Kindness Meditation

This week I taught at the end of each class, one of my favorite kindness meditations.

Sit or lie down comfortably.

Close the eyes.

Mentally follow the air in and out of your nostrils. Don’t modify your breathing, or try to reproduce it to find something special, just mentally and carefully observe your in-breath and out-breath. And you just sit there, still, while you give your maximum attention to your breath.

Then you visualize a mirror, and mentally approach it, so that you can see clearly  the image of your face and your eyes. You share your attention between your breath and your mirror image.

And looking at yourself, you simply, concisely and directly state what compassion is. After saying the first time, you will repeat it a few more times, try to use a calm voice, and slowly listen to each word, and as you do, enjoy and observe what sensations are awakened within you. Don’t judge or change what appears, stay neutral to continue to observe what happens in each moment inside you.

Mark 5 minutes on your watch, and calmly try to find contact with your breath, and then, without haste, create the mirror visualization, observe yourself in that image, and follow mentally and without attachment what is emerging within you as you affirm what is compassion. Repeat these words a few times, and when you feel it’s time to stop, be silent, keeping in touch with your breath, and with the image of yourself in the mirror, attentive to what is appearing.

To finish, just calmly turn your senses to what is around you, while retaining the description of compassion, and the sensations that were awakened during your meditation, as inspiration for the rest of your day.

Try it.

BOAS PRÁTICAS