The following meditation is led by Tara Brach.
Sitting in a way that's comfortable,
Taking a moment to scan through your body and so the sense of kindness see if anything wants to relax or let go.
Let your attention come to the area of the heart.
You might feel your breath right at your heart.
With some interest,
With a gentle attention,
Just notice whatever the state of your heart is right now.
Notice what might want attention in the region of your heart.
If there is some mood or emotion or something going on in your life that's living inside you right now that just wants a bit of acknowledgement.
You might wonder and notice if there is something inside,
Some place of vulnerability that you haven't been wanting to feel.
Part of what keeps us from realness,
What keeps us in that small self-identity,
Is the avoiding of what's here.
You might let yourself breathe directly into whatever feels most vulnerable.
Keeping the attention in the body,
Throat,
Chest,
Belly.
For some it helps to put your hand on your heart just to keep the sense of being in relationship with your inner life,
Breathing and feeling what's asking for attention.
If you are aware of something you are afraid of that's going on in your life,
Something that feels like a loss,
Just letting the raw feelings or vulnerability be felt,
Breathing,
Feeling the touch of your own hand,
Letting whatever is here be here.
Sometimes,
When we get quiet and pay attention,
Part of what's here is a sense of really not feeling at home in ourselves,
Feeling uncomfortable,
Feeling some judgment we are holding on to,
Turned on ourselves.
Sometimes we get in touch with feeling far from others.
Whatever is here,
Just to breathe into it,
Open to it.
As if you could put your being inside the place in you that feels most vulnerable,
You might experiment with the words,
Please love me,
And just see what happens.
Saying them once,
Saying them again,
Just from that sincerity in you that naturally earns to be held and cared about and loved.
Letting the yearning be sincere and imagining and sensing the energy of love,
Of presence,
In some way blessing you.
It might be someone you know,
It might be through a spiritual figure or a formless loving presence,
But imagining the loving presence that's in this universe,
Close in,
Intimate,
Right with you,
Right here,
Perhaps kissing your brow,
A hand on the cheek,
Flowing through your own hand on your heart,
But letting love come in,
Being willing to feel your own being washed through with love.
Can I help again to mentally whisper the words,
Please love me,
From a sincere place as you can and then open to receive?
Sensing the great,
Radiant sun and warmth of love that's within you,
Shining through you,
Merging with that loving presence,
Sensing an illuminated heart-space right now that you can inhabit that,
Bringing to mind someone in your life that you'd like to offer your blessings to.
You might imagine that person close in right here with all of his or her or their challenges and goodness.
Might see the person's eyes and imagine those eyes closing gently and that you could just kiss the person on the brow or touch their brow or touch their cheek and mentally whisper the person's name and say,
I love you.
And notice what happens.
Bringing somebody else to mind,
Somebody that you care about.
Again,
Seeing very clearly that person close in.
See the person's eyes and let the eyes close gently.
You can lean forward and kiss that person's brow or put a hand on that person's cheek,
Mentally whispering the person's name and saying,
I love you.
And notice what happens.
One more person bringing someone else to mind – child,
A friend,
A partner,
A colleague.
Seeing that person close in,
Seeing their face,
Seeing the look in their eyes,
Letting those eyes close gently in your mind's eye,
Offering your blessing,
Kissing the person's brow or in what other way or touch you feel inclined,
Mentally whispering the person's name and saying,
I love you.
And then letting go of any sense of another person or yourself and just feeling the felt experience of loving,
How vast and inclusive it is,
Sensing who you are when you are offering or receiving blessings.
Knowing this great heart of bodhichitta,
The radiance and warmth of the awakened heart,
Seeing this as your true home.
Namaste and thank you.
