An Undefended Heart

We begin by learning to forgive ourselves for anything we may regret. Treat this lesson as an internal act of generosity, kindness and compassion. This is a beautiful way to approach ourselves, and sets the foundation for our approach to others.

In this lesson, we will forgive ourself for all that we have done to others, to begin to put down the burden of guilt. This is a critical practice, because lack of forgiveness for ourself frequently blocks our ability to forgive others.

In today's heart-centered practice we will learn to forgive others, not to condone or forget injustice and suffering, but rather to release resentment. It's helpful to understand that this is about improving our own internal experience.

Today's lesson is an important step towards cultivating a stronger sense of self-worth. In our practice we will turn the attitude of friendliness, which looks on a person as worthy and valuable, around toward ourself.

In today's practice we wish health and happiness to those who have been kind to us. This helps us to feel the fullness of the loving-kindness experience, so that we can apply the feeling to folks for whom it may be harder to access.

Today's lesson involves generating an attitude of caring toward those who have neither harmed nor helped us. When we don't have strong feelings toward someone it's all too easy to discount their experience, and so this is a potent opportunity for our own well-being.

You may find today's lesson challenging or unfamiliar. In today's heart-centered practice we will cultivate tenderness toward people of difficulty. While this may not be intuitive, it is a profound opportunity for wholeness and healing.

In today's lesson we will practice wish well-being to those who are experiencing the challenges of illness, old age and dying. It can be challenging to hold the difficulty of others, but it is an important source of deep compassion, and highly worth discovering.

Today's lesson is a blissful practice of gratitude, compassion and kindness. We will radiate loving-kindness to all beings everywhere. Allow this practice to unfold for you over time, as a rich source of well-being.

Today's lesson should leave you feeling lighter and equipped with the skills to approach challenging situations with composure. Together, we will imagine being in situations that would normally arouse anger, defensiveness, or resentment, and instead, remain serene, calm and peaceful.

Today, we will imagine being in situations that would normally arouse craving or attachment, and imagine remaining independent, undisturbed in your own peace. Practicing with craving is a source of deep freedom.

In today's daily heart centred practice we will focus on our loved ones and feel how our heart naturally opens to wish them well, to extend comfort, to share in their pain, and all the while, meet each of these scenarios with compassion.

Today, practice slowly opening to, and holding gently in your awareness, your own troubles and sorrows. Training to approach our own difficulty is both deeply nourishing and the foundation for compassion to others.

In today's practice we will bear witness to the suffering of those you don’t know well enough to feel strongly for or against. This source of tenderness and openness is often overlooked, and deeply valuable.

Learn to hold in your heart the struggles of someone you find challenging. While possibly counterintuitive, this practice can lead to transformative opening for ourselves and the potential for skillful action in life.

Today's lesson requires strength as we open ourselves up to meeting the pain of the world with a compassionate heart. This is a capacity we develop over time, by reaching underneath the sadness to the possibility of profound connection.

Today's practice involves training to fully open to and accept the kindness of others. While this may sound easy, often we hold back partially or fully from the true experience, so this is a profound source of happiness.

In this lesson you will take a trip down memory lane as you scan through your life appreciating the kindness that has been offered. Prepare to be moved and deeply touched by your own experiences of abundance.

Today, you will scan through your life to reflect on those who led you to live a more meaningful life, to inspire to higher ideals. This is a profoundly insightful practice and can help you to consolidate your purpose at present.

Today, you are encouraged to scan through your life appreciating the goodness you have brought to the world. Even the smallest acts of kindness can remind us of our own inherent generous heart, and remembering fosters self-respect.

We are innately social beings. In today's lesson share in your loved ones' experience of skill and success. This is a simple and direct path to happiness, and models the possibility of having this feeling more broadly.

Today, engage with the joy of someone you don’t know well enough to feel strongly for or against. This is an overlooked and untapped source of delight for most of us, and its discovery is a priceless benefit.

Empathetically experience the success and enjoyment of those you find challenging. This practice is the antidote to jealousy and may surprise you in its impact. Give this one time, it's worth engaging with the unfolding.

Access and delight in the good fortune of all beings! This is the key to living from the heart. It's so easy to focus on the negative in the world, but there are beautiful things happening for beings all of the time.

Acknowledge and connect to the experience of someone you might usually overlook. This practice may encourage you to be more mindful of your surroundings, and to discover opportunities for wider resourcing.

In today's heart-centered practice, humanize the experience of someone you expect to fulfill your happiness. It's infinitely valuable to realize that we may have unwittingly been objectifying our favorite people, and that we can correct this attitude.

In today's heart-centered practice, acknowledge and connect to those you judge or disapprove of. This is a deep source of alienation internally, and tends to drive negative behaviors in the world, and so is an opportunity for nourishment.

In this lesson we will take the time to stop and truly see ourselves. We release objectification of ourselves to experience kindness and compassion. This is the ultimate act of self-generosity and self-respect.

Today's practice teaches us an important lesson; how to maintain equanimity when we are unable to alleviate the suffering of others. If we give others space to have their own experience, we can offer effective support.

In our final session you will practice cultivating a spacious calm that allows you to be fully present to the changing world. Since everything is changing all of the time, this attitude is crucial to experiencing peace.