This is a practice for partners to do with somebody else,
With the aim of bringing your practice to life a little bit.
And it's going to be a practice of cultivating metta for your partner.
This quality of loving kindness,
Or gentleness,
Or friendliness.
We often do this in Buddhist meditation in our heads,
Offering phrases to another individual.
But it can also be useful to do with somebody right in front of us,
Somebody toward whom we have deeply loving and caring feelings.
So you can sit directly across from your partner on the floor or on the ground.
Elizabeth and I like to sit with our knees touching as we sit on the ground,
So finding the right distance for you that feels safe and comfortable.
And sitting facing someone may feel a little bit awkward.
But taking a moment to let the eyes close,
And just coming into this present time experience you're having.
Maybe some anxiety or nervousness.
Maybe there's some calm and peace.
You can feel your butt in the chair or cushion.
And you can turn toward the chest for a moment,
Just taking a few deep breaths in and out through the nostrils.
Feeling the body breathe,
Tuning into yourself right where you are.
And you can open your eyes and look at your partner,
Trying to retain as much eye contact as possible.
It's natural that we blink or the eyes wander for a moment.
But as you sit here and look at your partner in the eyes,
Just reflecting on the goodness that they already have within them.
Their seed of awakening of wisdom of compassion of kindness.
Reflecting on their own innate wisdom.
Imagining for a moment that this person sitting across from you could truly experience ease and peace in their lives.
Not worrying or regretting.
They could truly experience happiness,
Joy,
Being present for themselves and caring.
Imagining this person,
Unlocking all of the potential that they already have within them.
The potential to see clearly.
To care deeply.
To be strong,
But also tender.
Recognizing it in the physical body.
The health of this person.
Imagining that this person can be healthy and feel at ease in the body.
That they can recognize their own beauty.
And in the mind that this person doesn't have to believe all of their thoughts.
That they can live free from the clinging and grasping.
From the aversion and pushing away of thoughts that we don't like.
To be at ease with the thinking mind.
And the heart.
To feel love.
And to feel loved.
To feel caring and cared for.
Again,
Returning to all this goodness that's already within this person sitting across from you.
Recognizing all the places within them in which these wholesome qualities lie.
And in your head you can simply offer the person some sort of metafrase that rings true to you.
May you be happy.
May you be at ease.
May you feel loved.
Recognizing again the power within this person.
The kindness.
The care.
The wisdom.
The curiosity.
What would it be like if this person truly realized their potential?
And wishing that for them.
May you realize your potential.
So you can thank your partner however you see fit.
A smile or a bow or a hug or a kiss.
And we find it helpful to really pause and take a moment and just see how that felt for each of us.
Letting go of any shoulda,
Woulda,
Couldas.
But just really being honest and vulnerable,
How was that experience for each of you?
Did anything interesting come up?
Maybe an intense feeling of metta or care.
Maybe you came up against some resistance.
Some noticing of unpleasant qualities.
Whatever's there for you,
Sharing.
Making it a practice of vulnerability.
Just seeing how the experience was for each of you.
