Dipping Into The Power Of Respect

I'm going to try a kind of a hybrid practice here.

So if it's resonant,

Wonderful.

And if it's not,

Then you can just let go of the words and sit and pay attention to the breath or whatever your practice is.

So it's called dipping into the power of respect.

And yeah,

Just find your comfortable posture for right now.

Posture that will support you and first checking in,

Stabilizing the mind and heart.

And just take a few breaths and really begin to tap into the goodness of your own heart.

Maybe put your hand on your heart if that's helpful.

I do that a lot these days.

And then maybe there's someone that you can call to mind who is different from you,

Thinks differently or believes different things about the world.

It might be someone who is behaving in inappropriate ways,

Unskillful ways,

But maybe not the worst person.

We can work up to this.

And just imagine that they are in front of you,

But that you're safe.

So you don't feel unsafe.

So maybe it's just their image or maybe if that doesn't even feel safe,

Maybe it's just an imagination of them.

And then just say in your heart to them,

I see you.

You are wounded and flawed,

Just like me.

You are afraid and angry,

Just like me.

May your wounds heal,

Just like I want mine to.

May you accept your imperfections,

Just like I'm learning to do.

May your path lead to learning how to care for and respect yourself and others without exception.

And may mine lead that way as well.

And maybe both orient our work in our lives and reorient when we go off course towards love.