Slowly inhaling through the nose and then a long,
Easy breath out through the mouth.
Doing this again.
Slow inhale through the nose and a long,
Easy breath out through the mouth.
Now bring your hands in front of you and begin to rub them together a few times.
And then when you're ready,
Place your hands over your heart,
Feeling the warmth of the palms in your chest.
Notice your heart beating and the gentle rise and fall of your breath meeting your hands on your chest.
Let that warmth begin to spread through your chest,
Your ribcage,
Across your shoulders,
Down your arms and legs.
Just let it spread throughout your whole body.
And then releasing your hands,
Letting them just rest at your sides or maybe in your lap.
Now in your mind's eye,
Recall a moment when someone was kind to you.
Just a small moment.
Maybe it was a smile,
A kind word,
Someone making space for you,
Maybe holding the door open when your hands were full.
And allow yourself to feel that spark of warmth that that memory brings.
Really tap into this feeling.
And now recall a moment when you were kind to someone else.
A small gesture,
Maybe something simple.
Checking in on someone,
Making someone a meal who's having a hard time,
Maybe letting someone merge in front of you in traffic.
And just notice how your body responds as you recall this memory.
What are you feeling right now?
Maybe the jaw softens as you smile a little bit.
Perhaps you feel warmth in your chest.
Maybe your shoulders drop.
Maybe it's something else.
Whatever you're feeling right now,
That's your kindness awakening.
The warmth and connection that is inside every one of us and every little moment of kindness,
Big and small.
Returning your awareness to your chest now.
Maybe you can feel that warmth from your palms still lingering.
But in your chest,
Imagine a warm gentle light glowing softly in your heart.
It's a small cozy warm glow,
Like a candle behind a frosted glass.
It's cozy,
Comforting,
Just a warm amber glow in your heart.
With each breath,
Allow that light to go stronger.
Let it move through you and begin to radiate out of you.
Maybe even filling up the space that you're in.
With each breath and each moment,
Let the glow and the feeling of kindness to grow bigger within you and around you.
And now in your mind's eye,
Imagine yourself starting a new day.
You wake up,
Sit up in bed,
And instead of rushing to get started,
You pause and take a moment to say something kind to yourself.
Just notice how different this feels.
Even this tiny little change to the beginning of your day.
And now imagine walking into the kitchen or the bathroom wherever your morning begins.
And see yourself doing what you would normally do,
But maybe adding a little bit of kindness into those tasks.
While you make your morning coffee or tea,
Maybe you make one for your partner or roommate too.
Maybe as you begin to pack up your kids' backpacks for the day,
You put a little note in there saying I love you.
Or you put their socks in the dryer for a minute so they're warm on their cold feet.
Whatever it is,
Same day as always,
But this day,
Let your tasks be filled with these little moments of kindness just infused into what you're already doing.
And now see yourself interacting with someone.
Maybe a coworker,
A partner,
Or even someone you just interact with briefly.
And imagine you put a little bit of kindness into that interaction.
Or perhaps they do something kind for you.
What's different about this interaction this time?
How does it feel different in your body?
And now imagine yourself in a moment that usually feels stressful.
Traffic,
Answering emails,
Something that you have to rush through today.
But this time,
Instead of tightening,
You pause,
You soften,
And you add some kindness.
You let someone in while they're merging,
Even though you're in a rush.
You respond to that email with something kind,
Even if you're tempted to be short.
And you speak to yourself with love and compassion during the stressful moments of the day,
Or if you make a mistake or forget something.
These things are small.
They're doable.
And adding them up and the actions of your day makes a very,
Very different day.
Feels very different,
Even if the tasks remain the same.
Small actions infused with warmth,
Filled with compassion.
A day that's shaped not by effort,
But by intention.
And now return to the glow in your heart and let it expand outward into your home,
Your neighborhood,
Your community.
Maybe it grows so big,
It expands to beings,
All the beings everywhere.
That warm,
Amber glow of kindness creating a circle radiating outward from you.
And now you tell yourself three times,
May I embody kindness.
May I offer kindness with ease.
May I receive kindness with openness.
And let these words sink into your heart,
Like a seed being planted to grow throughout the rest of your day.
And one final time,
Placing your hands over your heart,
Feeling the warmth there.
Noticing the space you've created.
And feel the kindness alive inside you,
Ready to move with you throughout the rest of your day.
And together we'll take a big,
Deep breath in through the nose.
Open mouth exhale,
Let it go.
Bringing yourself back to this space,
Into this moment.
Opening the eyes and continuing on with your day.
Thank you so much for being here today.
