Harayom.
Welcome.
This practice will be the Just Like Me meditation.
So please make sure you're comfortable.
You can sit with a long spine or it's better to lie down.
That's fine.
The thing with this meditation is that the body doesn't distract you,
So whatever position allows that best for you.
I'm going to do a couple things to prep the body and mind,
And then we'll be working on the Just Like Me part.
So first we're going to sit and notice the sounds in the room,
And then we're going to do some alternate nostril breathing,
And then we'll move into our main part of our meditation,
And then at the end we will sit and notice thoughts,
Feelings,
And sensations in our bodies.
So I'll cue you on all that.
So allow the eyes to close if that's comfortable,
And if not the eyes can be slightly open.
Good.
And then notice the sounds in the room.
You might notice the sounds of my voice as I'm speaking,
And as I stop talking you'll notice some other sounds,
And simply just allow those sounds to be.
So just notice the sounds in the room.
You may notice one sound,
And then another sound.
Cultivate the attitude and perspective that those sounds are coming towards you.
There's nothing really you need to do about them.
So we'll sit for a few minutes just listening and softening to the sounds in the room.
Now we'll continue with alternate nostril breathing.
We're going to do this without physically closing our nostrils.
So as you breathe in through the right nostril,
Open the right palm,
And then close the right palm and open the left palm and exhale out the left nostril.
Then as you inhale,
Left nostril,
Left palm is still open,
And then close the left palm and exhale out the right as your right palm opens.
So just like that,
Inhaling through the right,
Closing,
Opening the left palm,
Exhaling out the left,
And then imagining yourself inhaling through the left,
Close the left hand,
Open the right,
Exhale out the right.
And continue like that on your own for a few minutes,
Alternating the tension you're bringing to each nostril as you breathe.
And now letting that breath go.
And we'll begin our Just Like Me contemplation.
So first let's all bring to mind someone that we love.
It can be a friend,
Family member,
Pet,
Someone that brings you joy,
You have an easy loving relationship with.
Anything that comes to mind is fine as long as it evokes some feelings of love and joy in you.
A person,
Or even an animal.
And then I'm going to repeat some phrases.
I'm gonna say some phrases and you're going to repeat them to yourself while picturing this person or animal in your mind.
This person has a body and a mind just like me.
This person has feelings,
Emotions,
And thoughts just like me.
This person has in their life experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering just like me.
This person has at some point been sad,
Disappointed,
Angry,
Or hurt just like me.
This person has felt unworthy or inadequate just like me.
This person worries and is frightened sometimes just like me.
This person has longed for friendship just like me.
This person wants to be caring and kind to others just like me.
This person wants to be content with what life has given just like me.
This person wishes to be free of pain and suffering just like me.
This person wishes to be safe and healthy just like me.
This person wishes to be happy just like me.
This person wishes to be loved just like me.
Now allow some wishes for well-being to arise in you.
I wish that this person have the strength,
Resources,
And support to navigate the difficulties in life with ease.
I wish that this person be free from pain and suffering.
I wish that this person be peaceful and happy.
I wish that this person be loved because this person is a fellow human being just like me.
And now allow that image to fade as you slightly deepen your breath.
Take a few breaths.
And now bring to mind a more neutral person,
An acquaintance,
Maybe someone you run into regularly who you don't know that well.
Could be anyone.
Let their image come to your mind.
This person has a body and a mind just like me.
This person has feelings,
Emotions,
And thoughts just like me.
This person has,
In their life,
Experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering just like me.
This person has at some point been sad,
Disappointed,
Angry,
Or hurt just like me.
This person has felt unworthy or inadequate just like me.
This person worries and is frightened sometimes just like me.
This person has longed for friendship just like me.
This person is learning about life just like me.
This person wants to be caring and kind to others just like me.
This person wants to be content with what life has given just like me.
This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering just like me.
This person wishes to be safe and healthy just like me.
This person wishes to be happy just like me.
This person wishes to be happy just like me.
This person wishes to be loved just like me.
Now allow some wishes for well-being to arise.
I wish that this person have the strength,
Resources,
And support to navigate the difficulties in life with ease.
I wish that this person be free from pain and suffering.
I wish that this person be peaceful and happy.
I wish that this person be loved.
Because this person is a fellow human being just like me.
Now allow that image to fade as you slightly deepen your breath for a few breaths.
Now bring to mind someone you're having difficulty with.
It can be a person from the present or past.
It could be a large difficulty or a small difficulty.
Let that image form in your mind.
This person has a body and a mind just like me.
This person has feelings and emotions and thoughts just like me.
This person has in their life experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering just like me.
This person has at some point been sad,
Disappointed,
Angry,
Or hurt.
Just like me.
This person has felt unworthy or inadequate.
Just like me.
This person worries and is frightened sometimes.
Just like me.
This person has longed for friendship.
Just like me.
This person is learning about life.
Just like me.
This person wants to be caring and kind to others.
Just like me.
This person wants to be content with what life has given.
Just like me.
This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering.
Just like me.
This person wishes to be safe and healthy.
Just like me.
This person wishes to be happy.
Just like me.
This person wishes to be loved.
Just like me.
Allow the space for well wishes and well being to arise in yourself.
I wish that this person have the strength,
Resources,
And support to navigate the difficulties in life with ease.
I wish that this person be free from pain and suffering.
I wish that this person be peaceful and happy.
I wish that this person be loved.
Because this person is a fellow human being.
Just like me.
And now allow that person's image to fade as you take a few breaths.
And now let's sit quietly allowing prana,
Thoughts,
Feelings,
And sensations to move freely in the body and mind.
And our attention to move wherever it would like to go naturally without our interference.
We'll sit here for a few minutes.
Letting the attention go wherever it naturally would like to.
So bring your right hand over our heart and our left hand over our right.
With great respect and love,
I honor my heart,
My inner teacher.
Namaste.
And one more time.
With great respect and love,
I honor my heart,
My inner teacher.
Namaste.
Bowing to your own heart.
Namaste.
