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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to your quiet moment. Take a deep breath in

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<v Speaker 1>through your nose and let it leave you slowly through

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<v Speaker 1>your mouth. Feel the air moved through your body, and

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<v Speaker 1>let it carry with it the noise of the day.

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<v Speaker 1>You are here now, in this moment, and nothing else

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<v Speaker 1>requires your attention. There is nowhere you need to be,

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<v Speaker 1>There is nothing you need to do. Just this, just here,

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<v Speaker 1>just breath meeting breath, breath by breath. Let your shoulders soften,

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<v Speaker 1>let your jar release, Let your eyes close if they

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<v Speaker 1>have not already, and let the world outside this moment

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<v Speaker 1>fall gently away. Tonight we are going to walk together

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<v Speaker 1>through a practice called loving kindness. It is an ancient

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<v Speaker 1>practice given to us by the Buddha more than two

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<v Speaker 1>thousand years ago, and it is as alive today as

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<v Speaker 1>it was then. It is a practice of offering warmth

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<v Speaker 1>to yourself first, and then gently extending that warmth outward

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<v Speaker 1>until it reaches every corner of your life. Some people

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<v Speaker 1>call it meta, which means loving kindness in the Old

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<v Speaker 1>poly language. Others simply call it the practice of love.

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<v Speaker 1>Whatever name we give it, the heart of it is this.

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<v Speaker 1>You sit quietly, you breathe, and you offer to yourself,

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<v Speaker 1>and to others, the wish that they be well, that

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<v Speaker 1>they be safe, that they be at peace. It is

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<v Speaker 1>a practice so simple that even a child can do it,

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<v Speaker 1>and yet when we sit with it deeply, it can

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<v Speaker 1>transform the way we see ourselves and the way we

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<v Speaker 1>see everyone we meet. So tonight we are going to

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<v Speaker 1>slow down. We are going to make space, and we

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<v Speaker 1>are going to walk through loving kindness, step by step,

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<v Speaker 1>beginning with you, then moving out to the people you

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<v Speaker 1>love than to the people who are harder to love,

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<v Speaker 1>and finally to all beings everywhere. Take your time. There

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<v Speaker 1>is no rush, and if your mind wanders, that is

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<v Speaker 1>perfectly fine. That is what minds do. Each time you

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<v Speaker 1>notice you have wandered, just gently return to the breath

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<v Speaker 1>and to the wish, and begin it again. Let us

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<v Speaker 1>begin before we go further. Let your body find its position.

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<v Speaker 1>If you are sitting, feel the weight of your body.

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<v Speaker 1>Settle into the chair or into the cushion beneath you.

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<v Speaker 1>Let the chair hold you, Let the ground hold the chair.

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<v Speaker 1>You do not have to hold yourself up. The earth

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<v Speaker 1>is doing that work. If you are lying down, let

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<v Speaker 1>the back of your body grow heavy against the floor

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<v Speaker 1>or the bed. Let the back of your head, your shoulders,

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<v Speaker 1>your spine, your hips, the backs of your heels all

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<v Speaker 1>grow soft and heavy, sinking into whatever is beneath you.

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<v Speaker 1>There is nothing to hold onto, there is nothing to grip,

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<v Speaker 1>Just this body, breathing in this place, in this moment.

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<v Speaker 1>Bring your attention now to the place where your body

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<v Speaker 1>meets the breath. You can feel it at the nostrils,

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<v Speaker 1>where the air moves in and out, or you can

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<v Speaker 1>feel it in the chest, where the ribs expand and

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<v Speaker 1>soften with each breath, or in the belly, where the

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<v Speaker 1>breath rises and falls like a tide. Choose the place

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<v Speaker 1>that feels easiest for you tonight, and rest your awareness there.

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<v Speaker 1>Do not try to change the breath, Do not try

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<v Speaker 1>to make it deeper or slower or longer. Just notice it.

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<v Speaker 1>The in breath, the outbreath, the pause between the in breath,

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<v Speaker 1>the outbreath, the pause between each breath is a whole life.

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<v Speaker 1>It it begins, it moves through you when it leaves you,

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<v Speaker 1>and another comes, and another and another. Let yourself be

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<v Speaker 1>carried by the breath the way a leaf is carried

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<v Speaker 1>by a slow moving stream. You do not have to steer,

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<v Speaker 1>You do not have to push, just float. Now. Let

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<v Speaker 1>us take a few moments to arrive fully in the body.

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<v Speaker 1>Let your attention travel slowly down through you, from the

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<v Speaker 1>crown of your head all the way to the tips

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<v Speaker 1>of your toes. Notice the scalp, Notice the forehead, smooth

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<v Speaker 1>and unhurried. Notice the small muscles around the eyes. Notice

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<v Speaker 1>the jaw gently unclenched, the teeth softly apart, the tongue

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<v Speaker 1>resting in the floor of the mouth. Notice the back

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<v Speaker 1>of the neck growing longer. Notice the throat opened and easy.

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<v Speaker 1>Notice the shoulders, which so often carry the weight of

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<v Speaker 1>our days, let them drop just a little with each exhale.

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<v Speaker 1>Notice the arms, the upper arms, the elbows, the forearms,

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<v Speaker 1>the wrists, the palms, the fingers, Let them be heavy.

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<v Speaker 1>Notice the chest rising and falling. Notice the ribs expanding

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<v Speaker 1>sideways in back like wings. Notice the belly, soft, moving

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<v Speaker 1>with the breath. Notice the lower back, the hips, the seat.

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<v Speaker 1>Notice the thighs, the knees, the calves, the ankles, the feet,

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<v Speaker 1>the heels, the soles, the toes. From the top of

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<v Speaker 1>the head to the tips of the toes. You are here,

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<v Speaker 1>You are whole, You are present, You are welcome. Here,

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<v Speaker 1>in this body, in this breath, in this moment. Now

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<v Speaker 1>take a long, slow inhil through the nose, fill the

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<v Speaker 1>lungs all the way to the bottom, and release the

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<v Speaker 1>breath through the moth with a soft sigh. Take another

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<v Speaker 1>inhale slowly fully, and exhale slowly fully. One more inhale

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<v Speaker 1>and exhale. Let the breath find its own rhythm, now

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<v Speaker 1>easy and natural, like the breathing of a sleeping child.

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<v Speaker 1>You are settling in. You are arriving. There is nowhere

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<v Speaker 1>else to be. As you settle in, let me invite

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<v Speaker 1>you to consider something. Loving. Kindness is not something we

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<v Speaker 1>have to invent. It is not something we have to

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<v Speaker 1>create from nothing. It is already here. It is already

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<v Speaker 1>inside you. It may be quiet, it may be buried

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<v Speaker 1>under years of criticism or worry, or grief or exhaustion,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is here, like a small, warm, cold buried

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<v Speaker 1>under ash. And tonight our practice is simply to blow

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<v Speaker 1>jectly on that call and let it glow again. So

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<v Speaker 1>often we are taught that we need to earn love,

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<v Speaker 1>that we need to deserve it, that it comes only

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<v Speaker 1>when we have achieved something, or pleased someone, or becomes

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<v Speaker 1>someone different from who we are. But loving kindness teaches

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<v Speaker 1>something else. It teaches that you are already worthy of

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<v Speaker 1>your own love, right here, right now, in this exact body,

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<v Speaker 1>with this exact history, with these exact scars, and these

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<v Speaker 1>exact gifts, You are worthy of your own kindness. And

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<v Speaker 1>that is the place we begin, not with anyone else,

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<v Speaker 1>with you. So, as you breathe, let a simple question

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<v Speaker 1>settle into your heart, a question that does not need

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<v Speaker 1>an answer, just the question itself. Can I offer myself

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<v Speaker 1>kindness tonight? Can I let myself be held by my

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<v Speaker 1>own love the way I it hold someone I love

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<v Speaker 1>very much? Let that question rest, Do not try to

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<v Speaker 1>answer it, just let it be there, breathing with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Now gently we begin with the simplest wish, the wish

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<v Speaker 1>you offer to yourself. There are many forms this wish

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<v Speaker 1>can take. The most traditional begins like this, May I

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<v Speaker 1>be safe, May I be healthy, May I be at peace,

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<v Speaker 1>may I live with ease. Let us take these one

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<v Speaker 1>at a time and breathe them into your heart. As

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<v Speaker 1>you breathe in, you might silently say to yourself, may

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<v Speaker 1>I be safe, And as you breathe out, you might add,

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<v Speaker 1>may I be safe, Let the wish try through you

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<v Speaker 1>with the breath. May I be safe from harm, Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>but also from the harm we do to ourselves, the

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<v Speaker 1>harsh self talk, the way we speak to ourselves when

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<v Speaker 1>we make a mistake. May I be safe from that?

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<v Speaker 1>May I be safe from the violence of my own

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<v Speaker 1>inner critic. May I be safe in body, in mind,

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<v Speaker 1>in heart. Breathe in, May I be safe. Breathe out.

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<v Speaker 1>May I be safe. Let this wish sink into you.

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<v Speaker 1>Do not worry about whether you believe it. The wish

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<v Speaker 1>itself is the practice. The wishing is enough. Let us

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<v Speaker 1>move to the next wish. May I be healthy. May

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<v Speaker 1>my body be well, and may my mind be well,

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<v Speaker 1>and may my heart be well. Health is not only

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<v Speaker 1>the absence of illness. It is the presence of something.

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<v Speaker 1>It is the presence of energy to do the things

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<v Speaker 1>that matter to you, the presence of a mind that

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<v Speaker 1>is not at war with itself, the presence of a

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<v Speaker 1>heart that is open enough to feel and steady enough

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<v Speaker 1>to bear what comes. May I be healthy. Breathe in

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<v Speaker 1>and wish yourself health. Breathe out and wish yourself health.

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<v Speaker 1>May I be healthy. Let the breath carry it through you.

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<v Speaker 1>May I be at peace. This is the heart of

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<v Speaker 1>the wish. May the storm inside me settle. May the

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<v Speaker 1>racing mind find its quiet center. May the clenched jaw soften,

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<v Speaker 1>May the tight chest open. May I know, even for

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<v Speaker 1>a moment tonight, what peace feels like in my own body.

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<v Speaker 1>Breathe in. May I be at peace. Breathe out. May

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<v Speaker 1>I be at peace. And finally, may I late with ease.

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<v Speaker 1>May I not suffer more than I need to. May

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<v Speaker 1>I forgive myself when I fall short. May I be

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<v Speaker 1>gentle with the parts of me that are struggling. May

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<v Speaker 1>I live with ease, and not with the grinding effort

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<v Speaker 1>of trying to be someone I am not. May I

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<v Speaker 1>live with ease. Breathe in. May I live with these

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<v Speaker 1>breathe out. May I live with these, stay with these

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<v Speaker 1>wishes for a few more breaths, let them circle through you.

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<v Speaker 1>May I be safe. May I be healthy. May I

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<v Speaker 1>be at peace. May I live with ease. There is

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<v Speaker 1>nowhere else to be, just you and the wish and

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<v Speaker 1>the breath. Now, let us take the wishes a little deeper.

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<v Speaker 1>As you breathe in, see if you can invite a

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<v Speaker 1>feeling of safety into the body feel the bones holding

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<v Speaker 1>you up, Feel the breath moving in and out, Feel

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<v Speaker 1>the ground beneath you wherever you are. Notice that in

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<v Speaker 1>this moment, you are alive, and aliveness itself is a

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<v Speaker 1>kind of safety. You are here in a body that

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<v Speaker 1>has carried you through everything so far, every joy, every grief,

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<v Speaker 1>every loss, every beginning. This body has held you. It

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<v Speaker 1>has not let you go. So let it continue to

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<v Speaker 1>hold you now. As you breathe out, release any tension

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<v Speaker 1>you are carrying in the body. Let it go. As

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<v Speaker 1>you breathe in, breathe in the wish, may I be safe,

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<v Speaker 1>And as you breathe out, breed out the wish. May

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<v Speaker 1>I be safe. Let the wish become the breath. Let

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<v Speaker 1>the breath become the wish. There is nothing else to do,

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<v Speaker 1>just this. May I be safe, May I be healthy?

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<v Speaker 1>May I be at peace? May I live with ease.

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<v Speaker 1>As you continue to breathe, let me invite you to

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<v Speaker 1>place a hand over your heart, if that feels right,

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<v Speaker 1>Feel the warmth of your own hand against your chest.

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<v Speaker 1>Feel the heart beating beneath your palm. That heart has

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<v Speaker 1>been beating every moment since you were born. It has

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<v Speaker 1>not stopped. It has not asked for your attention. It

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<v Speaker 1>has simply kept going, faithful, steady, loving you in its

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<v Speaker 1>own qual way. Let this hand on your heart become

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<v Speaker 1>part of the practice. As you breathe in, feel the

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<v Speaker 1>hand rise, as you breathe out, feel the handfall, and

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<v Speaker 1>between the breaths, feel the warmth. May I be safe,

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<v Speaker 1>you say, May I be healthy, May I be at peace,

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<v Speaker 1>May I live with ease. May I be held by

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<v Speaker 1>my own love tonight and always, May I be held.

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<v Speaker 1>As you offer these wishes to yourself, you may notice

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<v Speaker 1>something arising, some resistance, some part of you that does

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<v Speaker 1>not quite believe you deserve this, or some part that

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<v Speaker 1>thinks it is selfish to wish yourself well, or some

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<v Speaker 1>part that says, why should I be at peace when

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<v Speaker 1>others are suffering, or some part that simply feels nothing

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<v Speaker 1>at all and wonders what is along with you for

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<v Speaker 1>feeling nothing. If any of this is happening for you,

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<v Speaker 1>I want you to know it is normal, it is human,

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<v Speaker 1>and it is welcome here. The practice of loving kindness

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<v Speaker 1>is not about forcing yourself to feel loving. It is

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<v Speaker 1>about being with whatever is here with kindness. So if

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<v Speaker 1>resistance shows up, just notice it. Just breathe with it,

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<v Speaker 1>You might say, silently to the resistance itself, may you

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<v Speaker 1>be at peace. You might offer the wish to the

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<v Speaker 1>part of you that does not believe you deserve the wish,

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<v Speaker 1>even the part of you that criticizes you, that judges you,

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<v Speaker 1>that compares you to others. That part of you is

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<v Speaker 1>also a you, and it too deserves kindness. So let

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<v Speaker 1>me invite you, if resistance is here, to offer the

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<v Speaker 1>wish to it. May I be safe, you say to

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<v Speaker 1>the resistance. May I be healthy, May I be at peace.

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<v Speaker 1>May I live with ease. And then see if anything softens,

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<v Speaker 1>See if the resistance loosens its grip even a little.

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<v Speaker 1>And if nothing softens, that is fine too. Just notice,

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<v Speaker 1>just breathe and offer the wish again. Now let us

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<v Speaker 1>go a little deeper. Imagine, if you will, a younger

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<v Speaker 1>version of yourself, not a stranger, just you, at some

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<v Speaker 1>earth age, perhaps a child, perhaps a teenager, perhaps even younger.

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<v Speaker 1>The age does not matter. Just bring to mind a

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<v Speaker 1>version of you who was smaller and more vulnerable and

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<v Speaker 1>in need of care. You might remember their face, or

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<v Speaker 1>you might not. You might remember what they loved or

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<v Speaker 1>what they were afraid of. You might remember a specific moment,

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<v Speaker 1>a birthday, a school day, a quiet evening in a

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<v Speaker 1>room that fell too big. Let this younger version of

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<v Speaker 1>you come closer. Now, let them stand or sit near you,

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<v Speaker 1>and see if you can offer them the same wish

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<v Speaker 1>we have been practicing. May you be safe, you say

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<v Speaker 1>to this younger you. May you be healthy, May you

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<v Speaker 1>be at peace. May you live with ease. And see

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<v Speaker 1>if you can imagine them receiving it. See if you

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<v Speaker 1>can picture their shoulders softening. See if you can imagine

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<v Speaker 1>a small smile or a small breath of relief. They

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<v Speaker 1>have been waiting, perhaps for a long time, for someone

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<v Speaker 1>to offer them this kindness. You are that someone. Now

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<v Speaker 1>you are the adult they needed. And the wish is

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<v Speaker 1>the same wish. May you be safe, May you be healthy,

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<v Speaker 1>May you be at peace. May you live with ease.

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<v Speaker 1>Stay with this for a few breaths. Let the wish

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<v Speaker 1>move through you and to the them and back to you.

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<v Speaker 1>There is no separation between you and them. You are

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<v Speaker 1>the same person with more years on your body. They

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<v Speaker 1>live inside you still, in the way you carry yourself,

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<v Speaker 1>in the way you react to the world. So loving

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<v Speaker 1>them is a way of loving yourself, and loving yourself

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<v Speaker 1>is a way of loving them. Now take a moment

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<v Speaker 1>to notice how this younger you is feeling. Notice the

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<v Speaker 1>expression on their face. Notice if they are holding anything

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<v Speaker 1>in their hands. Notice if they have been waiting to

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<v Speaker 1>be seen. If tears come, let them come. If a

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00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:58.559
<v Speaker 1>memory surfaces, let it surface. You are not alone with it. Now.

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<v Speaker 1>The adult you was here with opener arms offering the wish.

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<v Speaker 1>May you be safe, you say again, May you be healthy,

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<v Speaker 1>May you be at peace. May you live with these

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<v Speaker 1>And if you wish, you can imagine picking them up

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<v Speaker 1>if they are small, or holding their hand if they

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<v Speaker 1>are older, or simply standing beside them, shoulder to shoulder

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<v Speaker 1>in silent companionship. Let them know, through your presence, through

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<v Speaker 1>your breath, through the wish you offer, that they are

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<v Speaker 1>not forgotten, that they are loved, that they were always loved,

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<v Speaker 1>even when the world did not show it. May you

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<v Speaker 1>be safe, May you be healthy, May you be at peace.

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<v Speaker 1>May you live with these? Day with this image for

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<v Speaker 1>a few more breaths, then gently let the younger you rest.

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<v Speaker 1>They do not need to leave. They can stay in

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<v Speaker 1>the room with you close by, but the focus can

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00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:19.200
<v Speaker 1>soften now, and as you breathe out, let the wish

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<v Speaker 1>travel through the body and back to yourself. May I

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<v Speaker 1>be safe, May I be healthy, May I be at peace?

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<v Speaker 1>May I live with ease. Now, gently let us widen

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<v Speaker 1>the circle. Bring to mind someone you love, someone who

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<v Speaker 1>is easy to love, a friend, a family member, a partner,

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<v Speaker 1>a child, a pet, someone who, when you think of them,

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00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:56.680
<v Speaker 1>brings a small warmth to your chest. You do not

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<v Speaker 1>need to see their face in detail. Just bring the

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00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:02.680
<v Speaker 1>feet of them into the room with you, Let them

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00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:05.759
<v Speaker 1>sit beside you or across from you, and now offer

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<v Speaker 1>them the wish. May you be safe, May you be healthy,

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00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:16.279
<v Speaker 1>May you be at peace. May you live with these

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00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:23.160
<v Speaker 1>Breathe in and wish them safety. Breathe out and wish

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<v Speaker 1>them safety. May you be safe from the dangers of

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<v Speaker 1>the world. Yes, but also from the dangers of their

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00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:37.039
<v Speaker 1>own minds, their own worries. May you be safe. May

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00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:43.240
<v Speaker 1>you be healthy. May their body be well, May their

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00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:49.319
<v Speaker 1>mind be well, May their heart be well. May you

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00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:56.000
<v Speaker 1>be healthy. May you be at peace. May the storms

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<v Speaker 1>inside them settle, May their minds fall quiet, May their

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00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:08.920
<v Speaker 1>hearts find rest. May you be at peace. May you

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00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:13.759
<v Speaker 1>live with ease. May they not suffer more than they

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00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:20.359
<v Speaker 1>need to. May they forgive themselves. May they be held

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<v Speaker 1>by life and by love, and by the kindness of

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<v Speaker 1>everyone who cares about them. May you live with ease.

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<v Speaker 1>Breathe in and wish them all of this. Breathe out

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<v Speaker 1>and wish them all of this. And notice how the

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00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:45.960
<v Speaker 1>wish feels in your own heart as you offer it.

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<v Speaker 1>Notice if it brings warmth to you as well. Notice

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<v Speaker 1>that offering kindness does not subtract from the kindness inside you,

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00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:05.039
<v Speaker 1>it multiplied. The heart that loves is not drained by loving.

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<v Speaker 1>The heart that loves is fed by loving. So let

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00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:19.000
<v Speaker 1>yourself be fed, Let yourself enjoy offering this wish. May

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00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:24.920
<v Speaker 1>you be safe, May you be healthy, May you be

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00:27:25.079 --> 00:27:31.000
<v Speaker 1>at peace. May you live with ease. Stay with this

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<v Speaker 1>for a few more breaths. Take a moment to imagine

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00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:41.039
<v Speaker 1>this person in a peaceful scene. Perhaps they are at

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00:27:41.079 --> 00:27:49.400
<v Speaker 1>home doing something they love. Perhaps they are laughing. Perhaps

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00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:56.559
<v Speaker 1>they are asleep, safe under a roof, breathing easily. Let

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00:27:56.599 --> 00:28:01.519
<v Speaker 1>the wish settle around them like soft life, like warm air.

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00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:06.559
<v Speaker 1>May everything be well for them. May they know somewhere

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00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:11.799
<v Speaker 1>inside that they are loved, not only by you, by

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00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:15.680
<v Speaker 1>life itself, by the breath that moves through them, by

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00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:20.240
<v Speaker 1>the body that carries them. May you be safe, May

319
00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:26.319
<v Speaker 1>you be healthy, May you be at peace. May you

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00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:31.319
<v Speaker 1>live with these. Now let us widen the circle again.

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<v Speaker 1>Bring to mind someone you do not know very well,

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<v Speaker 1>someone you have seen but do not really know. A

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<v Speaker 1>neighbor you pass on the street, a barista at the

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00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:49.200
<v Speaker 1>coffee shop, a person in the next car over at

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<v Speaker 1>the traffic light, someone who is to you mostly a stranger.

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<v Speaker 1>You do not need to know their name, you do

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<v Speaker 1>not need to know their story. Just bring the feeling

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00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:10.440
<v Speaker 1>of them into the room. They are there, and they

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00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:15.720
<v Speaker 1>too are a person with a body and a heart

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<v Speaker 1>and a mind, and they too want to be safe

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00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:25.920
<v Speaker 1>and healthy and at peace and to live with ease.

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<v Speaker 1>They too have known suffering, They too have loved someone

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00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:39.200
<v Speaker 1>and lost someone. They too are doing the best they

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00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:43.680
<v Speaker 1>can with what they have been given. So offer them

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00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:49.920
<v Speaker 1>the wish. May you be safe, May you be healthy,

336
00:29:51.440 --> 00:29:55.839
<v Speaker 1>May you be at peace, May you live with ease.

337
00:29:57.400 --> 00:30:02.640
<v Speaker 1>Breathe in and wish them well. Breathe out and wish

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00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:07.039
<v Speaker 1>them well. There is no need to feel anything special.

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<v Speaker 1>The wish does not need to come with fireworks. It

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00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:18.440
<v Speaker 1>can come quietly, like a small candle placed in a window.

341
00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:26.039
<v Speaker 1>May you be safe, May you be healthy, May you

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00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:32.519
<v Speaker 1>be at peace. May you live with these. Notice how

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<v Speaker 1>it feels to offer the wish to a stranger. Notice

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<v Speaker 1>if there is any judgment that arises, or any impatience.

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<v Speaker 1>If any of that arises, just notice it and offer

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00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:54.039
<v Speaker 1>the wish to that judgment too. May I be at peace,

347
00:30:54.519 --> 00:30:58.440
<v Speaker 1>you say to the judgment, May I live with these,

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00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:05.119
<v Speaker 1>And then return to the wish for the stranger. May

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00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:11.640
<v Speaker 1>you be safe, May you be healthy, May you be

350
00:31:11.799 --> 00:31:18.200
<v Speaker 1>at peace. May you live with ease. Now we come

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<v Speaker 1>to the part of the practice that asks the most

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00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:24.640
<v Speaker 1>of us, the part that for many people is the

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00:31:24.680 --> 00:31:28.960
<v Speaker 1>heart of the whole journey. Bring to mind someone who

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00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:33.200
<v Speaker 1>is difficult for you. This could be someone you are

355
00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:38.279
<v Speaker 1>still in conflict with, or someone whose actions hurt you,

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00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:42.559
<v Speaker 1>or someone who simply irritates you again and again in

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00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:46.680
<v Speaker 1>small ways. You do not have to bring the most

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00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:51.680
<v Speaker 1>painful person in your life, just someone who, when you

359
00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:56.079
<v Speaker 1>think of them, brings a small tightness to your chest.

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<v Speaker 1>Just bring them into the room and now offer them

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<v Speaker 1>the wish. May you be safe, May you be healthy,

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00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:13.240
<v Speaker 1>May you be at peace, May you live with ease.

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00:32:14.920 --> 00:32:20.559
<v Speaker 1>Notice if the wish feels impossible, Notice if some part

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00:32:20.599 --> 00:32:33.759
<v Speaker 1>of you rebels against it. We have been hurt by people,

365
00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:39.039
<v Speaker 1>and we have learned to protect ourselves by withhold of love.

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<v Speaker 1>That is a wise thing to do in many situations.

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<v Speaker 1>But tonight, in this practice, we are not being asked

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<v Speaker 1>to forgive them, or to reconcile with them, or to

369
00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:56.640
<v Speaker 1>put ourselves back in harm's way. We are simply being

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<v Speaker 1>asked to wish them well. Torrect recognize that beneath the

371
00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:05.279
<v Speaker 1>harm they have done, they are a person with the

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00:33:05.400 --> 00:33:10.000
<v Speaker 1>same longings we have. They want to be safe, they

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00:33:10.079 --> 00:33:13.480
<v Speaker 1>want to be safe, they want to be healthy, they

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00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:16.440
<v Speaker 1>want to be at peace. They want to live with

375
00:33:16.599 --> 00:33:22.640
<v Speaker 1>these They are not so different from us. So if

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<v Speaker 1>you can breathe in and wish them safety, may you

377
00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:31.599
<v Speaker 1>be safe. Breathe out and wish them safety. May you

378
00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:36.240
<v Speaker 1>be healthy, May you be at peace, May you live

379
00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:39.960
<v Speaker 1>with these. If the wish feels too much, you can

380
00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:44.599
<v Speaker 1>modify it. You can offer them the wish that they

381
00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:49.240
<v Speaker 1>find their own peace. You can offer them the wish

382
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<v Speaker 1>that they let go of their own suffering, which is

383
00:33:52.319 --> 00:33:56.359
<v Speaker 1>the root of the harm they have done. You can

384
00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:59.079
<v Speaker 1>offer them the wish that they come to know the

385
00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:03.680
<v Speaker 1>love they received. You do not have to offer them

386
00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:08.679
<v Speaker 1>anything you cannot offer. You only have to offer the

387
00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:14.599
<v Speaker 1>smallest wish, the smallest seat of kindness, and that seat

388
00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:21.000
<v Speaker 1>is enough. May you be safe, May you be healthy,

389
00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:26.920
<v Speaker 1>May you be at peace. May you live with ease.

390
00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:34.480
<v Speaker 1>Let us now widen the circle further, beyond the difficult person,

391
00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:45.280
<v Speaker 1>beyond the stranger, beyond the loved one, beyond yourself. Let

392
00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:49.800
<v Speaker 1>us bring to mind the people in your neighborhood, the

393
00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:54.239
<v Speaker 1>people on your street, the people who live in the

394
00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:59.599
<v Speaker 1>houses you drive past every morning. May they be safe,

395
00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:07.239
<v Speaker 1>May they be healthy, May they be at peace, May

396
00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:13.239
<v Speaker 1>they live with ease. The people in your city, the

397
00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:19.159
<v Speaker 1>people in your country, the people in every country. The

398
00:35:19.199 --> 00:35:22.760
<v Speaker 1>people who are awake right now in the small hours

399
00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:26.639
<v Speaker 1>of the morning, the people who are falling asleep, the

400
00:35:26.679 --> 00:35:31.320
<v Speaker 1>people who are working the night shift, the nurses and

401
00:35:31.400 --> 00:35:35.119
<v Speaker 1>the truck drivers and the bakers and the security guards.

402
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:39.920
<v Speaker 1>The people who are lying awake with worry, and the

403
00:35:39.960 --> 00:35:43.920
<v Speaker 1>people who are lying awake with joy holding a new baby.

404
00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:48.440
<v Speaker 1>The people who are grieving, and the people who are celebrating,

405
00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:53.480
<v Speaker 1>the people who are sick, and the people who are healing.

406
00:35:54.920 --> 00:36:00.920
<v Speaker 1>May they be safe, May they be healthy, May they

407
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:06.880
<v Speaker 1>be at peace. May they live with these Breathe in

408
00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:11.960
<v Speaker 1>and wish them well. Breathe out and wish them well.

409
00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:16.440
<v Speaker 1>Let the wish expand to fill the room, and then

410
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:19.800
<v Speaker 1>the building, and then the street, and then the city,

411
00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:24.360
<v Speaker 1>and then the country, and then the world. Let the

412
00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:29.280
<v Speaker 1>wish becomes so wide that it has no edges. May

413
00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:35.840
<v Speaker 1>all beings everywhere be safe, May all beings everywhere be healthy,

414
00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:42.719
<v Speaker 1>May all beings everywhere be at peace. May all beings

415
00:36:42.880 --> 00:36:47.719
<v Speaker 1>everywhere where. With these now, let us widen the circle

416
00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:55.079
<v Speaker 1>even further, beyond humans, even to the animals. The dogs

417
00:36:55.079 --> 00:37:00.519
<v Speaker 1>asleep on their owner's feet, the cats watching from win windows,

418
00:37:01.920 --> 00:37:07.360
<v Speaker 1>the birds nesting in trees, the whales moving through cold,

419
00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:13.519
<v Speaker 1>dark water, the elephants walking their long paths through dust,

420
00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:20.440
<v Speaker 1>the horses standing in fields, tails flicking flies, the bees

421
00:37:20.880 --> 00:37:26.239
<v Speaker 1>gathering pollen in the morning light, the fish darting through

422
00:37:26.360 --> 00:37:32.000
<v Speaker 1>rivers and seas, all of them wanting what we want.

423
00:37:32.840 --> 00:37:37.400
<v Speaker 1>To be safe, to be healthy, to be at peace,

424
00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:44.840
<v Speaker 1>to live with ease. May all beings of every kind

425
00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:51.199
<v Speaker 1>in every place be safe. May all beings be healthy,

426
00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:58.760
<v Speaker 1>May all beings be at peace, May all beings live

427
00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:04.960
<v Speaker 1>with these And let the wish include the trees, the rivers,

428
00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:10.039
<v Speaker 1>the mountains, the sky, not because they hear us in

429
00:38:10.119 --> 00:38:15.000
<v Speaker 1>the way humans hear us, but because we are part

430
00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:20.119
<v Speaker 1>of them, Because wishing for their well being is wishing

431
00:38:20.280 --> 00:38:24.800
<v Speaker 1>for our own. Because the air we breathe is the

432
00:38:24.800 --> 00:38:29.840
<v Speaker 1>air the trees exhale. Because the water we drink is

433
00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:35.000
<v Speaker 1>the water the rivers carry. We are not separate from

434
00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:40.239
<v Speaker 1>the world. We are the world looking back at itself.

435
00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:45.679
<v Speaker 1>May all of it be well, May all of it

436
00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:50.800
<v Speaker 1>be at peace. Breathe in and wish the whole world well.

437
00:38:52.280 --> 00:38:57.280
<v Speaker 1>Breathe out and wish the whole world well. And let us,

438
00:38:57.679 --> 00:39:02.679
<v Speaker 1>for a moment rest in this world, widened heart, Let

439
00:39:02.760 --> 00:39:05.519
<v Speaker 1>us feel what it is to be one small point

440
00:39:05.559 --> 00:39:11.159
<v Speaker 1>of awareness inside a vast, breathing love and whole. Let

441
00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:15.000
<v Speaker 1>us feel the love we have offered returning to us,

442
00:39:15.079 --> 00:39:20.119
<v Speaker 1>like the tide returning to the shore. We offered it,

443
00:39:21.639 --> 00:39:26.719
<v Speaker 1>and it is still here. It did not leave, it

444
00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:33.679
<v Speaker 1>cannot leave. The wish is not a transaction. It is

445
00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:38.800
<v Speaker 1>a spreading, a ripple, a way that goes out and

446
00:39:38.920 --> 00:39:45.960
<v Speaker 1>comes back and goes out again. May all beings be safe,

447
00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:52.440
<v Speaker 1>May all beings be healthy, May all beings be at peace,

448
00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:59.400
<v Speaker 1>May all beings live with these Rest here for a

449
00:39:59.480 --> 00:40:06.119
<v Speaker 1>few breas, let the wish be enough. Now, gently bring

450
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:11.039
<v Speaker 1>your attention back to your own body. Notice the breath

451
00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:16.079
<v Speaker 1>moving in and out. Notice the weight of your body

452
00:40:16.440 --> 00:40:21.800
<v Speaker 1>wherever you are, Notice the heart beating in your chest,

453
00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:27.000
<v Speaker 1>Notice the warmth of the practice still moving through you.

454
00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:33.039
<v Speaker 1>And offer a small breath of gratitude. Gratitude for yourself

455
00:40:34.599 --> 00:40:39.760
<v Speaker 1>for showing up for this practice tonight. Gratitude for your

456
00:40:39.800 --> 00:40:44.679
<v Speaker 1>breath which carried you through it. Gratitude for the people

457
00:40:44.760 --> 00:40:48.119
<v Speaker 1>in your life who are the reason this practice matters.

458
00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:53.880
<v Speaker 1>Gratitude for the ancient teachers who passed this practice down

459
00:40:54.280 --> 00:40:58.760
<v Speaker 1>so that you could find it tonight. Gratitude for the

460
00:40:58.920 --> 00:41:03.760
<v Speaker 1>simple fact that you are here, alive, breathing in this moment.

461
00:41:05.320 --> 00:41:11.639
<v Speaker 1>May I be grateful. May I remember this feeling when

462
00:41:11.679 --> 00:41:16.280
<v Speaker 1>I am caught in my own storms. May I return

463
00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:23.079
<v Speaker 1>to this kindness again and again when I forget. Breathe

464
00:41:23.119 --> 00:41:30.119
<v Speaker 1>in and offer gratitude. Breathe out and offer gratitude. Let us,

465
00:41:30.440 --> 00:41:36.480
<v Speaker 1>for a moment meet your future self. Imagine yourself ten

466
00:41:36.559 --> 00:41:42.519
<v Speaker 1>years from now, or twenty years from now, or even

467
00:41:42.639 --> 00:41:47.719
<v Speaker 1>one year from now. The exact number does not matter.

468
00:41:49.239 --> 00:41:52.199
<v Speaker 1>Just bring to mind an older version of you, who

469
00:41:52.239 --> 00:41:56.119
<v Speaker 1>has lived through many things, who has loved and lost

470
00:41:56.440 --> 00:42:01.239
<v Speaker 1>and learned, who has weathered storms and come out the

471
00:42:01.280 --> 00:42:06.159
<v Speaker 1>other side. And imagine this older you looking back at

472
00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:11.119
<v Speaker 1>you right now, in this moment. What would they sit

473
00:42:11.280 --> 00:42:17.079
<v Speaker 1>to you. What would they want you to remember. Perhaps

474
00:42:17.119 --> 00:42:22.639
<v Speaker 1>they would say, be gentle with yourself tonight. Perhaps they

475
00:42:22.719 --> 00:42:26.079
<v Speaker 1>would say the things you are worrying about will not

476
00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:30.880
<v Speaker 1>matter as much as you think. Perhaps they would say,

477
00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:35.840
<v Speaker 1>I am proud of you for taking this time, for

478
00:42:36.039 --> 00:42:42.679
<v Speaker 1>sitting down, for practicing kindness. Perhaps they would say, thank

479
00:42:42.719 --> 00:42:48.119
<v Speaker 1>you for the kindness you offered yourself tonight. Thank you

480
00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:51.079
<v Speaker 1>for the wishes you gave to the people you love.

481
00:42:52.280 --> 00:42:55.119
<v Speaker 1>Thank you for the wishes you gave even to the

482
00:42:55.199 --> 00:43:01.760
<v Speaker 1>people who have hurt you. That kindness mattered, it rippled

483
00:43:01.800 --> 00:43:06.679
<v Speaker 1>out farther than you can see. Let this older you

484
00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:10.960
<v Speaker 1>sit with you for a few breaths, Let them place

485
00:43:11.000 --> 00:43:15.519
<v Speaker 1>a hand on your shoulder if that feels right, and

486
00:43:15.719 --> 00:43:21.360
<v Speaker 1>offer them the wish in return. May you be safe,

487
00:43:22.079 --> 00:43:28.239
<v Speaker 1>May you be healthy, May you be at peace. May

488
00:43:28.320 --> 00:43:31.960
<v Speaker 1>you live with ease. As we move through the end

489
00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:35.360
<v Speaker 1>of this practice, let me invite you to consider what

490
00:43:35.360 --> 00:43:38.400
<v Speaker 1>it would mean to take loving kindness of the cushion

491
00:43:38.719 --> 00:43:44.760
<v Speaker 1>and into your life, not as a task, not as

492
00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:49.039
<v Speaker 1>a rule, but as a small seed you plant and

493
00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:52.920
<v Speaker 1>tend in the soil of your ordinary days. One way

494
00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:57.559
<v Speaker 1>to begin is this tomorrow morning. When you wake up,

495
00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:00.679
<v Speaker 1>before you reach for your phone, before before you check

496
00:44:00.760 --> 00:44:04.119
<v Speaker 1>your messages, before you start the rush of the day,

497
00:44:04.639 --> 00:44:09.599
<v Speaker 1>just take one breath, and on that breath silently offer

498
00:44:09.679 --> 00:44:16.360
<v Speaker 1>yourself the wish, May I be safe, May I be healthy,

499
00:44:17.880 --> 00:44:22.280
<v Speaker 1>May I be at peace, May I live with ease.

500
00:44:23.960 --> 00:44:27.760
<v Speaker 1>And then, as you move through your mourning, choose one

501
00:44:27.840 --> 00:44:33.960
<v Speaker 1>person to silently wish well. It could be a loved one,

502
00:44:34.679 --> 00:44:39.320
<v Speaker 1>It could be a stranger at the crosswalk, it could

503
00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:45.239
<v Speaker 1>be the difficult coworker. Whoever comes to mind, just offer

504
00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:51.760
<v Speaker 1>them the wish. May you be safe, May you be healthy,

505
00:44:53.280 --> 00:44:57.480
<v Speaker 1>May you be at peace. May you live with these.

506
00:44:58.360 --> 00:45:01.719
<v Speaker 1>And then when something goes wrong in your day, when

507
00:45:01.760 --> 00:45:05.199
<v Speaker 1>you make a mistake, or feel hurt, or feel afraid,

508
00:45:05.719 --> 00:45:12.039
<v Speaker 1>just pause and offer yourself the wish again, May I

509
00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:18.159
<v Speaker 1>be safe, May I be healthy, May I be at peace.

510
00:45:19.679 --> 00:45:26.000
<v Speaker 1>May I live with these? That is the entire practice,

511
00:45:26.239 --> 00:45:31.719
<v Speaker 1>one breath, one wish, repeated. The seed does not need

512
00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:36.480
<v Speaker 1>to grow into a tree overnight. It only needs to

513
00:45:36.519 --> 00:45:41.000
<v Speaker 1>be planted. So let us plant it now in your

514
00:45:41.119 --> 00:45:46.320
<v Speaker 1>heart and tend it breath by breath, day by day.

515
00:45:47.880 --> 00:45:51.880
<v Speaker 1>May it grow. And let me also offer a second

516
00:45:51.920 --> 00:45:56.920
<v Speaker 1>way to bring this practice into your life. Throughout your day,

517
00:45:57.280 --> 00:46:00.880
<v Speaker 1>you can look for small moments of kindness to offer others,

518
00:46:02.400 --> 00:46:10.000
<v Speaker 1>not grand gestures, not big sacrifices, just small moments. A

519
00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:14.079
<v Speaker 1>patient smile at the cashier who looks tired, a jatal

520
00:46:14.159 --> 00:46:18.840
<v Speaker 1>word to the coworker who is struggling a hell door,

521
00:46:19.239 --> 00:46:24.039
<v Speaker 1>a real thank you, a moment of listening without trying

522
00:46:24.079 --> 00:46:28.440
<v Speaker 1>to fix. Each of these is a wish made flesh.

523
00:46:29.639 --> 00:46:33.480
<v Speaker 1>Each of them is the practice of loving kindness lived

524
00:46:33.480 --> 00:46:38.159
<v Speaker 1>out loud. And as you offer them, notice how your

525
00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:44.119
<v Speaker 1>own heart responds, Notice how the warmth spreads, Notice how

526
00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:48.079
<v Speaker 1>the world feels just slightly a kinder place to be.

527
00:46:49.679 --> 00:46:54.280
<v Speaker 1>And if in your day you encounter someone who is difficult,

528
00:46:54.559 --> 00:46:59.639
<v Speaker 1>who is harsh, who is unkind, you can still offer

529
00:46:59.719 --> 00:47:03.840
<v Speaker 1>the wish. You do not have to offer it to

530
00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:08.599
<v Speaker 1>their personality. You can offer it to the part of

531
00:47:08.639 --> 00:47:12.800
<v Speaker 1>them that is suffering. You can offer it to the

532
00:47:12.920 --> 00:47:17.639
<v Speaker 1>small child inside them, the one who learned to be

533
00:47:17.920 --> 00:47:22.719
<v Speaker 1>hard because the world was hard. You can offer it

534
00:47:22.800 --> 00:47:28.679
<v Speaker 1>to the wish that they, too, someday find peace. And

535
00:47:28.760 --> 00:47:34.039
<v Speaker 1>that wish does not require anything from them. It does

536
00:47:34.079 --> 00:47:39.000
<v Speaker 1>not require them to change, or to apologize, or to

537
00:47:39.079 --> 00:47:44.400
<v Speaker 1>be different. It only requires you to be kind in

538
00:47:44.519 --> 00:47:49.559
<v Speaker 1>your own heart toward them. And that is something you

539
00:47:49.639 --> 00:47:54.960
<v Speaker 1>can do no matter what they do. So plant the

540
00:47:55.039 --> 00:48:00.320
<v Speaker 1>seed tonight in your heart and let it grow. Oh,

541
00:48:01.519 --> 00:48:06.280
<v Speaker 1>let us end this practice with a few simple affirmations.

542
00:48:06.679 --> 00:48:13.800
<v Speaker 1>You can repeat them silently to yourself or out loud,

543
00:48:14.480 --> 00:48:19.199
<v Speaker 1>or simply let them sink in. I am worthy of

544
00:48:19.320 --> 00:48:25.639
<v Speaker 1>my own kindness. I am worthy of my own kindness.

545
00:48:26.079 --> 00:48:30.199
<v Speaker 1>I deserve to feel safe in my own body and

546
00:48:30.320 --> 00:48:36.800
<v Speaker 1>in my own mind. I deserve to feel safe. My

547
00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:41.480
<v Speaker 1>heart is capable of love, even when it has been hurt.

548
00:48:42.440 --> 00:48:47.559
<v Speaker 1>My heart is capable of love. I can offer kindness

549
00:48:47.599 --> 00:48:52.760
<v Speaker 1>to myself and to others without running out. I can

550
00:48:52.800 --> 00:48:57.639
<v Speaker 1>offer kindness without running out. The wish I offer to

551
00:48:57.800 --> 00:49:02.320
<v Speaker 1>others comes back to me. The wish I offer comes

552
00:49:02.400 --> 00:49:07.320
<v Speaker 1>back to me. The practice of loving kindness is always

553
00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:13.760
<v Speaker 1>available to me. The practice is always available. I do

554
00:49:13.880 --> 00:49:18.159
<v Speaker 1>not have to be perfect to deserve love. I do

555
00:49:18.239 --> 00:49:22.440
<v Speaker 1>not have to be perfect. I am a person doing

556
00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:26.159
<v Speaker 1>my best in a difficult world. And that is enough.

557
00:49:27.719 --> 00:49:34.039
<v Speaker 1>That is enough. May I be safe, May I be healthy,

558
00:49:35.559 --> 00:49:39.639
<v Speaker 1>May I be at peace? May I live with ease.

559
00:49:40.679 --> 00:49:43.800
<v Speaker 1>Before we end this practice, let us sit for a

560
00:49:43.880 --> 00:49:48.679
<v Speaker 1>moment with a quiet inquiry. There is no need to

561
00:49:48.800 --> 00:49:53.760
<v Speaker 1>find an answer. Just let the question rest in your body,

562
00:49:54.199 --> 00:49:56.960
<v Speaker 1>like a smooth stone in the pall of your hand.

563
00:49:58.480 --> 00:50:02.960
<v Speaker 1>The question is this, What would my life be like

564
00:50:03.320 --> 00:50:07.039
<v Speaker 1>if I treated myself with kindness, if I spoke to

565
00:50:07.119 --> 00:50:10.519
<v Speaker 1>myself the way I speak to someone I love. If

566
00:50:10.559 --> 00:50:15.480
<v Speaker 1>I forgave myself the way I forgive others. If I

567
00:50:15.599 --> 00:50:20.559
<v Speaker 1>let myself rest when I needed to rest, if I

568
00:50:20.679 --> 00:50:26.199
<v Speaker 1>let myself be imperfect without apology, what would my life

569
00:50:26.280 --> 00:50:30.719
<v Speaker 1>be like? Let the question sick with you. You do

570
00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:35.159
<v Speaker 1>not need to answer it. You do not need to

571
00:50:35.199 --> 00:50:40.199
<v Speaker 1>do anything about it. Just let it be there, breathing

572
00:50:40.320 --> 00:50:44.880
<v Speaker 1>with you. Let your body answer in its own way.

573
00:50:46.440 --> 00:50:51.280
<v Speaker 1>Maybe there is a softening, maybe there is a tear,

574
00:50:53.039 --> 00:50:58.039
<v Speaker 1>Maybe there is a long breath, Maybe there is nothing

575
00:50:58.119 --> 00:51:04.119
<v Speaker 1>at all. Whatever is there is welcome. You do not

576
00:51:04.400 --> 00:51:10.719
<v Speaker 1>have to change anything. You only have to notice, and

577
00:51:10.840 --> 00:51:16.639
<v Speaker 1>in the noticing, something may already be changing. The question

578
00:51:16.760 --> 00:51:21.960
<v Speaker 1>itself is a wish. The wish itself is a step,

579
00:51:23.119 --> 00:51:27.679
<v Speaker 1>and each step is enough. So sit with it for

580
00:51:27.800 --> 00:51:34.280
<v Speaker 1>a few breaths. May I treat myself with kindness. May

581
00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:39.920
<v Speaker 1>I speak to myself gently. May I forgive myself fully.

582
00:51:41.400 --> 00:51:45.559
<v Speaker 1>May I rest when I need to rest. May I

583
00:51:45.599 --> 00:51:50.960
<v Speaker 1>be imperfect and loved. May I be imperfect and loved.

584
00:51:52.480 --> 00:51:59.360
<v Speaker 1>Breathe in, May I be imperfect and loved. Breathe out.

585
00:52:00.920 --> 00:52:06.320
<v Speaker 1>May I be imperfect and loved. And now gently we

586
00:52:06.480 --> 00:52:11.719
<v Speaker 1>begin our return the world outside. This practice has been

587
00:52:11.800 --> 00:52:16.199
<v Speaker 1>waiting patiently for you, and you are ready to meet

588
00:52:16.239 --> 00:52:20.039
<v Speaker 1>it again. A little more rested, a little more at peace,

589
00:52:20.519 --> 00:52:24.920
<v Speaker 1>a little more kind to yourself. Begin to move the

590
00:52:24.960 --> 00:52:30.480
<v Speaker 1>body if you have been still. Wiggle the fingers and toes,

591
00:52:32.119 --> 00:52:38.119
<v Speaker 1>roll the shoulders softly. Take one long deep inhale, filling

592
00:52:38.199 --> 00:52:46.599
<v Speaker 1>the lungs completely, and along slow, exhale, releasing everything. Take

593
00:52:46.639 --> 00:52:58.440
<v Speaker 1>another inhale completely, exhale completely, and one more inhale and exhil.

594
00:53:00.079 --> 00:53:02.960
<v Speaker 1>When you are ready, you can open your eyes, and

595
00:53:03.039 --> 00:53:07.320
<v Speaker 1>as you do, take a moment to notice the world

596
00:53:07.360 --> 00:53:13.480
<v Speaker 1>around you. Notice the light in the room, Notice the

597
00:53:13.559 --> 00:53:19.000
<v Speaker 1>sounds outside, Notice the weight of your body where it rests.

598
00:53:19.519 --> 00:53:24.199
<v Speaker 1>Notice that you are here in this moment, having given

599
00:53:24.280 --> 00:53:28.760
<v Speaker 1>yourself the gift of this practice. And as you carry

600
00:53:28.800 --> 00:53:32.239
<v Speaker 1>the rest of your evening and your night and your tomorrow,

601
00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:35.400
<v Speaker 1>may you carry a small piece of this kindness with you,

602
00:53:37.000 --> 00:53:41.719
<v Speaker 1>not all of it, just a small piece enough to

603
00:53:41.880 --> 00:53:46.400
<v Speaker 1>offer to yourself when you need it, enough to offer

604
00:53:46.480 --> 00:53:52.239
<v Speaker 1>to someone you meet, enough to remember when you forget.

605
00:53:53.039 --> 00:53:57.519
<v Speaker 1>May you be safe, May you be healthy, May you

606
00:53:57.599 --> 00:54:03.559
<v Speaker 1>be a piece you live with these, and may you

607
00:54:03.679 --> 00:54:08.880
<v Speaker 1>be held tonight and always by your own quiet, steady love.

608
00:54:09.840 --> 00:54:17.679
<v Speaker 1>Thank you for practicing with me tonight. Rest well,