This meditation practice is a loving kindness practice.
Loving kindness for oneself and then for others.
So we begin just by checking in with our posture.
If we are sitting on a chair,
Our feet firmly on the ground.
Our back straight,
Shoulders level.
If we are on the floor,
A cross legged position,
Also keeping the back straight.
Hands either on your knees or resting in your lap.
And we begin this practice by just focusing on your breath.
And finding the breath either in the body or at a point where you feel it the most.
Maybe at the tip of your nostrils,
Maybe at your abdomen where you feel the rising and the falling of the abdomen every time you take an inhalation.
And an exhalation.
Just resting your mind on the breath.
As we do this practice,
We may notice distractions in terms of thoughts.
Or sounds or sensations that may arise.
And we may feel disappointed with ourselves when we notice that we are distracted and we haven't been aware of our breathing.
And this is common.
So once the distraction occurs and you follow a thought pattern,
And it may be even for a few minutes and you come to a realization that your mind is moved off the object.
Congratulate yourself instead of speaking badly to yourself.
Say,
Oh wow,
I've just noticed that my mind has moved.
I've been thinking about something else for a few moments.
That's wonderful.
I'm able to recognize that my mind has moved.
The students of mine said you can give yourself an invisible fist pump and say,
Yeah,
Well done.
And then come back to the object,
Which is the breath.
So just try this.
Every time you find that your mind is wondered,
Be happy that you have had the energy to be able to notice that the mind is wondered.
And then congratulate yourself for noticing and then come back to the object.
By doing this over and over and over again,
Well,
It makes us feel happy.
It makes us it's a form of self love of being kind to ourselves rather than moaning at ourselves for being crazy or stupid or mindless,
Which some meditators can do every time their mind wanders off the object.
So we try the reverse.
We be kind to ourselves and in doing so,
We practice true mindfulness and true self love.
Try this now with your breath.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
We now move into the second part of this practice.
And we begin with ourselves.
We recite this mantra.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body and mind.
And may I be at ease and happy.
Okay.
Now we bring to mind somebody who we don't know a stranger,
Perhaps.
Someone who we don't really have any feelings towards,
Neither like or dislike.
Just sort of a neutral person and they may be someone who you've was looking after your car or was at the grocery checkout counter or just someone that lives nearby.
Just bring to mind this person,
Whoever they may be.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
And now we think of someone who irritates us or we don't like or maybe has hurt us.
And we see them in our minds eye.
May be difficult.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
And may you be at ease and happy.
Finally now,
Bringing to mind someone that you care for very much.
May be they are going through a tough time and somebody that easily sparks a feeling of compassion in your heart.
And we recite the same passage,
The same mantra for them.
So think of who this person is.
It's not too difficult I'm sure.
See them in your minds eye.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
And may you be at ease and happy.
So this concludes our meditation on kindness for ourselves and for others.
Just be aware of your heart center.
And just rest your attention there for a short while.
Connecting with your breathing.
And when you're ready you can open your eyes.
