Our curiosity practice can start with the simplest tools we have at hand—our breath, our body, and our awareness. And we can deepen into it with loving-kindness.
A Guided Loving-Kindness Practice to Cultivate Curiosity
A Loving-Kindness Practice to Cultivate Curiosity
- Find an easy seat and make a commitment for these next few minutes to just be here, not moving around, not deciding you’re going to check an email, not talking to anyone. Take time right now to take a special moment for yourself.
- Start to notice what’s happening in your body by paying attention to sensation. The light entering through your eyelids. Taste, smell, the weight of your body in your seat. The feeling of your clothing on your skin. Allow sounds to enter your ears. You don’t have to change anything or fix anything. You’re just allowing, letting everything be. Notice, welcome, and appreciate your intention to cultivate curiosity. This is an expression of your natural wisdom arising.
- Bring yourself to this moment, with a sense of wonder and allowing. Relax your shoulder blades, the back of your head, your forehead, your cheeks, your jaw. Experience what it’s like to be you in this very moment. Notice that you’re breathing—the rise and fall of your belly, your chest, your shoulder blades, cool air and warm air as you inhale and exhale on the tip of your nose. You might feel bored. You might feel a desire to move or get up. You could feel like you don’t like these annoying thoughts that are buzzing around your head. And right now you don’t have to do anything about that. Your curiosity is making space simply for you to have this experience.
- Make a connection with a dear friend, someone with whom you have an easy, loving relationship. Imagine they’re with you right now, and offer them this beautiful intention: may you welcome what arises in you. Repeat this phrase for a minute, as though you’re giving a gift to this dear friend. Now make a connection with yourself and offer yourself the same intention: May I welcome what’s arising in me. And now take a moment to recognize all beings everywhere. All of us struggling, wanting things to be different, judging, critical. May we welcome what’s arising in us.
- Recognize that spending time developing your heart and your mind benefits you and all you encounter. So take a moment to appreciate that and thank yourself. Then you can stretch or move how- ever you like as you conclude your practice.
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