Good morning,
Good morning and welcome to this sleepy practice this morning.
Sometimes we meet usually I'm really one of life's sleepers so Usually I come to the practice so well rested but last night wasn't like that and And so that's going to be here.
As we practice them I think that's really beautiful.
Permission.
To be here.
In the true.
The truth of what this moment brings.
There can be a heavy weight of expectation that we accidentally place upon ourselves.
And that can in itself be something that.
.
.
We bring to our practice.
Because if not here,
Then when?
When are you allowed?
To be your honest self.
When are you allowed to bring your sorrow?
Your fatigue.
Your worries.
Without feeling the need to dismiss or push away or presenter.
A more acceptable face.
If not here,
Then where?
So offering full permission to myself and to yourself.
All of you is welcome.
As we drop into some stillness together.
Noticing ground.
Allowing yourself to be held.
By earth,
By floor,
By seat.
Turning towards the sun.
Texture of sensation in your body.
Noticing what it is that you notice.
And there are times when that's not so easy.
Just noticing if My words of invitation bring an expectation for you.
And if they do.
.
.
Smile at that.
Not everybody's body.
Is used to being noticed from the inside.
It might be that just noticing breath.
Is enough for today.
Noticing the in-breath.
And noticing the out breath.
Perhaps they move through the nose.
Even that's not always available.
Sometimes we just have to breathe through the mouth.
So even the breath can bring a layer of expectation.
Smiling at that.
The ways that we meet these parts.
Feelings and expectations and experiences.
We can be quite the taskmaster.
Learning how to meet yourself with kindness.
Be the greatest expectation of all it might feel.
A million miles.
From the truth.
Of your experience.
But maybe there is at the end.
Unless you drop into your heart.
There's usually a kinder response to be found.
Wonder if you've noticed how the way you meet another who is perhaps sad or tired or upset.
Not meeting an expectation.
When you meet them.
Often it's easier.
To feel kindness.
Here's something.
About saving the hardest taskmaster for ourselves.
Being a little bit more understanding.
And kind and compassionate towards others.
Particularly if it's someone that we love.
It can be easier.
To access kindness towards someone we love.
Than it can be.
To hold ourselves.
If you're looking for a glimmer.
Of how it feels.
To meet with kindness what's here.
Can be helpful.
Imagine this scenario.
Of someone you love.
Coming to you in.
Their sadness,
Their sorrow.
A weary brow.
Their worries.
The tales of when they got it wrong.
And they wish they'd done better.
And just notice if that ignites.
So,
Kindness for you.
If it does.
Would that be reasonable?
To turn inward toward yourself too.
If you're able to find the spark.
This kindness.
It's so much easier to find.
Toward another.
Understanding and forgiving.
Place.
Where you can see they're only human.
And they're doing their best.
It's not always easy.
And in the big picture.
So much of them.
Is so good.
At this tiny,
Tiny blip.
That they perceive they got it wrong or correct.
But that just melts.
Into the goodness.
If you find that charge in your heart.
Let's stay with it.
And recognize it.
Where does it sit?
And can you allow it to stay here?
This spark of understanding and kindness.
Seeing the best in.
Can you allow it to be here?
Even if that's just towards this other person.
If turning it inward is too much,
Then stay.
With working towards the feeling with another.
And say yes to it.
You belong.
As you welcome and invite it to stay.
Does that change it?
Does it expand?
Does it deepen?
Is it shy?
This felt sense of kindness.
Forgiveness.
Understanding.
Does it have a color or a texture?
If we stay curious with it.
Can it stay here with you?
Maybe you can ask.
This feeling.
Is spark.
What does it want?
A different question.
What does it need?
And if you hear what it is that this feeling needs.
What would happen if you gave it that?
What would happen if it received what it needed?
Maybe it's safety.
Maybe it's just needing to be seen.
Be allowed to be here.
Maybe it's appreciation or love.
What does this feeling of kindness need?
You can imagine sitting with a beautiful bowl of ambrosia.
Nectar.
With a little spoon.
Gently feeding the ambrosia of exactly what the feeling needs.
Bringing the spoon.
And feeding.
The feeling.
Feeding the kindness.
The understanding.
That forgiveness.
Feeding the Ability to see the good.
And as you feed this nectar.
To the feeling then,
I wonder.
It changes.
What happens.
If it expands or glows or radiates.
If it fortifies.
Strengthens.
Can you allow it to fill your every cell?
So that every millimeter.
Of your body.
His base.
In the feeling of kindness.
Of understanding.
Of forgiveness.
And of seeing the good.
Seeing the good as well as seeing the truth.
Not as a way of bypassing the reality.
The tiredness.
The worry.
But seeing how it's held in basic goodness.
No,
No.
And if you haven't already,
Then just laying the ball down.
Letting the practice close.
And just being with the feeling state.
Of what's here now.
Finding ground and perhaps bringing your hand to your heart that feels like it's something you want to do We offer the fruits of our practice to ourselves.
To each other.
Sharing our practice today.
And to all beings.
Namaste.
