Finding a posture that is comfortable and supports your body.
Perhaps that's lying down or sitting and your eyes can be open or closed.
Beginning to turn your attention inward.
What is making contact with your body right now?
Maybe taking some fuller,
Deeper breaths here.
And when ready,
Allow the breath to begin to breathe itself.
Allow the breath to breathe itself as though you're resting into breathing.
Softening a little more.
And with this 30 minute kindness practice,
We'll be cultivating the intention of kindness for ourself and others.
And we can think of doing this practice like planting seeds in the garden.
Seeds of kindness,
Warmth,
Tenderness,
Friendliness and compassion.
And even these words here,
How do they touch or connect with you?
If at all.
And each time you practice this kindness meditation,
It's like you're tending to this garden.
And this garden may take time to grow.
So there's no need to force anything or make anything different.
It's a natural process of cultivating these qualities,
These intentions to grow over time.
And maybe during this practice,
Various thoughts and feelings may arise.
And you may feel open and expansive to some parts of the practice.
Or you may also feel some resistance,
Some sadness,
Anger,
Or perhaps fear to some of the parts of this practice.
And in this meditation,
We're making space for all the sensations,
All the thoughts and feelings to be welcomed.
As well as the impulse to move towards or the impulse to also move away at times.
And all this is welcome.
And at times your mind may wander off.
And with this kindness meditation,
Gently,
Kindly allow the mind to wander back,
Back to this practice of cultivating warmth,
Tenderness,
And compassion.
Feeling the breath in the body now,
Feeling the body sitting here.
Aware of the comings and goings of thought and emotions,
Perhaps even sound and the silence between sound,
Aware of awareness itself.
Gently allowing the breath to come in and out of the body on its own,
Without wanting to change it or alter it.
And this coming and going of the breath,
It may feel like the rocking of a cradle,
The swing of the breath as it comes and goes from the body.
And this cradle,
It may reside in your heart.
Can you bring awareness to the tenderness of the breath?
And resting in the breath where you can feel it the most easily in the body.
And throughout this practice,
You can feel free to come back to the breath as an anchor,
To rest in this breath,
This steady and ever present friend,
The breath.
Like the rocking of cradle or the riding of the waves of each breath coming in and going out as best we can offering softening and tenderness.
And as we open to the intention of kindness,
Can we allow the heart to soften a little more,
Breathing in kindness and breathing out kindness.
Each breath the process of opening and softening towards kindness.
And as we open to the intention of kindness,
Can we allow the heart to soften a little more?
And maybe at times throughout your life,
You felt directly the tenderness and the openness of the heart.
And at other times,
The tightness and closed off that sometimes occurs in all of us.
So in this practice,
We'll explore these very human experiences.
Feeling as much or as little as we can to ourselves and others,
This kindness.
And when you feel ready,
Beginning to turn this kindness towards yourself.
And if it feels right for you,
You may like to put your hands on a part of your body in a way that supports this opening towards kindness,
Open heartedness,
This caring and warmth towards yourself,
Perhaps the hands to both hands or one hand to the heart or the belly or another part of your body,
If that feels like the right thing to do for you now.
As a human being with all its greatness,
And all its limitations,
Acknowledging what it's like to be in this human body.
Each breath capable of carrying all these qualities of caring kindness.
As we be with the natural breath,
Let's direct this kindness towards ourselves and whatever is arising.
This creating space and allowing this practice to unfold is also an act of kindness in itself.
And we offer this intention of kindness as a wish,
Wishing yourself tenderness,
Care and acceptance,
Wishing yourself courage and strength to live your life with more kindness.
Wishing yourself ease and peace.
Peace and pace in your body,
Your mind and your heart.
Peace and peace in your body.
As we practice in this way,
Notice anything that is arising,
Perhaps tensions,
Unkind thoughts,
As best you can opening to the sensations,
Thoughts and feelings,
Allowing them to arise and creating a soft place within us to do that.
And what is it like to offer kindness to yourself just as you are?
Not because of something that you've done,
But just as you are.
Breathing here.
Breathing slowly,
Deeply,
Fully here.
Breathing in this care,
This kindness.
Breathing in this love offered to yourself as much as you can.
Breathing in this love offered to yourself as much as you can.
Breathing in this love offered to yourself as much as you can.
Breathing in this love offered to yourself as much as you can.
And now in your own time bringing to mind someone that you've felt love from,
That you care about.
A being,
A person,
Or even a pet that loves you for what you are,
Just as you are.
And allowing yourself to be bathed in that love that they're offering you freely now.
And allowing yourself to be bathed in that love that they're offering you freely now.
Allowing it to touch your heart,
To feel you,
Feeling what it's like to be loved,
To receive love,
Kindness and care without having to change anything at all about yourself.
Breathing in fully and deeply as best you can.
Breathing in this kindness,
This friendliness,
Warmth.
Breathing it all in as best you can.
And you may like to place your hands on a part of your body that supports you to feel this connection,
This warmth and open-heartedness.
And here we can also acknowledge their measure of difficulty and suffering.
That they too get stressed and wishing them warmth.
Wishing them courage and patience so that they can meet the difficulties in their life.
And wishing them ease and peace in their body,
Mind and heart.
Holding this person that you deeply care about in your heart and mind with kindness.
And take some time here to bring your attention back to yourself,
To your body sensations,
Thoughts and feelings and as best you can.
Can you meet what is here?
What is arising for you?
And now if it feels right for you,
Bring to mind someone with whom you have a bit of difficulty.
Someone you wouldn't naturally or normally send care and attention and kindness to.
It doesn't have to be an enemy,
Just someone who you have some difficulty with.
And you don't need to bring this person too close.
There can be as much distance between the two of you as feels right.
And this person that you have difficulty feeling care for,
It might even be you.
You may like to place your hands somewhere,
Somewhere else on your body.
And taking time to acknowledge that this person who is difficult and challenging to show kindness towards is also human.
That they too need to breathe.
That they too have suffered in ways that are probably beyond our knowing.
And the kindness that we offer them is not to condone their behaviour.
And just like you,
They make mistakes and have taken actions that have hurt others.
And this person too faces stress and struggles in their life.
And if it feels right,
Offering this person wishes of kindness.
Wishing them peace and ease in their mind,
Their body and heart.
Taking a few deeper and fuller breaths here,
Bring your attention back to yourself and noticing as best you can how you respond to doing this.
Returning to whatever's arising,
Making space with kindness and acceptance without trying to make something happen.
Breathing,
Sending kindness as best you can.
And then finally,
If it feels right for you,
Extending this wishing of kindness to all beings around the world.
With a few fuller and deeper breaths.
Perhaps placing your hands on your body and place that supports this intention.
Bringing to mind these beings,
The attention of kindness to all beings.
To all beings near to where you live.
To all beings over oceans and to countries near and far.
To all humanity,
The young and the old,
Sick and healthy,
Poor and wealthy.
To all humans,
Knowing that we all feel challenged and suffer at times in our lives.
That all humans need kindness,
Warmth,
Care,
Friendliness and compassion.
If it feels right,
Sending out these wishes to all people all around the world.
Bringing these wishes of ease and peace.
And then when you're feeling ready,
Taking a few fuller and deeper breaths again.
Bringing your attention back to yourself as you notice your thoughts and feelings,
Any body sensations and as best you can,
Welcoming them all.
And returning to the abode of your heart,
Feeling what is here to be felt.
Feeling what is here to be known.
Knowing as well that even if this practice felt uncomfortable,
Or even contrived,
That if it touched you in any way,
You can continue for small moments,
Many times of the day.
Offering to yourself,
To another,
A moment of warmth.
Resting here in the awareness of the heart.
Beginning to take a few deeper and fuller breaths again.
And if your eyes were closed,
Beginning to open your eyes,
And you may like to stretch.
Thank you for your kindness practice.
