Affectionate breathing is a simple but powerful way to send and receive kindness. Using the physical posture of a "half-smile," you cultivate feelings of warmth. As you breathe in, you receive the affection. As you breathe out, you send it to others. The smile itself is the source of your kindness, and your breath is the vehicle in which you deliver the well-wishes.

The formal practice is offered below, but this can also be done informally as well. Simply breathe in once for yourself, and out once for another, and this can quickly turn around a difficult interaction, and turn feelings of separation into connectedness.

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