Take a deep breath in and release.
I acknowledge you for being here.
I know that each and every one of you are exceptional beings.
We are about to embark together on a journey of connected relaxation.
You are here to relax,
To let go,
To connect with what is there for you.
Breathe with relaxation in for three seconds and out for five seconds.
This is a safe space.
It is okay to let go.
Give yourself permission to let go.
Allow yourself to surrender to the present moment and let your thoughts flow.
You may find yourself lost.
This is okay.
There will be moments of silence.
Just enjoy them.
Breathe deeply with relaxation in for four seconds and out for six seconds.
Give yourself permission to float away.
Give yourself permission to release control.
Everything you experience is perfect,
Whole,
And complete.
There is no wrong experience.
You are whole and complete right now.
Relaxation in two,
Four,
Out five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Like a wave,
In two,
Three,
Four,
And release five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
And in.
Please remember your intention now.
Repeat it in your head three times.
Showing others that they are also whole and transformed.
Bring your attention to your body.
I will lead you through the breathing.
Just breathe in and out with focused attention.
Breathe relaxed in and out like a wave or the tide.
Belly,
Chest,
Head,
With no pause at the top.
Head,
Chest,
Belly.
Catch your breath and bring it in again.
Create a circular breath in for four seconds and out for six if you like.
If this is your morning,
You can breathe a little faster and a little deeper for more energy and focus.
If it is your evening,
Breathe slow and extend your exhales for deeper relaxation.
Be curious and connect to what your body needs.
There is no need to follow my pace exactly.
You are the pilot,
Not the passenger.
You are in control.
Continue breathing deeply and relaxed in and out.
Be curious in with love and out your stress.
Let your stress leave your body fully in and let it all go.
Just breathe with no force and your body fully relaxed.
No pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.
In and out like the tide.
Continue breathing deeply and fully relaxed in and out.
On your next inhale,
Breathe as deeply as you can to the very top of your lung capacity.
Then release to neutral and hold your breath.
Breathe before I say.
Breathe in and hold for 15 seconds and then continue to breathe this.
Breathe deeply in to the top of your capacity and hold for 15 seconds and release.
Let it all go.
Feel the connection to every cell.
Let this next breath come naturally.
Breath,
Breathe,
You.
Fully relax your body.
Continue to breathe deeply in chest,
Head and out.
Breathe in with light and relaxation and out with all the stress and anxiety.
Continue breathing in and out through the nose.
Fully in and release.
Be curious.
What does your body need?
In and out like a wave.
Explore your breath.
What new areas of your core can it go?
Continue breathing deeply and relaxed in and out like a wave.
I am worthy of living my life fully and freely.
We are now arriving at our final breath of this round.
Breathe deeply in to the top of your capacity and release to a neutral hold.
If you need to breathe before I say,
Breathe in and hold for 15 seconds and then continue to breathe.
Worthy of sharing my life with others.
Breathe deeply in and hold the energy of your body.
Let it all go.
Yes,
I am imperfect,
Vulnerable,
Vulnerable and sometimes afraid.
But that does not change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love.
Now we will practice the cultivation of loving kindness.
Let's shift our attention from our breath to ourselves.
Breathe in to your heart center.
You can imagine an orb of light in the very center of your chest.
And see if you can generate feelings of warmth and friendliness towards yourself.
If it helps,
You can place your hand on your heart to infuse your body in loving kindness.
And bathe in any nurturing feeling that arises.
Love,
Acceptance,
Trust,
Kindness,
Compassion.
Allow any warm feelings to flow through your body.
This isn't always easy.
So if that's the case,
Now that is natural.
Just do your best to shower yourself in friendly warmth and kindness.
Now we will begin the practice of directing kindness to ourselves by silently repeating phrases of well-being.
Here are some common phrases you may recite.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be at peace.
You can use these phrases.
You can come up with any alternatives that resonate with you.
Each time you recite the words,
Offer all of your attention to them.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be at peace.
Continue on your own.
Now envision someone that you have affectionate feelings towards.
Someone you feel happy the moment you think of them.
Picture that person and hold them in your awareness.
Once you have a feeling for their loving presence,
Extend your loving kindness phrases to them.
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
You may find that extending loving kindness to someone close to your heart feels good.
It often brings up feelings of expansion,
Feelings of warmth.
Notice how you feel.
Now bring your mind to someone who you have neutral feelings towards.
Perhaps it's a co-worker you occasionally see or a neighbor you don't really know.
Visualize that person in your mind and extend your loving kindness phrases to them as well.
Repeat the phrases mindfully with your full attention.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
Now bring to mind an image of someone you regard as a difficult person.
It could be someone that hurts you in the past.
Someone that is currently causing you pain.
Really anyone you have difficult or challenging feelings towards.
As best as you can,
Open your heart.
If it is possible,
And only to the degree that you feel able,
Extend loving kindness to them as well.
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
Here you may find it helpful to recite other loving kindness phrases.
May you find forgiveness.
May you live with open heart.
May you sleep well at night.
May you live with ease.
Lastly,
We will extend wishes of loving kindness outwards to all beings.
Without boundaries or limits,
Extend your affection to all beings in this meeting.
Expand outwards to every being in this city,
The state,
The country,
The continent.
Further expand in a growing sphere to hold all beings in the entire world in your expansive consciousness.
Now,
Extend your compassion even further out into space to engulf the moon,
The planets,
The sun,
The solar system,
The galaxy,
Beings in the universe.
There are no boundaries to your loving kindness.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be free.
May all beings be at peace.
May all beings find forgiveness.
May all beings have an open heart.
May all beings sleep well at night.
May all beings live with ease.
I give myself permission to be a healer.
I give myself permission to be a leader.
I give myself permission to transform the world.
We have cultivated compassion and loving kindness.
We are ready to move on to the practice of Zhongle,
The practice of giving and receiving.
In this practice,
We take on through compassion all the various mental and physical sufferings for all beings.
Their fear,
Frustration,
Pain,
Bitterness,
Anger,
Guilt and doubt.
And we give them through love and openness all our happiness,
Well-being,
Peace of mind,
Healing and fulfillment.
Imagine in front of you as vividly as possible someone you care for who is suffering.
Try to imagine every aspect of the person's pain and distress.
Feel your heart opening and compassion towards that person.
Now imagine that all of their suffering manifests together and gather into a mass of black,
Creamy smoke.
As you breathe in,
Visualize this mass of black smoke dissolving with your in-breath into the core of your heart center.
As best as you can,
Open your heart only to the degree that you feel able.
There is no need to be afraid.
In your heart center,
The black smoke dissolves and passes through.
Here,
With no effort,
It harmonizes to your compassionate vibration.
As if the black smoke itself desires to transform and you are the catalyst.
Here it removes completely all traces of your ego's self-grasping,
Fully let go of resistance and effortlessly purify all negative energy.
In this,
The heart of your enlightened mind is fully revealed.
As you breathe out,
Imagine that you are sending out brilliant,
Cooling,
Peaceful light of joy,
Happiness and ultimate well-being to your friend in pain.
And that it purifies all their negative energy.
Breathe in and out.
As you continue with the practice,
You may imagine your heart center,
Your whole body and being itself transformed into a dazzling,
Wish-fulfilling jewel.
A beautiful,
Shiny,
Cadillac core,
Unattainable by any negative energy.
It can grant the desires and wishes of anyone and provide exactly what they long for and need.
Continue breathing in and out.
Each time the light of your power streams out to touch your friend in pain,
Feel a firm conviction that all of their negative energy has been purified for a deep,
Lasting joy.
That they have been totally freed from suffering and pain.
Breathe in and out.
Your core is true,
Infinite compassion that has the inherent power to give precisely to each being whatever that being most needs.
Lifting all suffering and bringing true fulfillment.
Now imagine the suffering of all beings.
Imagine them gathering into a tangible black smoke all around you.
Know with confidence and freedom that you are the nature of compassionate catalyst.
That you can effortlessly transform infinite amounts of this black smoke with your bright,
Jeweled core.
Breathe deeply in,
Absorbing the dark smoke through every pore of your body.
Breathe out,
Releasing and basking all beings,
Including yourself,
In the cool,
Bright,
Peaceful light of infinite compassion,
Belonging,
Connection,
Universe.
Breathe deeply in and release your compassionate energy.
See how it is impervious to darkness.
See how one cannot be without.
Continue breathing in and out.
You are in an exhaustible state of generosity and compassion.
You are in the nature of radiance of the nature of mind.
Even if you don't feel that way,
That's okay.
Know that you can handle everything.
And the state you are in now is whole and complete.
Am enough.
Just as I am.
Showing up is enough.
Just as I am.
My enough is extraordinary.
I give myself permission to be a healer.
I give myself permission to be a leader.
I give myself permission to transform the world.
Feel your heart.
Become aware of your breathing.
Become aware of your natural breathing.
Awareness of breathing and awareness of relaxation of your physical existence.
Become aware of your arms and legs and your body lying stretched out on the floor.
Become aware of the meeting points between your body and the floor.
Develop awareness of energy in your body.
Feel how good it feels to have dedicated time to exploring your breath,
Body,
And spirit.
Lie quietly for a few moments.
Relax.
Enjoy the sounds of the handpan and keep your eyes closed.
Whenever you desire,
Start moving your body and stretching yourself in any way your body needs.
Take your time.
There's no need to hurry.
When you are sure that you are wide awake,
Sit up slowly and open your eyes.
Welcome back.
Your journey is now complete.
