A warm heart has no edges

What happens in those special moments when you connect with someone you love? How about when you see a sweet baby or an innocent animal? Or witness a good deed being done? Your heart softens. Your body relaxes. And, for a moment, your mind is full of pure sensation instead of busy thought. Often, we use the words "heart-warming" or "melting" to describe these very experiences.So, how do we get more of this? We cultivate it! We practice so that we can melt our hearts anytime and allow our hearts to be warmed more easily and readily by our experiences.Try this short practice:1 - Sit in a comfortable position with a long spine and eyes gently closed; sit on either a floor cushion or a chair2 - Breath naturally and bring your awareness to your heart, visualizing or feeling there a soft, warm light3 - As you inhale, feel or visualize the light growing brighter, warmer. As you exhale, feel or visualize the light expanding and softening the edges of the heart4 - As you continue inhaling and exhaling naturally, let your awareness stay with the brightening and expanding light. Each inhale brightens the light and each exhale lets it expand outward, softening more of the edges of the body5 - Let this practice grow, moving out of the body in the room and beyond, softening every edge you meet5 - When you feel complete, before opening your eyes, take a few moments to rest into the warmth you created, and the connection between your own heart and the hearts of others