breath.
How's your breath now?
How's your in breath and how's your out breath?
Then when you're ready,
Coming back and opening your eyes.
