Short Sitting And Loving Kindness

So perhaps noticing how you're feeling right now as you are seated or if you need to lying down.

Noticing if your shoulders can be a little bit more away from the ears.

Notice if some movement with the head would help right now to allow any reminiscent of tensions in the day to be present but not so strong perhaps.

And noticing if the hands will be comfortable lying on your lap or on your knees or on top of each other.

And inviting this body to be awake,

Falling awake.

How we invite the bell three times and we begin by listening.

Listening to this sound of the bell.

For some of us the sound will be longer,

For some of us will be shorter or without judgment with that mind that is here in the present.

Just listening.

Now noticing the eyes.

If it's okay,

If it feels comfortable to load the gaze or perhaps to close the eyes.

Knowing what feels comfortable to you right now and following the wisdom of the body.

And as we are following the wisdom of the body,

Inviting the attention to be here with this body in this moment.

We have paid attention to the ears by listening to the sound of the chime,

The bell.

And perhaps now noticing sensations of touch in your body.

Noticing perhaps the hands.

How does it feel for the hands to be placed where they are?

Noticing temperature.

Perhaps sensations of tingling,

Pulsing,

Itching.

As we become aware of sensations of touch,

We can notice that those sensations they tend to change.

And how is it for us to be with the sensation without judging or wishing they were different than they are?

Knowing that when the mind wanders and I say when because this is only natural the mind goes somewhere else.

Sometimes to the past,

Sometimes to the future.

As soon as we notice the mind is not present with the sensations that is also a moment of mindfulness.

It's a moment to be celebrated.

And as part of the practice we notice where did the mind go.

With a very short label we notice where the mind went and we invite the mind back.

Now the object of attention is sensations on the hands.

So there is a firm intention to bring the mind back and also a gentleness,

A compassionate way to bring the mind back.

And perhaps now noticing sensations on both feet.

What are sensations that are available right now?

Both feet.

And if it's available now noticing the sensation of the in-breath and out-breath.

And now as we continue into this practice it's your turn to choose the object of attention that will serve you better this evening.

And how do you choose that?

Let the wise heart choose it for you.

Inviting the body to show you where to pay attention this evening for this practice.

And letting the attention be in that part of the body you chose.

Allowing the awareness to be present.

Allowing the attention to be focused with no judgment.

What is present in this moment?

Noticing it.

And we already know when the mind wanders off we bring it back.

There is a gentleness and a firmness together in bringing the mind back after we recognize what took the mind away.

So if the mind goes away ten times we bring it back ten times.

If it goes away a thousand times a thousand times we bring it back.

This is the practice.

The practice of becoming aware of what's here.

What is present.

And I'll be silent for a couple minutes now so we can practice together.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

So slowly at your own pace expanding the focus of attention to the entire body again.

So noticing if your body is in a position where you're comfortable to be on the next 20 minutes or so.

A continuation of the sitting meditation will be a loving kindness meditation.

So if you need to reposition yourself if you need to have a support for the back.

Making yourself comfortable and awake.

Falling awake.

The loving kindness meditation it's a way of connecting with our wise heart.

We are going to use words,

Images,

Feelings to evoke a sense of loving kindness and friendliness towards ourselves and others.

I'll be suggesting some phrases and they are just this.

They are suggestion.

If the phrases that I am suggesting do not resonate with you feel free to use your own words to express the intention of planting the seeds of good wishes over and over in our heart.

When we have a loving heart on the background most of what we attempt we encounter with that open and we allow it to flow more easily.

So the heart as the background.

So noticing again the body.

Offering this loving kindness to the body in this moment and connecting with the heart and allowing a soft heart.

Perhaps letting it go of any planning preoccupation.

Allowing the heart to be soft and we will begin the practice of loving kindness with ourselves.

When we begin with ourselves we have the sense of only when I can love myself as I am.

I can love others.

This sometimes can be a difficult thought that I need to love myself and as I love myself and accept myself then I'm ready to love and accept others.

Because here in the West we tend to feel that it is selfishness to love ourselves first.

So even if this is coming for you right now just noticing and allowing it to rest as much as possible and allowing the heart to be soft.

For some of us might be difficult to offer loving kindness to that who we are.

Perhaps for some people it's easier to imagine when we were little.

A two-year old,

A five,

A ten.

So noticing what's your heart asking for now as you invited to imagine yourself and saying either the words that I'm gonna say or your own good wishes,

Loving kindness words towards yourself.

So with this open and soft heart saying to yourself,

May I be filled with loving kindness.

May I be safe from inner and outer danger.

May I be well in body and mind.

May I be at ease and happy.

So allowing this wishes to really come into that who you are.

May I be filled with loving kindness.

May I be safe from inner and outer danger.

May I be well in body and mind.

May I be at ease and happy.

Bathing in yourself and those words or your own good wishes,

Loving kindness,

Safe,

Well,

At ease and happy.

And as you repeat those phrases,

If possible,

Only if possible,

Picture picturing yourself as you are now and holding that image with a loving kindness heart.

Oh,

Perhaps if you choose to picturing yourself as a young child and offering those words with the soft heart.

And either repeating my words or creating your own words of loving kindness and repeating them over and over again,

Allowing the feelings to permeate your body,

Your mind.

Right here,

Right now.

May I be filled with loving kindness.

May I be safe from inner and outer danger.

May I be well in body and mind.

May I be at ease and happy.

And perhaps we can feel that those words are mechanical or awkward.

And sometimes it can even bring feelings of anger or irritation.

And if that's the case with you,

It's very important and we can be patient and kind towards ourselves.

And opening the heart to receive whatever is here.

Almost with the gesture of extending a red carpet and allowing it to be received with the kind and the love of the heart.

May I be filled with loving kindness.

May I be safe from inner and outer danger.

May I be well in body and mind.

May I be at ease and happy.

Residing the good wishes,

The loving kindness over and over again.

And if you feel ready now,

Only if you feel ready,

Perhaps bringing to mind a benefactor.

Someone who at some point in your life was either a mentor or offered you words of encouragement that you still remember.

Someone for whom you have respect,

Love.

And as you break that image into the mind if you wish,

Offering those words to that person.

And sometimes it had happened with me,

I just don't know where to find this person or I don't know who to choose.

So there's not a better place or a better person to be chosen.

The one that comes first to your mind perhaps that is the person.

I remember the first time I did the loving kindness meditation I brought to my memory a teacher that said one day a couple words that were so important to me.

So now picturing that one person and offering the same words.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer danger.

May you be well and body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

So with that picturing place in your mind offering that person over and over again the words of loving kindness,

The words of good wishes.

And again it might feel awkward to offer that and it's okay allowing whatever feeling is coming to be here with you in this moment.

And continuing with offering the words,

Offering this loving kindness intention towards that person.

And for some people sometimes it's even easier to offer it to a pet and it's also okay.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer danger.

May you be well and body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

Let the image and the feelings you have for this person or pet support this meditation,

This loving kindness meditation.

And if the image is not very clear it doesn't matter.

In a meditation they are all subject to change.

Let's just continue together planting the seeds of loving wishes,

Repeating the phrases no matter what arises,

Allowing it and continue with the good wishes,

The loving kindness wishes.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer danger.

May you be well and body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

Expressing the gratitude to our benefactors is a natural form of love.

And some people have said that they found loving kindness wishes towards themselves to be so hard.

Sometimes they would rather begin the practice with a benefactor.

So next time you practice this is also okay.

Knowing the way that your heart is open more easily.

This is awareness.

And as we are offering these good wishes,

Loving kindness wishes to this person and if we feel comfortable with that we can then begin to expand and include other people in this loving kindness meditation.

Perhaps choosing a person from the family with whom we have a good relationship but sometimes can get a little at the edge.

Not the most difficult person.

Perhaps one that sometimes is so easy to love that person and sometimes is not that easy.

And picturing that person in our mind and again it doesn't have to be a sharp image.

In a meditation things change or if there is no one in the family perhaps expands into the friendship circle.

And just allowing the first picture that comes to mind to be held in loving kindness.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm.

May you be well in body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

Loving kindness.

Safe.

Wow.

At ease and happy.

And noticing that those words again they might feel mechanical and it's okay.

We don't have to get caught by those words.

We can notice that awkwardness is present and continue with the good wishes.

The loving kindness wishes.

We're inviting the heart to receive the seeds of loving kindness and the softness.

And now only if you choose to.

You can continue with the good wishes and loving kindness towards yourself or benefactor or a person who you love and sometimes have some difficulties.

Or if you choose to you can bring to mind a person that is very difficult in your life or even someone you might consider as an enemy.

And wishing that they too may be filled with loving kindness and peace.

And perhaps now it's not a good moment for you to connect with that difficult person and it's okay.

Let's go back to another person and if the heart is open and if this is a good time offering to that very difficult person the wishes.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be free from inner and outer danger.

May you be well in body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be free from inner and outer danger.

May you be well in body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

And noticing how is it for you right now in the heart and knowing that we are planting seeds.

And loving kindness can be practiced anywhere.

Perhaps we are stuck in a traffic jam,

Worrying,

Meeting or when it's allowed on an airplane and we can begin the practice.

And practice this loving kindness wishes towards ourselves and others.

And as you are practicing silently this loving kindness meditation,

Perhaps you feel a different connection with them.

And this different connection is called the power of loving kindness.

And you might even notice that the heart is calmer,

The mind is calmer after practicing the loving kindness meditation.

So before we close our time together on this meditation,

Perhaps if you wish and only if you wish,

Creating this very large circle around the world.

And offering the loving kindness words.

May we all be filled with loving kindness.

May we all be safe from inner and outer danger.

May we all be well in body and mind.

May we all be at ease and happy.

And with your own words or repeating my words,

If you choose to inviting this intentions to be spreading all over the world.

May we all be filled with loving kindness.

May we all be free from inner and outer danger.

May we all be well in body and mind.

May we all be at ease and happy.

Loving kindness.

Free.

Well.

At ease and happy.

Now slowly if you chose to go in this large circle,

Bringing the awareness back and back and back and connecting with your body again in this present moment.

Connecting with being seated.

And I will invite the bell one time as we pay attention to the sound of the bell.

We can also begin to notice that this is the only moment we have.

So may we enjoy this moment and our ability to be listening to the waves of sounds that are coming into our ears right now.

Thank you for your practice and as you wish you can start to stretch arms and legs and if the eyes were closed perhaps opening the eyes and noticing the light the colors the shapes in the room and perhaps if it's available offering yourself a smile.

Thank you.