Field of Care II — Qualities

The foundations of all the practices we engage with are mindfulness, loving-kindness, and openness. Our field of care practice is the embodiment of the loving-kindness aspect of our true nature. We use caring moments and benefactors to recall the felt sense of connecting with other beings (or natural settings) on the deepest level.

The qualities revealed in the field of care support our practice in many ways. Here are some of the qualities we might sense as we rest with our field of care.

Spacious and Expansive

When we envision our field of care, it can grow to fill all the space around us, and, in fact, it can fill as much space as we will allow it to take. The field of care is an expression of resonance with the innate qualities of our heart-mind and, as such, has no limits. We can feel the spaciousness in our own practice and notice that it can expand to include all those we care for, and even strangers and those we may not like so much, the difficult ones.

Inclusive and Accepting

The field of care is inclusive in that nothing needs to be excluded from the field of care. We can allow all our experiences to share in the field of care. This inclusion can extend to any thoughts, feelings, or sensations that arise during our practice. Rather than try to push away or reject difficult thoughts and feelings, we can allow them to rest in our field of loving-kindness, accepting them just as they are. This includes any thoughts we have of our friends, any strangers, or difficult ones that may arise. If beautiful and joyful thoughts arise, then these are accepted into the field of care in the same way, savoring them in the space of loving-kindness.

Healing and Supportive

The power of loving-kindness can help us heal old wounds as we allow them the space and acceptance within our field of care. We can sense the warmth and healing energy that is present in our field of care, embracing all our difficult thoughts and feelings. We don’t actually have to ‘do’ anything to elicit this healing. The field of care and the power of our present awareness support all our experiences as a natural part of our heart and mind. Healing comes naturally with acceptance and support.

Peaceful and Joyful

As the embodiment of our true nature, we can experience the calm and joy that are present by allowing our mind to relax and savor the peace of the present moment. We can let go of worries about the future and regrets of the past and just rest in the only moment we can truly occupy, the present moment, the here and now.

You may experience some of these now in your own practice. Allow yourself to be open to noticing these qualities as you continue your practice.