So,
I feel like I'm probably not the only one who has felt that this year has sparked stronger tensions and less than loving energies between ourselves and people who we love and care for.
Not to mention strong feelings of judgment towards people we don't know or who we have no relationship with.
Hot topics this year have become increasingly polarized,
Offering us false dichotomies that lead us to believe truth is only found on one side or goodness is only found on one side and typically that's the side we ourselves resonate most with.
All of this can lead us to feeling disconnected from loved ones and from the community at large and so this meditation is a short practice to help us rekindle feelings of love and care for someone close to us,
Someone who might hold a different political or philosophical view than we do.
I invite you to practice this first with someone you love in mind and then if you'd like you can practice it again with an acquaintance,
Someone you have negative feelings towards or even a stranger.
So I'll invite you to begin just by settling into your seat,
Straightening your spine,
Softening your shoulders and closing your eyes.
Practice if there's any tension perhaps in your forehead,
In your shoulders,
In your belly or your hands and just let those soften naturally if that feels comfortable.
And then tune into your breath just noticing its simple flow into and out of the body without trying to change it or force it to be any different than it is right now.
If thoughts arise in the mind,
See if you can imagine them softening,
Perhaps sinking down into your heart as you come back to the breath.
And now let your attention focus in on the heart space,
Imagining that each inhalation creates an energetic opening here and each exhalation helps you to soften.
For the time being,
See if you can lay beside you any beliefs,
Any judgments,
Any fears,
Just putting them to rest just for this short practice.
And to breathe through the heart,
Opening as you breathe in and softening as you breathe out.
Ground yourself in the heart's warmth,
Love and compassion.
And now I invite you to call to mind a person who you love,
Who you care for,
But perhaps someone who lately you've had differences of opinions to.
Perhaps you don't see eye to eye on an issue that feels important to both of you.
And as you call this person to mind,
Imagine yourself sitting in a comfortable room,
Face to face.
No words are exchanged.
You are simply holding one another in warmth,
In love,
And with your shared humanity in both mind and heart.
As you hold this person in your awareness,
See if you can notice,
Observe,
Or embrace the pureness of their being,
The core of who they are before beliefs,
Before opinions,
Before their conditioning.
And with this person in your awareness,
I invite you to silently whisper to them,
I see you.
I love you.
I care for you.
I see your goodness.
I honor your humanity.
I see you.
I love you.
I care for you.
I see your goodness.
I honor your humanity.
If there are any other words you'd like to offer to this person,
I invite you to do so in silence now,
Or simply rest in their presence and in whatever might be rising for you now.
Slowly,
Now,
You can let their image fade,
Coming back to the breath as it moves through your heart.
Again,
Notice if there's any contraction in the forehead,
Those muscles around the eyes,
Your jaw,
Your shoulders,
Your hands,
Or your belly,
Seeing if you might soften a little bit.
And then come back to the breath,
Back to the breath as it moves through the heart.
Notice whatever thoughts or feelings are present for you right now,
Knowing that however you feel is entirely welcome.
See if you can offer yourself that same love,
Compassion,
And care that you just offered to this other person.
Be patient and tender with yourself,
Knowing that sometimes life is messy,
Sometimes it and our relationships are complex.
See if you can allow that to be while still holding love and compassion in your heart.
Come back to the natural ebb and flow of your breath.
And before we close this meditation,
I invite you to take a few deep breaths into the belly.
And when you release,
You might like to let go a soft sigh to help soften a little bit further.
Feel into the earth beneath you,
Feeling yourself supported here in this very moment.
And when you're ready,
You can slowly start to blink your eyes open,
Coming back to the dynamic complex world of relationships that exists all around you.
