Kindness to a person we find difficult.
So noticing sounds around us and inviting our awareness into the body.
Understanding all the various sensations and allowing your body to be held by the chair and resting your awareness on the breath.
Just becoming aware of the heart area.
So I'd like to invite you to bring to mind somebody that you're having difficulty with.
Might be a difficulty at work,
A difficult aspect of a close relationship.
Perhaps someone who irritates or annoys you.
So bringing that person to mind in a way that works for you so you might see them,
You might get a clear picture of them.
Or you might get a sense of them.
Inviting them into your awareness.
And noticing how that feels.
Just allowing the feelings to be present without staring them up or pushing them away.
Whatever you're feeling's okay.
We're just noticing that and allowing it.
So we're going to direct well-wishing towards this person,
Even if we might not feel like doing it.
And we're going to direct well-wishing towards them using phrases.
So let's just give it a go and feel our way into this practice.
So holding the difficult person in mind.
Let's try the first phrase.
May they be safe and protected.
Just noticing how that feels to wish this person well.
Being curious about what's happening for you.
Might be resistance.
You might have started thinking about the practice.
That's okay.
We can come back to the phrase.
We can use the phrase to anchor our intention in this practice.
So we could just say the phrase again.
Bearing this person in mind.
May they be safe.
Could try another phrase.
May they be happy.
And wishing this person well doesn't imply that we have to like them.
We don't have to pretend that they're a lovely person if we don't think that they are.
We don't have to do that.
We don't have to change anything.
We're just trying to wish them well in their life.
Knowing that their lives are probably difficult as well as wonderful.
I feel an animosity towards another person that's painful for us.
So by wishing this person well we're actually helping ourselves to feel calmer and less agitated.
Let's try another phrase.
May they live with kindness and with ease.
Being mindful of our reactions and responses.
Not trying to push them away or make them something else.
We're allowing them to be there without staring them up.
Or building on the story about the person or about the situation.
We're allowing what arises and continuing the practice as best we can.
So let's try the last phrase.
May things go well for them.
May things go well for them.
You can make your own phrases up.
Holding this person in mind.
Allowing your awareness to settle on the breath and the movement of the breath and the body.
Letting all effort go.
Aware of the breath and the breathing body.
And when you're ready,
Opening your eyes.
