Welcome to this practice on coming to the breath with kindness.
So as we usually start,
Let's begin just by taking a seat.
Maybe seated in a chair or cross-legged on a cushion,
Or maybe even kneeling on a bench.
Whatever it is,
Making your choice.
And when you're ready,
Just coming to awareness of the body.
Sitting,
Lying,
Or standing.
And just becoming aware of all the contact points of what is supporting you.
The weight of you going down,
And the height or the length of you extended,
Dignified.
And when you're ready,
Simply coming to the breath.
Noticing how the breath is moving in the body.
And perhaps simply having the intention to just be with this experience.
However it unfolds,
Moment by moment.
With no expectations.
Just simply being with whatever arises.
Noticing how the breath is moving in the body.
Perhaps coming up close to the very beginnings of this next in breath.
How does it feel simply to breathe in?
And if at any point your mind wanders,
Remembering that it's not a problem,
It's just what minds do.
All minds wander from time to time.
So all we need to do is notice and gently come back.
Gently come back.
No need to chastise the mind.
No need to give the mind a hard time.
Or no need to even give yourself a hard time if this happens.
Just over and over coming back.
And if you'd like to,
Adding another step into the practice.
Just playing with the possibility that as you breathe in,
Kindness is flowing from the breath.
A little bit like a cool breeze on a hot day.
Or like a little lovely fragrance that just reaches your nose.
Kindness coming in on the breath.
Coming into the body.
Perhaps even filling the body.
Coming to any place in the body that would benefit from some kindness.
Or even just some friendliness.
Some gentleness.
And not to worry if you're not feeling much gentleness or kindness at the moment.
But just playing with this possibility that just with the intention of coming to the breath with kindness,
It might be so.
There might be some kindness that you can offer yourself.
Over this body.
And then also extending to the mind as well.
So as you breathe in,
Playing with the possibility of kindness flowing in on the breath.
Into the body-mind.
Into any places that are hurt or sore or perhaps injured.
Just breathing with this possibility.
As you breathe in.
So this friendliness,
This good wishes perhaps coming in on the breath.
And as you breathe out,
You can imagine that they just extend out into the extremities of the body.
The extremities of the mind.
And without rushing this last step,
If you'd like to,
Just breathing with the possibility of good wishes or kindness using whatever phrases or words feel okay to you.
And you can breathe them out into your family.
Perhaps your spouse or partner.
Current or past.
Perhaps past.
Perhaps into one of your children.
Perhaps into a situation that you're finding difficult right now.
And remembering that we're quite quick at moving to others.
Sometimes it's best to just stay with their own experience and perhaps develop some skillful practice or a possibility of kindness and good wishes towards ourselves.
So breathing with kindness.
Breathing with good wishes to yourself,
To your whole body-mind system.
And remembering it's just about intention.
It's not about having some particularly kindly experience.
It's just playing with that possibility,
That kindness flowing in on the breath,
Into the body and into the mind.
Good-bye.
