Tara Brach

And those are the times I find it's most valuable to explore moving from the head to heart space.

So I'll do a brief example as a guided practice.

So for anyone here who's listening, you might just take a moment right now to settle and feel your breath.

And you might even sense what wants to let go right now.

You might just sense there's a way to soften or relax a little bit of the habitual tightness in the body.

Breathing, relaxing.

Sensing yourself right here.

Then you might invite forward if there's a difficult relationship or a situation that comes to mind where you get triggered in some way, irritated or judgmental, where there's a sense of separation.

I wouldn't pick something that's traumatic, just something where you notice that there's some distance and you get caught up in judging or resentment or blame.

and notice it.

Be that witness that notices what does arise in your mind.

Maybe thoughts about what's wrong with the other or what needs to be different, what should be different.

And some should is usually a great flag that we're caught in the head.

And just notice how the thoughts and stories tend to reinforce separation, no matter how right they seem.

They in some way reinforce separation, they're a kind of protective armory.

And then you might gently shift your attention from your head to your heart.

It helps to bring a slight smile to the lips and to allow that sense of a smile to kind of spread through your heart.

And you feel the breath at the heart.

Invite the goodness and love in this world just to bathe and fill and open your heart.

You can do that.