Welcome to this Metta through the mycelium meditation.
So as we start,
Just taking a moment to settle into a comfortable position.
This can be any position and you can change it at any time should you need to.
Just taking a moment to land into the space that you're in.
Landing into this practice.
Gently allowing your attention to turn inwards.
You can do this practice with eyes open,
Eyes closed,
Soft gaze,
Whatever feels good for you.
You might just gently scan your body,
Noticing what's here in your experience right now.
What sensations?
Without trying to judge or change,
Just noticing what's here.
You might notice if there are any feelings present.
You might have a word or a color,
Shape,
Texture.
Again,
Without judging,
Without trying to change,
Just noticing what's here.
You might notice what's happening in your mind.
What's the quality of thoughts?
Perhaps imagining if your mind were a river,
What would the flow of water be like?
Would it be fast or slow?
Smooth or choppy?
Again,
Not judging or trying to change,
Just noticing what's here.
And if it feels comfortable,
You might allow your attention to come into the breath moving in the body.
Just noticing a sense of that expansion on the inhale,
Subsiding on the exhale.
Just noticing where you can feel the breath moving in your body,
Then allowing your attention to come into the points of contact with the surface beneath you.
And you might use the out-breath to soften down into these points of contact.
Just each time when there's a natural out-breath,
Just inviting a little softness.
Letting go a little more of the effort of any holding.
Providing a little more softness,
A little melting of any tension.
And through these points of contact,
You might imagine growing roots downwards towards the earth.
Again,
You might use the out-breath to imagine these growing down a little bit.
A little more each time as you soften down and grow your roots.
And being with the sense of these roots,
This connection down the earth,
Might take a moment to check in again.
Checking in with your body and noticing what's there.
Checking in with your feelings,
Emotions.
Checking in with the river of your mind.
And you might invite some more kindness and compassion into your experience,
Using the breath,
Imagining breathing in a sense of kindness.
And on the out-breath,
Allowing this to fill your whole body.
Breathing in kindness and on the out-breath,
Sending this down through the body,
Down to your fingertips,
Your toes,
Down into your roots.
Just allowing the breath to be a way to invite in this kindness,
This compassion.
If you like imagery,
You might imagine a golden light coming in and filling your body,
Flowing down into your roots.
Just allowing yourself to be with this sense of compassion.
This kind,
Warm,
Gold light.
And recognizing that our roots form part of this mycelium.
This interconnected web of beings.
And the invitation is going to be to start sending some of this kindness and compassion out to others in this mycelium.
Starting closer to us and moving outwards gradually.
And doing this in whatever way makes sense to you,
Whatever way feels comfortable.
Just noticing what this experience is like.
So you might start with a loved one,
Or someone close to you,
Physically close.
Just starting with the inner ring.
Just taking a moment to allow a sense of that person or being.
Allowing a sense of them with you now.
Allowing a sense of breathing with that person,
That being now.
And knowing that they,
Just like you,
Want to be happy,
Want to be free from suffering.
Like,
Breathe in a sense of this person,
This being.
And breathe out a sense of kindness and compassion to them.
Breathing in a sense of them.
Breathing out,
Sending kindness and compassion their way.
And we'll come to the next ring out.
You can go as far out or stay as close in as feels comfortable.
You could stay with that same person for the whole meditation.
Or if you'd like to,
You could join me in coming to the next ring out.
This might be someone who is slightly further,
Either geographically or someone you're not quite as close to.
Again,
Just recognizing that this person,
This being,
Wants to be happy,
Just like you.
They want to be free from suffering.
Again,
Using the breath,
Breathing in a sense of this person.
On the out breath,
Sending out kindness,
Compassion to them.
Breathing in a sense of the person or being.
Breathing out kindness,
Sending them compassion and warmth.
You can stay here,
Stay where you are,
Or you can come to the next ring out.
Broadening out to a wider community.
You might have a specific community in mind.
It might be your local wider community.
It might be someone across the world that feels particularly present in your heart.
Again,
Just knowing that this community wants to be happy,
Wants to be free from suffering.
Breathing in a sense of this community.
And on the out breath,
Sending out kindness and warmth and compassion.
Breathing in a sense of the community and sending out kindness,
Love,
Compassion to the community.
And taking a moment to just hold this whole web in your heart.
Holding yourself as part of this mycelium,
This web of beings who want to be happy,
Want to be free from suffering.
And allowing your attention to come back inwards,
Back to yourself.
And again,
Once more,
Just offering yourself some compassion.
Breathing in that sense of compassion and kindness.
And on the out breath,
Allowing this to saturate your whole body.
Allowing yourself to bathe in this kindness,
Compassion.
Breathing it in and allowing your attention to come back into the roots that you grew.
Bringing up the roots into the points of contact with the surface beneath you.
You might start to notice the sounds in the space around you.
The temperature of the air.
And whenever you feel ready,
Gently emerging from the meditation.
If you've had your eyes closed,
You might like to gently open them.
Just allowing yourself to very softly land back.
Taking some of this sense of the golden compassion and kindness with you as you go on with your day.
