A practice of opening to love.
Feeling the points of contact with the ground,
Just letting whatever sensations are there support a sense of connection.
Letting gravity do its work to hold you here.
Aware of the body rising into space towards the sky.
Aware of the body situated between sky and earth.
A field of changing sensations as we breathe.
So we'll begin by just remembering what it is that brought us here.
Perhaps what it is that's brought us to practice more generally.
Just connecting with that energy within us that wants to be well and happy.
And just bringing a sense of appreciation for ourselves or carrying through with that energy.
Taking care of ourselves.
Connecting with any sense of appreciation we might have for our own efforts.
All the ways,
Even very small ways that we meet our own needs,
Wants,
Desires.
Honor the part that's seeking the truth,
Liberation,
Release,
Ease.
And very gently beginning to bring to mind someone who you consider a good friend.
Someone who when you think of them there's a natural smile that comes.
Someone who you can feel safe around.
You might even imagine them here with you.
The invitation here is to just open to their love for you,
Their care for you.
You might imagine breathing it in or absorbing it through all the pores of your skin.
Maybe there's a sense of light between your hearts that's glowing.
Whatever helps you to feel into this sense of mutual appreciation and love.
And also making space for anything else that might be there as well.
And also making space for anything else that might be there as well.
Meeting it with kindness.
What's it like to let yourself be loved?
So just for a few moments here we're going to reconnect with the ground and with space.
With the breath and the heart.
You could even bring the hand to the heart if that helps you to have a sense of connection with how you are just now.
And then in your own time,
In your own way,
Calling to mind a benefactor,
Somebody who you benefitted from.
It could even be in very small ways or perhaps in big ways,
A teacher or mentor,
Family member,
Friend.
Could even be a celebrity or an ancestor.
A person whose actions in this world have affected you,
Benefited you,
Like blessings.
Seeing what it's like to allow yourself to open to those blessings.
To really receive them,
Really let them in.
And if you like to use the imagination,
You might even imagine that they're with you and that there's light streaming from them and being absorbed by you.
A healing,
Growthful,
Supportive light.
Warm,
Nourishing,
Loving light.
How is that?
Allowing yourself to feel supported by this person's qualities,
Their energy in the world,
And the way they've attended to you.
So including our good friend and our benefactor in this field of mutual appreciation and support.
Beginning to extend out even further.
Nourish yourself with that.
And then beyond this,
There's a larger sangha or communities that we're each a part of,
Maybe multiple communities that we've benefited from being a part of,
As well as other beings in our lives.
So opening to all that love and support.
Colleagues,
Friends,
Family,
Neighbors,
And then even further,
All of the beings in the whole of the world.
Many of us,
Many of whom we benefit from on a daily basis.
Farm workers,
Lorry drivers,
Shelf stockers,
All of the people involved in building the structures that you inhabit,
Keep you safe and warm.
And even going across time and space,
All of the people who've come before who we've benefited from their activity in the world.
Our lives completely dependent on the contributions of others.
Letting all that in.
Appreciating the beneficial activity of humanity over thousands of years,
Including the buddhan,
The buddhahood,
The buddhahood of the Buddha,
The buddhahood of the Buddha,
The buddhahood of the Buddha,
Including the Buddha and all of those who've passed the Dharma down through the generations.
The greatest gift of all.
And for the last minute or so here,
Just letting go of any effort you might be making.
You may want to take a few deeper breaths here,
Maybe rest back a bit in the posture.
Placing the hands palm up in the lap if that's comfortable.
You might even open the eyes,
Letting in a bit of light,
A bit of color,
Absorbing the benefits of the practice.
We can never give back as much as we've been given.
