Greetings All ~
Kindness is a practice. It takes strength to to be kind when challenged or attacked. The practice of kindness is cultivated and grows into a habit and eventually becomes part of you.
Using an old metaphor: Brushing your teeth. As a kid, your elders reminded you to practice it each day, twice a day. It becomes part of your M.O. and the teeth become a healthy and maintained part of you.
We often use the formula of 40-days to manifest transformation. Remember "It rained for 40 days and 40 nights?" It has to do with the electro-magnetic field and red blood cells. Red blood cells have iron in them and so are very electro-magnetically sensitive. These cells are constantly regenerating and recycling themselves pieces-by-piece. It takes 40 days for all parts of all the cells to be fully renovated. If practiced, a mantra, meditation, hate, independence, devotionor anything for 40 days becomes your vibration. When continued, it doesn't dissipate—it becomes you. It's yours.
I've gained self-esteem from practicing kindness. Having learned I am and can be a good soul is most nourishing. It has not been without its challenges. Kindness wasn't the power of example in our household. Some of my very early memories are of being both confused and horrified at how mean my family members were to one another. Out of survival I joined in and kindness wasn't a habit—quite the opposite!
Here are a few practices I still use to solidify the habit. 40 days of:
No gossip—that can mean changing the subject or leaving the room when it's happening
No criticizing—that can mean holding my tongue until asked
Asking those who may be upset with me how I may serve them
Going the extra mile
Looking through the eyes and listening with the ears of love
Below is a beautiful pranayam. My experience is that it both energizes and calms me enough to practice kindness.
Meditation for Developing Your Human Kindness
Also known as Bandhu Dya Kriya
Bandhu means "brother or comrade; " Dya means "kindness;" and kriya means "action."
In this kriya, the magnetic field interlocks into the psyche of Self. Do it with a lot of reverence, very calmly.
Posture: Sit in easy pose with your spine straight, chin in and chest lifted. Place your hands in the mudra.
Mudra: Rest your elbows alongside your rib cage. Place your hands in front of your chest, palms facing up. Bring the base of your palms together. Touch the pinkie (Mercury) fingers together. Touch the middle (Saturn) fingers together. They will form a triangle. Ring (Sun), index (Jupiter), and thumb (Earth) are held apart from the rest of the hand. Hold this in front of the heart. Do not touch the chest.
Breath: Inhale through the nose in eight strokes by breaking the inhalation into eight separate "sniffs." Each stroke takes about one second. Exhale completely and totally with a whistle through the puckered lips. Don't worry if the whistle sound isn't perfect every time.
Eyes: Not specified
To start, continue for no longer than 11 minutes. After one week, to add one more minute to your practice. Thereafter, each week you can add another minute, up to a total time of 31 minutes.
Happy breathing! Kindness is the path to joy, love, understanding, compassion and grace.
Lend a hand, but take care of yourself. Relax, but meditate and practice.
All Good Things,
VickyJapDharamRose