Cultivating A Kind Attention

Using the image and felt sense of a smile, we scan through the body, and awaken a sense of aliveness, presence and tenderness. The practice then extends to mindfully include all sounds, sensations, and feelings; and when difficult experience arises, to intentionally offer care. We close with an offering of loving kindness to our own being, to others who are suffering and to all life everywhere.

Transcript

The following meditation is led by Tara Brach,

Meditation teacher,

Psychologist and author.

Feel your body sitting here breathing and in the quietness you might begin listening to your heart.

The inquiry is what really brings you here right now?

What is it that you really wish for?

How might meditation really serve you in a deep way?

So listen inwardly for your intention in practice right now.

Listen to what feels most sincere.

That's a sign of connecting with your deeper purpose,

Sincerity.

The atmosphere that really holds our meditation is one of loving presence,

Of kindness,

And you can begin to establish that with the image of a smile.

And you might sense a smile spreading through your eyes right now,

Softening your eyes,

Maybe sensing the outer corners lifted slightly,

Letting the brow be smooth,

Perhaps noticing the little bit of a flashing light and dark fluttering,

More sensitivity in the region of the eyes.

The eyes are soft.

And then in the same way bringing a slight smile to the lips.

And feel the inside of the mouth smiling.

And then Master Thich Nhat Hanh calls this smile yoga because it sends a message to our whole nervous system that it can relax that fight-flight-freeze.

It opens us to ease and benevolence.

You might feel the tongue spreading to fill the lower palate.

Perhaps you can relax right down to the root of the tongue.

Feeling the sensations in the gums,

The teeth,

The lips.

The eyes are soft and smiling,

The mouth is smiling.

Perhaps you can imagine,

Visualize and feel a smile spreading through the throat area,

The curve of a smile.

Sense the throat filling the neck.

Feel the aliveness of sensation there.

Allowing the shoulders to fall away from the neck.

See if you can feel from the inside out the shoulders,

The awareness inside the shoulders,

The sensations and space that's there.

And if there is tightness or tension you might imagine and sense it's floating in awareness.

Feeling the hands rest in a very easy,

Effortless way.

And softening the hands.

And soften again noticing what happens if you feel the hands from the inside out.

Perhaps you can sense the tingling or the vibrating that's there.

The eyes are soft and smiling.

The mouth a slight smile.

The throat.

Perhaps you can visualize and have the felt sense of a smile spreading through the chest,

Spreading through the heart.

This isn't in any way to cover over but rather to create the space for what's right here.

The spacious kindness of a smile.

In a similar way you can scan down to the midsection,

The abdominal region,

And let this next breath be received in the softening belly.

This breath.

And now this one.

And again.

Waking up the awareness deep in the torso.

And creating more space if you visualize and sense the curve of a smile spreading through the belly.

Softening,

Opening.

So if you can feel from the inside out the energy,

The sensations,

The space inside the belly.

And continuing to scan down the body.

You might visualize and have the felt sense of a smile spreading through the pelvic region.

And from the inside out the aliveness there.

And perhaps you can imagine that smile at the base of the spine as if you are sitting in the curve of a bowl and you can imagine and sense the vastness of this whole earth's energy flowing up through that bowl,

Through that smile,

Flowing into your body,

Filling your body with aliveness.

So that the whole sense of a smile fills the space inside and around you warm and vibrant.

Sensing this body as a field of sensation.

Including sound.

And sensing the space of awareness as all happening in vast,

Wakeful space.

Let yourself be at home in this wakeful presence.

Sensing the kindness of a smile that can hold everything.

If you find it helpful to steady the mind by resting in the moment-to-moment sensations of the breath then let yourself relax with the movement of the breath.

And let your intention be that with whatever arises there can be an openness to it.

Openness to feelings,

To sensations.

Sensing yes and bringing kindness to whatever waves appear in the sea of experience.

And let yourself be at home in this wakeful presence.

Sensing the presence of awareness as all happening in vast,

Wakeful space.

When you notice the mind has drifted – which it quite naturally does – the key way of coming home is to unhook from the thoughts without any judgment and just bring an interest and friendliness to what's right here.

Seating this moment with kindness.

Aware of the movement of the breath.

Aware if there is any strong emotion or feeling calling your attention.

And especially if it's difficult,

Bringing a gentle attention.

Letting yourself feel what's here.

You might mentally whisper,

Yes,

This belongs like any other wave in the ocean.

Being with what's here.

And when it's no longer strong,

No longer calling your attention,

Perhaps resting again with the breath.

Or simply resting in the changing flow of experience moment to moment.

Welcome to blacks as combinations of eyes and senses.

Let the arts bring you peace in your morninggun.

For this final part of our meditation you might refresh the sense of the smile,

Again softening your eyes and letting a smile spread through your eyes,

A slight smile at the mouth,

Smiling into your heart,

Feeling the warmth,

The space of kindness there.

And then bring into that heart-space something that might be going on in your life that could use some kindness,

Some experience you are having,

Some challenge or difficulty.

And just sense that it could float in that sea of kindness,

That you can offer to yourself some message of care,

Whatever most resonates,

Something you wish for yourself as you move through this difficulty.

And sensing this heart-space is vast,

Endless in all directions,

You might bring to mind some suffering in our world,

Some place of difficulty,

Some who are suffering tremendously,

And sense them included in your heart-space.

And in the same way offering some message,

Some prayer,

Some wish for the relief of suffering for their ease and well-being.

And closing as you feel your own being and those that are most suffering and really all beings – the earth,

Our mother,

And all sentient beings everywhere – included in this heart-space.

Feeling this heart-space really as your true home.

God Bless.

Reviews

❤️🙏 thank you for your healing voice and the wisdom of your words.

TB is one of the best. Simple, direct, guiding, presence without judgement. Accepting every thought like a just another wave in the ocean.

My favorite Tara meditation so far. It can be helpful when there is something you need help with, some emotional state or other difficulty. The smile energy imagery is wonderful. It covers so much in 19 minutes.

wonderful guided meditation. as always, Tara is a wise and kind guide to our true nature

Tara, you always know the right words to soothe the soul

Thank you; your meditations and talks are so helpful

Tara is my favorite meditation teacher. Always calming and loving.

Loved this - "sensing the heart space as my true home."

Thank you for this wonderful meditation. I was agitated when I began and am getting up with a sense of peace and calmness to take with me into my day.

Tara Brach I love you ! This guided meditation helped me immensely with my anxiety over a work related issue.

Releasing tears - and opening my heart space through kindness and breath.

This meditation completely shifted my energy this morning. Thank you! 🙏

I'm smiling. I think this is a practice I can carry with me. It might help me in being kinder to my husband who has dementia. He looks for smiles. Thank you.

I love it so much to be guided by Tara🙏🏼♥️ Thank You ☺️
It is always helpfull ,pure and wonderfull spiritual in his best way I can imagine.🌀💠🌈

I absolutely love this meditation. Thank you Tara Brach 🙏

Thank you, Tara, always a blessing to be guidate by your voice. Namaste 🙏🏻💚

Beautiful meditation that I felt so light after with my whole body smiling 😊

Really captivating voice. Very calm. I’m grateful and thank you ❤️

It was great, very relaxing at the same time full of kindness

I so enjoyed this meditation. Kindness, love & peace.