Take a nice comfortable seat,
Either on a cushion or a chair.
Just make sure your back is straight,
Your shoulders are even,
And you can close your eyes or open them slightly,
But don't look around if you open your eyes.
Feel relaxed,
Feel at ease,
And just become aware of your breathing.
Use your breath to completely relax your body.
With every in-breath,
Feel that you are taking in relaxation.
With every out-breath,
Just feel that you are releasing stressful tension and the hassles of the day.
Relaxing and meditating is an obvious way to calm the mind,
But a not so obvious way is what we do off the cushion.
Living an ethical and moral life removes the majority of daily stresses that we can experience,
And it also creates a you that has more freedom in mind and spirit.
Just see how you would be if you were free of mental disturbances,
A you that enjoys being kinder and wiser.
We each have our own obstacles that keep us from complete and permanent happiness.
So now just imagine a future you that is free of these obstacles.
If you can imagine this almost perfect you,
Do so now.
To be free of an addiction or problem,
We have to see a self that is free already.
Our current thoughts,
Words,
And actions will then align themselves to match that ideal you.
You have a perception of yourself now that is created by your actions,
Your words,
And your thoughts,
But these ideas are completely changeable.
By consciously monitoring your actions,
Words,
And thoughts,
Your view of the world and yourself changes.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Imagine a free and happy you.
Feel that you are an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom,
A wisdom that knows what to give up and what to take up to ensure your life is worth living.
Combined with this wisdom is a kind concern about the well-being of others.
A happy and courageous you will have many more skills and personality traits that can effectively help others.
Try to feel your potential is unlimited,
Vast and profound.
Imagine that you are that you now.
Stay with the object of the meditation,
Which is as free and as happy a you as you can create.
Imagine that you are that you now.
Stay with the object of the meditation,
Which is as free and as happy a you as you can create.
While we sit here and have this wonderful image of ourselves or feeling,
We may think of somebody else as the mind wonders.
As soon as the mind wonders to something else,
We can silently whisper,
I send you.
And we send them whatever it is that they need,
Whether it be health,
Wisdom,
Kindness,
Courage,
Peace,
Mental health,
And so on.
So when we get distracted by thinking about somebody else or even our limited self,
We can imagine that we send them a gift in the form of a light shining from our hearts to wherever they are right now.
The light surrounds them and gives them everything they need.
And if you're not sure what they need,
Then just feel that you are sending them happiness.
Once this is done,
Come back to this feeling of you,
The you that you want to be,
The free you.
Thank you.
Think of the kind of qualities that you can grow within yourself.
The self that you want to be.
What would you do?
What would you say?
What would you think if you were such a person?
What would you do?
Again,
If a thought arises of a particular person,
Then feel that as you are as an amazing recreated self,
That you are able to send a light out from your heart to share with them your realizations,
Your happiness and peace.
Thank you.
Thank you.
As we come to the end of this meditation,
Analyze the thoughts of events,
Places and people that have arisen.
Can you say that the thoughts and events of such people are in your mind?
If you were not there,
If you had not interacted with them,
Then perhaps these thoughts wouldn't have arisen.
If you were not there,
If you had not interacted with them,
Then perhaps these thoughts wouldn't have arisen.
Thank you.
Did we act in a compassionately wise way or were we agitated,
Maybe a little difficult or nasty?
See how these thoughts and experiences color our reality.
Thank you.
Ending now with the focus on our breathing.
Taking in a few relaxing breaths.
Inhaling and exhaling.
And just enjoying the feeling of our potential.
Feeling that we have control over our life.
Thank you.
Bell.
