Introduction and Guidelines– In this meditation, we are going to explore loving kindness on a deeper level. We are going to work with our intentions of the heart through merciful awareness– kind, compassionate & forgiving awareness. Our breath and our attention are directed through our heart space– a softening of the heart. Like the Loving Kindness Meditation, this is an insight practice where we are going to observe the inherent correlation between our mental experience and its bodily expression. Again, this exercise is a powerful way to teach your conscious mind… “to see & let it be”- “ see & let go… moment to moment”. All of our emotion and each state of mind has a corresponding body pattern- a physical, tangible imprint. It will help us explore mind-body states and their impermanence. Through merciful awareness, we relate to these “states” instead of from them.

The Practice- Like our Loving Kindness Meditation, we need to soften before we can allow our awareness to roam free in the body. We will begin this meditation as a variation of the Body Scan with either 15-minutes sitting or lying down- or however you feel most stable, grounded and comfortable. Again, the exercise here is to explore the sensations in the body from head to toes with the “mind’s eye” drawing our attention to each region- just noticing and observing the contour of how they feel- any tension or denseness- and softening to any resistance (e.g. the skin, tissue, muscles & tendons)- meeting moment to moment sensations with moment to moment softening.

Make note of any sensations that accompany a state of mind… feel the physical imprint of the mental state. Allow yourself to explore the body pattern of your state of mind and let awareness explore moment to moment. Are sensations changing- do they move from one area of the body to another? Is the body pattern of this “state” prevalent more in one area of the body than another? Notice the quality of your sensations… their texture- are they smooth or rough- soft or hard?

As best you can, just observing through the mind’s eye and listening with your heart. Allow your awareness to settle in a bit more deeply. What is the intention of this mind-body state?  Does it display a single mood or emotion, or many. Note the dissolving or unfolding nature of our thoughts and emotions- one into the other- the repetitive yet changing nature- the impermanence of the mind-body state. Concentrate on the process here not the content. Watch how our thoughts or emotions naturally end and how spontaneously another begins. You and I are so transparent to these states. Allow them to simply float in your awareness. Notice how thoughts think themselves and feelings feel themselves. If these thoughts, feelings, and sensations have a voice, what’s their tone?

As best you can, simply allow thought and emotion to come and go in a spacious and merciful mind. Allow sensations to arise and dissolve in a soft body… a continuous process of allowing and receiving. Realize that this self-exploration heals because wherever awareness is focused, a natural balance eventually resumes. Mercy will absorb heavy, afflictive emotions and sensations.
First, we acknowledge, then we soften to the hard places in our bodies- exploring the feeling mind and the felt body. Any pain and discomfort allows us a focal point of mercy and awareness bathed in loving kindness. Continue breathing and flowing with this observing, acknowledging, and merciful practice for some 15-20 minutes… just being and softening to the mind-body interplay…

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