Welcome to this calm your mind,
Open your heart meditation.
I'm Victoria and today we're focusing on reconciliation and forgiveness of the self through loving kindness.
We'll begin our practice by just settling in and getting comfortable.
I invite you to close your eyes or just have a soft gaze as you bring your awareness to your body.
Smoothing out any wrinkles on your forehead or your face.
Softening your jaw,
Letting your shoulders relax,
Letting your hands be open and soft.
And simply being present to your body right now.
We'll begin with a few slow deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
With each breath just allowing your body to soften,
Anchoring your attention here in the present moment.
Noticing where you feel the breath most distinctly.
Perhaps in your nostrils or in your belly or in the rise and the fall of your chest.
Allowing your attention to stay anchored there.
Brings the competitive pause here on your chest and in your chest.
Now give your entire attention to the heart.
If your mind begins to wander,
Simply notice that without judgment,
Come back to the breath,
Back to the present moment.
You're often our own worst critic and the harshest judge,
Especially when we feel as though we've wronged others.
So today,
We'll read a short passage from Thich Nhat Hanh and focus on bringing peace through a loving-kindness practice directed toward the self.
In the book,
How to Love,
Thich Nhat Hanh says,
Even if the person with whom you need to reconcile is very far away,
You can still do the work of reconciliation now.
What is important is to reconcile within your own heart and mind.
If reconciliation is done within,
That is enough,
Because the effect of that reconciliation will be felt everywhere later on.
Even if the person you want to reconcile with refuses to respond,
Or even if she's already dead,
Reconciliation is still possible.
Reconciliation means to work it out within yourself so that peace can be restored.
Reconcile with yourself for the sake of the world,
For the sake of all living beings.
Your peace and serenity are crucial for all of us.
Taking a moment now to let those words sink in.
Visualizing a person or a situation that you'd like to reconcile,
Perhaps recent or perhaps an old issue from your past.
Bringing it up.
Just noticing what comes up for you.
How does it show up in your body?
What emotions are coming up?
Instead of pushing it away or judging,
Just simply allow,
Let your awareness rest in that situation,
That person with whom you'd like to reconcile.
Turning now inward,
Knowing that reconciliation is working it out within yourself so that you can have inner peace.
Allowing yourself now,
Only to the degree that you're able to open your heart.
Allowing feelings of forgiveness and compassion and understanding to flow in.
Sending now some loving kindness phrases to yourself to support the reconciliation you need to have peace of mind and to move forward.
You can use my phrases or you can create your own that are more authentic to your situation.
May I be kind to myself.
May I nourish myself.
May I accept myself completely.
May I be at peace.
Repeating those phrases or perhaps repeating your own.
Just allowing yourself to really feel into that inner reconciliation,
Compassion,
Understanding,
Loving kindness towards yourself.
Knowing that you are here to love and to be loved.
Just coming back now into your body,
Noticing the feelings you've generated from within.
Noticing the sensations in your body and allowing yourself to begin to have movement come back into your body.
Perhaps wiggling your toes.
Running your thumb across your fingers.
Whenever you're ready,
I invite you to open your eyes and listen to the sound of the bell.
And remind yourself as you go throughout your day that you are love and you are here to give that love and to be loved.
