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Practice lovingkindness from "summary" of Start Where You Are by Pema Chödrön
One way to work with habitual patterns is to practice lovingkindness. Lovingkindness, or maitri, towards ourselves doesn't mean getting rid of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy after all these years. We can still be angry after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. The point is not to try to change ourselves. Instead, we need to simply look deeply at what we have in front of us, and work with it as it is. In practicing lovingkindness towards ourselves, we need to learn to relax with our own energy. This energy is often so hot, so cold, so fast, so dull, so wild, so rigid. Instead of feeling it as an obstacle, we can learn that it's the very energy we need in order to awaken further. It's the very energy we need to connect with the natural warmth of our minds. When we practice lovingkindness, we're learning to embrace our lives with the open arms of compassion. We're learning to appreciate ourselves just as we are. We're learning to appreciate other people just as they are. We're learning to see that life is a good teacher and a good friend. As we begin to practice lovingkindness towards ourselves, we can extend this practice to others as well. We can start with those we love, then gradually extend our circle to include all beings. By practicing lovingkindness towards others, we're learning to cultivate a sense of connection and empathy. We're learning to see that we're all in this together, that we all share the same basic human experience. In cultivating lovingkindness, we're also cultivating a sense of gentleness and courage. We're learning to approach ourselves and others with an open heart and a sense of fearlessness. We're learning to work with our own pain and the pain of the world with a sense of resilience and compassion.- The practice of lovingkindness is about learning to be fully present with ourselves and others. It's about learning to appreciate the richness and complexity of our lives, and to hold it all with an open heart. By practicing lovingkindness, we're learning to embody the qualities of kindness, compassion, and wisdom. We're learning to awaken to our true nature and to the true nature of all beings.
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