Here is a heart-based practice that you can use anytime your heart needs a little extra care.
When there's a contraction or an expansion,
This is a way where we can really find presence,
Welcoming whatever's here in a kind and compassionate way.
This is traditionally a Buddhist Theravada practice called Metta.
Many people call it loving-kindness.
So go ahead and get settled in.
Allow your body to rest and to support in any posture that it feels like your breath can be open and your body can be more at ease.
I like to do this practice laying down with a hand on my heart and hand on my belly.
In fact,
I often do this practice in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.
It's just natural these days.
Instead of the mind running away with all the things that it could be doing,
I ask my mind to stay here with the heart in a more gentle way.
We can take a few breaths here.
I can even imagine that you could breathe in and out through your heart center,
Allowing a natural,
Easy breath.
Just resting your presence and awareness in the center of your heart.
You might also feel the rise and fall of your belly and become aware of all the places where the support beneath you are coming up to meet your body as each exhalation allows you to soften and melt into that support.
Then you can bring to mind somebody that makes you smile.
It could be a pet,
A place in nature,
A tree,
A river,
A mentor or a friend.
Not somebody you have too complex of a relationship with where it's just easy to smile.
You can get a sense of them as you continue to breathe in and out through your heart center.
And then you can wish them well using these phrases.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be at ease and free from suffering.
May you be safe.
And you can even imagine them as these things experiencing health,
Happiness,
Safety and ease.
Continuing to repeat these phrases,
Wishing them well while you hold them in your heart.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be safe.
May you be at ease.
Becoming aware of what happens inside you as you're wishing them well.
Welcoming everything,
Whether you feel pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neither.
It's all welcome.
And then you can bring yourself to mind,
Allowing that person to go into the background.
You can picture yourself as an adult in this present moment or as a younger version of yourself.
And if it feels particularly challenging to wish yourself well in this moment today,
Some people find it a little easier to shift and say,
May this body or may this being.
Directing that energy towards themselves,
But in a little bit of a more distanced way.
There's no way to do this right or wrong.
You can get creative.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be safe and free from harm.
May I be at ease and free from suffering.
Just as we wish others well,
We wish ourselves well.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be safe.
May I be at ease.
Whatever comes up comes up and there's space for it all.
And whatever arises,
Know that it makes sense.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be safe.
May I have ease and peace.
Really picturing yourself as each of these things.
And if possible,
Allowing yourself even here and now in this present moment to experience each of these things,
Even if it's just 5%.
And then we can allow this to go into the background as we call to mind and heart a challenging person.
Maybe not the most challenging.
We can work our way up to that over time.
Maybe bringing to mind someone that just brings a little annoyance or irritation or a hard moment.
And as you breathe in and out through your heart center,
Getting a good sense of them.
Either as an adult or as a younger version of themselves.
Whichever feels easiest today.
And then we can wish them well,
Just as we wish for our own happiness and ease.
We can extend that to them as well.
Because when we are contracted or not wishing them well,
We're actually stressing our own bodies,
Hearts,
And minds.
So as we can offer kindness,
We free ourselves.
It's important to remember if you are practicing with particularly challenging folks,
We don't have to let people back into our lives or our homes.
But through this practice,
We allow our hearts to be free.
So we can wish them well.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be safe and free from harm.
May you be at ease and free from suffering.
Continuing to breathe in and out through your heart center.
Continuing to wish them well by repeating these phrases again and again.
And now we can allow them to go into the background as we turn our hearts towards all beings.
We can imagine folks close and far in our homes or neighborhoods and cities,
In a state or province that we live in or beyond to the country or continent.
Across the landscapes,
The trees,
The mountains,
Rivers,
And seas.
Around the whole world.
And beyond the stars,
The sun,
The moon,
As far as our hearts can reach.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy and strong.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings have ease and peace.
And know that you are included in this wish for all beings.
You are an important being as well.
I know that there are many others in this practice,
In this very moment,
Across this world wishing you well.
May you,
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy and strong.
May all beings be safe.
And may all beings be at ease.
