Many ways of giving

Take another deep breath. Take a moment to feel the calmness. Now try to remember when you last received a gift. Try to think of any gift, no matter how small. It really could have been anything, big or small. Anything from a beautiful object to a simple smile. It does not matter what it was, as long as it made you happy. (pause 4 sec) Try to remember how you felt; recollect the feeling. (pause 3 sec) Now try to remember the last time you gave a gift to someone else. How did that feel? (pause 4 sec) Go further and think of a time when someone made you feel good but not necessarily by giving you something physical. This might have been when someone gave you a hug. Or maybe someone told you kind and beautiful words. It should be something that made you feel happy, loved and warm inside. (pause 5 sec) How did that actually feel? Recollect that feeling. (pause 5 sec) Now try to remember when you have comforted someone else and made them feel better when they needed it. Perhaps you told someone their situation wasn’t so bad, or perhaps you just spent some time with them when they did not want to be alone. (pause 3 sec) How did that feel? (pause 3 sec) Think of a time when you did something beautiful for someone else just because you liked them. They might not have needed this. (pause 3 sec) Doing something lovely for a person can sometimes be in your mind. Perhaps you remember when you wished something beautiful for another person. When you sent them beautiful feelings from within you. Or perhaps you want to do that now. (pause 5 sec) Take this feeling with you. Saturate your whole being with that. (pause 3 sec) Take another gentle breath.Gently focus on your feet again. Remember you are sitting on the log. In your mind stand up and walk back to the forest. Focus on your bare feet on the forest floor, feel the cool bed of leaves touching your toes and your heels. (pause 3 sec) Now slowly bring your awareness to this room. Feel your feet on the ground. Feel your roots deep in the ground. As you keep focus on your feet, bring your awareness to this room now fully. Become aware of the chair under your body. Listen for the sounds around you. Bring your mind back to your feet. Where are they? Can you feel them? Gently wiggle your toes. Feel the full sensation of the floor beneath your feet. Slightly press them on the floor. Wiggle your fingers and rub your palms. Move your shoulders. Take a deep breath. When you are ready slowly open your eyes, first looking down then up and up until you are looking straight ahead. Do this in your own time. When your eyes are open give yourself a good stretch if at all possible in silence to give others space to do the same in their own time.