You can begin by allowing your eyes to close.
If it feels more comfortable for you,
You can always leave the eyes open at a soft gaze on the floor in front of you.
As we settle into a meditation period,
It can be helpful just to notice where the energy is at.
You can think of a snow globe.
When somebody shakes it,
The snowflakes are all ruffled up in the air.
And we can watch each snowflake fall slowly to the ground,
Till the last one has fallen.
And just like this,
Gently letting the energy in the body and in the mind settle.
We don't need to force any mental state.
We can move through the body as we often do in body scans.
And today inviting in some meta as we do this.
So just starting with the head,
The crown of the head and the face,
The eyes and nose.
And just offering a simple phrase of meta.
May the head be at ease.
May my eyes be at ease.
May my jaw be at ease.
Just setting this intention to settle in and care for the well-being of our bodies.
Moving into the neck and shoulders.
May my neck be at ease.
May the shoulders be at ease.
Bringing our awareness to these parts of the body.
Releasing any tension in the muscles.
And just connecting with this intention to care for the bodies we're in.
We can continue out into the arms and hands.
May the arms be at ease.
Moving back up into the chest.
Feeling the body breathing here.
We don't have to breathe in any certain way.
Letting the body breathe itself.
May my chest be at ease.
May I breathe with ease.
May my heart be at ease,
My lungs.
Continuing down to the stomach and abdomen.
Noticing if we're clenching those abdominal muscles.
Releasing any tension.
Moving around to the back.
The shoulder blades and spine.
The rib cage and muscles in the back.
May my back be at ease.
Moving down into the hips and pelvis.
Feeling the butt in the chair or cushion.
Down the legs into the ankles.
May my thighs be at ease.
May my knees be at ease.
May my knees be at ease.
May my knees,
My shins and calves,
My ankles.
And finally,
Of course,
Into the feet.
The toes,
The ball of the foot,
The tops of the feet.
May my feet be at ease.
Seeing if you can connect with this intention to care for the well-being of your feet.
And we'll open up into a more traditional meta practice.
Beginning with somebody we might consider a good friend.
And it could be just that,
A good friend.
It may be a significant other.
A parent or child or sibling.
Maybe a teacher or mentor.
Perhaps even a pet.
You don't need to shop for the perfect person or interview tons of people in your head.
Seeing who comes up and working with this person for this period.
And as someone comes to mind,
We can connect with the fact that this is a living,
Breathing,
Feeling being.
Whether it's a person or an animal.
They experience fear.
They experience happiness,
Joy,
Sadness.
They have things they like and dislike.
Just like you,
This is a sentient being.
This person or animal is alive.
And we can really connect with this in meta practice.
Recognizing the humanity or beingness of another being.
So as this person rests in your awareness,
You can connect with your own intention to care for this person's well-being.
With meta practice we're not pulling anything in that's not already within us.
We're simply uncovering this caring and present heart that we all already have.
So tuning into this natural care that you already have for this person.
Maybe you can imagine hugging them or smiling with them or holding them.
And you can offer some phrases of meta connecting with this intention.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be at ease.
We can find some rhythm in our heads with these phrases.
Perhaps offering one with each exhale.
Trying to say them slowly enough that we can connect with each word in the meaning.
Even if we're not having an emotional experience each and every time we say the phrase.
Just cultivating this intention to care.
To wish well for this being.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be at ease.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And you can bring to mind now somebody you might consider difficult.
And maybe not going with the most difficult person in your life right now.
Especially if you're new to meta practice.
But choosing somebody who's kind of an easy difficult person.
Perhaps it's somebody you do care about.
But you find yourself irritated with.
Maybe you feel like they push your buttons or they've caused some harm to you or someone you care about.
And we can recognize that the experience may be a little different.
That natural care of the heart may not be as obvious.
But we can connect again with the fact that this is a living breathing feeling being.
Letting go of the stories of how they behave or whatever they've done to become difficult in your experience.
This is a person.
A being.
Much more like you than unlike you.
And we don't need to fall into all of the stories.
Just returning to this intention to care for the well-being of another person.
So as you offer the phrases.
Trying to do so just with the intention to care.
As much as possible in this moment.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be at ease.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We may notice that the mind wanders with the difficult person.
Maybe we can't connect as deeply with the caring heart.
So you can try bringing your good friend and difficult person together in your mind.
As if they're both standing or sitting right in front of you.
And seeing if you can offer meta to both of them together.
May you both be happy.
May you both be healthy.
May you both be safe.
May you both be at ease.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
For this last minute or so.
Bringing yourself into the mix.
With this good friend and this difficult person.
May we all be happy.
May we all be healthy.
May we all be safe.
And may we all be at ease.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
