Welcome.
The following meditation was written by Maggie Mullins,
Who was a founder of Calusa Hachi Mindfulness,
A mindfulness meditation organization in Southwest Florida.
We present it here in her honor.
The meditation is entitled Compassion and Joyful Mind.
The poet Anna Black wrote a poem about Kabir,
Who told a story about finding a ruby on the road.
People were deciding where the ruby came from and where it resided.
But Kabir knew that it belonged in his heart,
And so he carefully wrapped it with his heart cloth.
Today,
We'll use that idea of the ruby closed in our heart cloth.
I invite you to settle into a calm and comfortable seat.
Whatever position is most comfortable for you is just right.
Our heart feels compassion and joy,
As well as hurt,
Disappointment,
And sorrow.
Let us begin by attending our breath,
Simply watching the in-breath and the out-breath,
Simply being curious as our breath moves in and out,
And in and out.
You might notice as the breath moves in the belly,
It softens.
Just continue to breathe.
As thoughts arise,
We let them go,
And we stay present with our breath and our softening belly.
A busy mind and a hard belly cast a shadow on our heart,
Hiding its warmth from us and from the world.
If you like,
You can remember a time you felt deeply loved,
Or that you loved deeply.
Maybe it was a person,
Maybe it was a pet.
Perhaps it was just a fleeting glimpse of love or being loved.
Or maybe you felt empathy for someone who you cared about,
Who was hurting.
Let that feeling of loving and being loved wash through you,
Wash over you.
See if you can bring it fully into your heart and savor it.
Breathing in your heart space.
Perhaps you can see your heart as a ruby beyond price,
Beyond measure.
Without judgment,
Allow room to feel the presence of this inner gem.
Be patient.
Perhaps this ruby is protected or momentarily obscured.
Nevertheless,
It is present,
Indestructible,
And always available.
See if you can observe its color and warmth within your heart space.
Let us pay attention without judgment or analysis.
We are simply rolling out the red carpet,
Welcoming beyond the liking or disliking.
We are welcoming whatever enters the field of our heart.
I invite you to take a few deep breaths and reflect on what sensations and emotions and thoughts arose,
And if there was space in your heart for them to enter.
We appreciate the time that you took to listen to this meditation.
If it resonated with you,
We invite you to follow Kulusahatchee Mindfulness for other meditations and talks.
Thanks again for listening.
