Hello and welcome to this 10-minute meditation on meditating with a kindly attitude.
First,
Let's reflect on our intention for the meditation.
See what it's like to frame it as something you're doing to be kind to yourself,
Because you care about yourself and also those around you.
You're meditating because you hope that doing so will enhance your well-being and also your ability to act in the ways you really want to,
To treat the people around you the way that you really want to.
Let's also begin the meditation with an intention not to blame or criticize ourselves just for the duration of this meditation.
So whatever happens during this meditation is fine.
However it goes is okay.
Whatever your mind might wind up doing as you seek to follow this meditation is not a problem.
So for the 10 minutes of this meditation,
See if you can be nothing but kind and gentle with yourself.
And if you find that you can't,
Be kind and gentle with that discovery.
Now let's start to tune into the body.
So just feeling the sensations of the body as best you can and perhaps noticing the breath amongst the other sensations of the body.
Gently focusing your attention on the sensations of breathing.
See if you can look upon the breath with a kindly attitude.
What would it be like to see the breath as a friend,
A companion?
So not looking at the breath with a cold glare as though it's something we need to pin down,
Keep sight of.
As though focusing on it is a problem that we have to solve.
Instead just playing around with the idea of the breath as a friend,
As something we feel positive towards.
And if that makes no sense or you can't do it,
That's okay.
Don't let that become an occasion for harshness,
Judgment of yourself or of this practice.
Just keep playing around with this idea of friendliness towards the breath.
See if you can make your attention to the breath gentle,
As though your attention were a feather,
Gently making contact with the breath.
Might help to reflect upon the breath's role in your life.
To remember that the breath is always with you.
It's a loyal,
Faithful friend.
Might reflect that the breath keeps you alive,
Does a lot for you.
Just trying out these ideas or any other ones that occur to you.
We're just looking for ways in to some sense of the breath as an object of friendliness and care.
And checking in from time to time with your wider attitude to the meditation.
As well as how you're relating to the breath,
How are you relating to yourself and to the practice?
Is there any harshness,
Drivenness in your approach to the practice?
If so,
Just notice that.
See if it wants to soften a little bit.
See if you can take it just a little bit easier.
Remember the intention of the practice isn't to get a job done.
It's to be kind and friendly to the breath,
To yourself,
To whatever else the mind delights on.
And if that attitude seems out of reach at the moment,
That's okay.
Takes time,
Takes practice,
Takes patience.
So just keep trying in whatever ways make sense to you.
To just inch a little bit further in the direction of friendliness and kindness as you meditate.
You can't do anything wrong here.
Whatever you do is okay.
And now for the final minute of the practice,
I'll leave you in silence to keep playing,
Keep experimenting with this kindly attitude in your meditation.
And now we can bring this meditation to a close.
