This is the befriending practice. 

Adopting a posture that is stable and steady, letting your body guide you into taking up a posture that embodies a sense of wakefulness, dignity, stability, and presence. Softening and relaxing any areas of tension, perhaps in the belly or in the shoulders, in the neck, or the face. Sense of breathing into these areas on the in breath and letting go on the out breath. And in the same way, softening and relaxing the mind.

When you're ready, you're going to steady and anchor the attention on the breath, on the sensations of breathing. So as you're breathing in, knowing that you're breathing in. And as you're breathing out, knowing that you're breathing out. Perhaps expanding the awareness out to a sense of the whole body, sensing the whole body breathing in. The whole body breathing out.

Knowing that you're breathing in, knowing that you're breathing out. The breath and the body acting as an anchor for your attention. A place to steady and stabilize and always come back to. And if it feels helpful, placing a hand on the belly or on the chest to bring a very direct sense of the body and the movement of the breath in the body. And then whenever you're ready, what we're gonna do is to bring to mind someone with whom you have an easy and a positive relationship, someone who's been good to you.

This could be a friend, a former teacher, a pet, or maybe even someone you've never met but who's inspired you in some way. So just taking a moment to bring this person to mind And noticing any sensations, feelings, thoughts and images that are around just now and allowing them to be exactly as they are. The breath and the body is an anchor. So with this person in mind, this person who has been good to you with whom you have an easy, a good relationship, just following on with the phrases that I'm gonna offer in a moment. And with these phrases, just allowing them to arise in the mind.

You don't need to overanalyse them. Don't need to get caught up in. Just allow them to arise in the mind and see what comes up for you. May this person be safe and protected. May this person be happy and easily contented.

May they be free from suffering. May they live with ease and kindness. Holding this person in mind with the breath and the body as an anchor, may this person be safe and protected. May they be happy and easily contented. May they be free from suffering.

May they live with ease and with kindness. Whenever you're ready, just letting the image, the idea of this person fade into the background. And just returning to the anchor of the breath, the sensations of the breath and the body. This in breath and this out breath. Next, inviting you to bring someone to mind who is having some difficulty or struggle that has touched you.

Someone's having some challenge in their life that has touched you. And as you bring this person to mind, noticing what sensations are around, what feelings, what thoughts, what images, allowing them to be exactly as they are. The breath always available to you as an anchor as you hold this person in your awareness, in your mind. Just offering the phrases again. May they be safe and protected.

May they be happy and easily contented. May they be free from suffering. May they live with ease and kindness. May this person be safe and protected, happy and easily contented, free from suffering. May they live with ease and with kindness.

And letting go of this person returning to the anchor of the breath and the body, inviting you to very simply sense into, be alongside the sensations of breathing in this moment. And how to bring yourself to mind, as you hold yourself in awareness, noticing what sensations are around in the body just now, what feeling states are around, what thoughts and images might be around. Being with, being alongside, whatever's around for you exactly as is, nothing to fix, nothing to change. Bring here friendliness and a curiosity and a care to our experience in this moment. May I be safe and protected.

May I be happy and easily contented. May I be free from suffering. May I live with ease and with kindness. May I be safe and protected. May I be happy and easily contented.

May I be free from suffering. May I live with ease and with kindness. The breath and the body available as an anchor in any moment. Sensing into the in breath and sensing through the duration of the out breath. Nothing we're trying to achieve, nothing we're trying to fix.

Simply being with our experience as it is in this moment. And now bringing to mind all the people that you may encounter today as you go about your day. May all the people that I encounter today be safe and protected, happy and easily contented, free from suffering, and may they live with ease and with kindness. May all the people I encounter today be safe and protected, happy and easily contented. May they be free from suffering.

May they live with ease and with kindness. And letting go, returning to the breath and the body, having a sense of what's around in your mind and your body just now, and perhaps finishing this practice by forming an intention to bring an attitude of friendliness and care to the rest of your day. Forming an intention to bring an attitude of friendliness and care to your life.