Welcome to Mind with Hearts Just Like Me exercise.
I'd like to invite you to sit comfortably with the back straight and the body at ease as best we can,
With a sense of groundedness and stability in the seat and a sense of upliftedness in the spine,
A balance between relaxation and alertness,
Aware of the space all around us and the earth beneath us.
Our eyes can be gently closed or looking softly downwards and if it feels right to us we could take a moment here to set an intention.
Whatever it is we most deeply wish for ourselves and for others.
And then noticing how the body is,
How we feel in this moment.
And seeing if we can invite a sense of ease and of relaxation into the body.
Maybe a softening in the eyes,
The jaw and the face.
Maybe a releasing of the shoulders,
Softening of the belly and an easing of the heart.
And it might support us here to take three deep breaths,
Nourishing our body with each full in breath and releasing and letting go with each long out breath.
And then letting the breath find its own natural rhythm.
And we bring a light and a gentle awareness to the sensations of breathing.
Can we feel the breath as it moves in and out of the body?
Maybe the belly and chest rise and fall as we first breathe in and then breathe out.
And if at any time the practice becomes too challenging,
Or if we simply need to take a break,
We can come back to noticing the sensations of breathing in and of breathing out.
A simple rhythmic flow like the waves in the ocean.
And if we find it helpful,
We could also place our hands on our body,
Maybe on our chest,
On our belly or holding our arms and offer ourselves a comforting touch whenever we need it.
Now letting the breath fade into the background of our awareness and bringing to mind a mild,
Moderately challenging person,
Someone that's not too difficult or overwhelming.
It could be someone with whom we've had a little friction,
Whose opinions or actions we disagree with.
Maybe a family member,
A colleague,
A friend or even an online contact.
So taking a few moments here to consider who this might be,
Several options may come to mind and we take some time to settle on just one.
And once our attention has settled on this person,
We picture them in our mind's eye,
Imagining them right here in front of us and really feeling their presence,
Noticing how it is for us to be with them.
And instead of viewing this person in our usual fixed and perhaps rigid way,
We explore seeing them in a new light with curiosity and a fresh mind,
Seeing them as just like me.
Just like me,
They have a body.
They are a living,
Breathing,
Human being.
Just like me,
This person has a voice and something to say.
And like me,
They have a mind with thoughts and emotions that come and go.
Just like me,
This person's body sometimes feels healthy and well and other times feel sick and sore.
Just like me,
They have feelings.
Sometimes they feel sad,
Worried,
Scared,
Disappointed.
Sometimes angry or jealous or proud and other times happy and peaceful.
And just like me,
This person has loved and been loved,
Been supported by others and has also been hurt,
Let down and known pain and loss.
Just like me,
They sometimes make mistakes and regret them.
Like me,
They are learning and growing.
Just like me,
This person feels lonely at times and like me,
They want to belong,
To be loved and have friends.
Just like me,
They are worthy of respect.
They long to be accepted and valued for who they are,
Not judged,
Excluded or discriminated against.
Just like me,
This person wants to feel safe and cared for.
And like me,
They love to laugh and have fun.
Just like me,
This person cares about other people and animals.
They want to be kind-hearted and to contribute to the world.
And now taking some time to think about what else you have in common with this person and if you like you could silently create your own just like me phrases.
And now thanking this person we brought to mind in whatever way feels right to us.
And considering how everyone we know and those we don't know,
People and animals all over the world are all just like me.
They wish to be happy and well and they long to be free from suffering.
And pain.
And now letting go of the phrases and the images.
And coming back to this simple awareness of the sensations of breathing in the body,
This gentle rhythmic flow.
For a few breaths here we're simply aware of when we're breathing in and of when we're breathing out.
And then releasing the focus on the breath and resting the body and mind without any particular focus,
Still with a sense of presence and awareness.
Simply being.
Letting thoughts and emotions come and go like clouds across the sky without getting carried away by them,
Without blocking them.
Just aware.
