For more info about this series please go to https://wordpress.com/post/catherinestrang.com/1455 This post takes 2-3 mins to read and the meditation is 19 minutes long.

Yesterday was the end of Random Acts of Kindness Week 2021, this first started in 1995 as a Random Acts of Kindness Day in Denver and has now grown globally to become an entire week each February. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a website with many wonderful ideas and suggestions for acts of kindness, please go here: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas

Being kind has extensive, varied and proven benefits; if you’ve been on the receiving end of kindness you will know the difference this makes to your day and perhaps to your life. That act of kindness can have an exponential effect, inspiring the receiver to be kind and so it could go on. Also of course there’s the difference in feeling and energy of both the recipient and the giver, for this to be potent the act of kindness needs to be felt, needs to be genuine. If you are not feeling kind towards the other person either perform this act for someone else or better still change your internal state towards a more loving one – you will feel better!

One rapid way to do this is to practice the Buddhist exercise of Loving Kindness, which is one of blessing another with good intentions. This not only brings about a rapid, internal state change but does register in some way with the recipient. The only way to prove this for yourself is to do it. And do it regularly. This can be performed as a meditation that need not take up more than five minutes or it can be performed as you are out walking or travelling – I have changed my state from one of irritation, judgement or dwelling unfavourably upon someone I felt wronged by many times whilst out walking by using this method. For me it’s become an easy and relaxing act of self discipline to bring lower consciousness ways of thinking into a higher or more coherent mindset.

If you find yourself struggling to know just what to bless the other person with then think about what you wish for yourself and send that to the other. For instance if you wish to feel happier then bless the other with endless joy. If you wish to be more prosperous bless the other with opulent abundance. If you wish to feel peaceful bless the other with deep peace and unwavering stillness. Do this especially if you have a problem with this person…

If you read Day 10’s post on the effect of stress upon the body I can assure you that this practice of Loving Kindness is one of the most rapid ways of using thought and intention to change the biochemical state of the body. HeartMath breathing is another rapid method but this one employing feelings and physiology – the two combined in a fifteen minute meditation are an extremely potent combination for health and heightened well-being – and you’re making a difference to the world.

So if you are struggling to forgive someone, let go of a past relationship you feel a victim of, feel irritated or judgemental or want to practice kindness but don’t feel disposed towards actually being kind, then practice the following. Included below is a Loving Kindness recording I made last year as a way of easing into this practice in a relaxing way.

I hope you enjoy the meditation and of course I wish you peace, health and happiness!