Welcome to this guided meditation session.
We're going to practice developing a positive feeling or emotion,
Often referred to as loving-kindness.
I will invite you to do this by first bringing to mind a pleasant memory,
Then sending loving-kindness to yourself and finally extending this feeling to someone you admire in your life.
So I invite you to find yourself a comfortable sitting position.
You can sit cross-legged on a meditation mat or simply in your chair.
Take a few moments to find what feels comfortable for you.
And when you're ready,
You can gently close your eyes and simply follow my voice.
Take a deep breath and relax in the body.
Settle slowly into your position.
Ideally,
You want to feel comfortable and stable at the same time.
It can help to straighten up your spine and your neck a little.
And once you have found a comfortable position,
See if you can maintain that posture throughout this session.
And this will allow the mind and body to relax and to just simply be.
Now just be aware of the mind and body.
Bring your awareness into the present time.
You can check the state of your mind.
Is it jumping around a little fast?
Or is it maybe a little slower than normal?
Allow whatever is there to simply be.
Try not to resist or push away anything what is present.
Simply be aware of it and relax.
Now you can direct your attention to your body.
Are you aware of the physical sensations that are there?
How does it feel to sit right now?
Take a few deep breaths to settle the body and the mind.
And as you exhale,
Relax and let go of any tension or tightness that you might feel within the body.
Relax the muscles in your head,
Your forehead,
The jaws,
Your neck and your shoulders.
Moving down through the back and the chest,
The hips and the legs,
The arms,
Your hands and fingers,
Your knees.
Soften and relax any tension.
And notice the thoughts that arise,
Coming and going,
One after another.
There's no need to pay attention to an individual thought.
Simply observe that there is a flow or thought present.
And see how they gradually dissolve when your body and mind starting to relax.
Notice how the mind becomes more clear.
Now we'll begin to generate a positive feeling.
You can place a gentle smile upon your face if you like.
And see if you can also feel that smile in your mind and in your heart.
A smile can be very helpful.
It uplifts the mind and makes it easier to release any heaviness that might be there.
And feel that natural glow,
That warm and soft quality that comes with the smile.
And this is a feeling meditation.
So let your attention rest gently on the feeling side of your experience.
Maybe you notice a small spark somewhere in the body,
Or a gentle warmth around the chest.
And if you don't feel anything right now,
That's also perfectly okay.
Just be aware of what is here,
As it is.
And to help you feel this spark,
You can recollect a memory that makes you happy.
For example,
You can think about a moment in your life when you felt very uplifted and at ease.
Something that naturally brings a sense of warmth inside.
Or if it helps,
You can also picture an image in your mind.
Maybe an image of holding a baby in your arms,
Giggling and looking at you with innocence and joy.
Or an image of a puppy with a smile and curiosity.
Or a playful puppy,
Full of joy and energy.
Whatever helps you allowing that warmth and softness in your heart.
And when you feel something,
Even if it's just a little,
Let it gently radiate like a flame of a candle.
And rest your attention with that warmth.
And maybe you notice that the mind has wandered off a little into thoughts.
When that happens,
We can use the four R's.
The first R is to recognize that your mind has become distracted.
Following by releasing the distraction by not feeding it with your attention anymore.
Then re-relax any tension or tightness that might be there in the mind and body caused by that distraction,
Especially around the head and face.
And finally,
Re-initiate the positive feeling by returning to that warm memory or image.
You can place a gentle smile again upon your face.
And softly rest your attention with this warm and soft glow.
And relax.
And these four R's are working together,
Like playing the notes of a single chord all at once,
Instead of doing them one by one.
And if you feel like it,
You may now begin to send yourself a genuine wish of kindness.
You can use a simple phrase in your mind,
Such as,
May I be happy?
May I be at peace?
May I be free from stress and worries?
Choose any phrase that resonates with you,
And try to be as genuine as you can.
See if you can really feel that wish in your heart,
That warmth and softness.
And allow that warmth to radiate naturally,
As you say the wish in your mind.
Just like the gentle glow of a candle.
And relax and rest in that warmth.
It's not necessary to keep repeating the wish,
Like a mantra.
You can simply return to it now and then.
And let your attention rest as much as possible with that warm feeling,
With that loving kindness.
May I be happy?
May I be at peace?
May I be free from stress and worries?
And maybe your mind has drifted away again,
To a sound in the background,
A sensation within the body,
Or a thought passing through the mind.
And that's totally fine.
It's just the nature of the mind.
It just moves constantly.
As a meditator,
Our job is only to recognize the distraction,
Release your attention from it,
And relax any tension or contraction in your whole body.
And as you come back to the present moment,
You might notice a sense of expansion happening in your mind as you let go.
And then re-initiate that warm feeling again by smiling gently,
Repeating the wish to yourself,
And resting your attention in that softness.
And relax.
Maybe there are still some thoughts left in the background,
And that's completely okay.
You can just let them be.
The idea is to use the 4R only when you're fully distracted,
Not to make thoughts disappear.
They will dissolve on their own when you simply allow them to be.
May I be happy?
May I be at peace?
May I be free from stress and worries?
Now as you feel your body and mind filled with this warm,
Glowing feeling,
And if you don't feel much right now,
That's also fine,
You may begin to direct this loving and kind quality towards a wholesome or kind friend in your life.
Someone you admire or feel inspired by,
Perhaps because of what they've done or the good qualities they embody.
And ideally,
Someone outside your family circle,
Someone still alive,
And someone where you feel no physical attraction and no resentment towards.
A person who naturally brings a smile to your face when you think of them.
Such as a respectable friend.
You can imagine them being right there,
Either in your heart or gently in front of you.
Let them simply be there,
And see if that friend is smiling back at you.
If it helps,
You can use a simple phrase in your mind,
A genuine wish you're sending to them.
May you be happy,
Just as I am happy.
May you be content,
Just as I am content.
May you be free from stress,
Just as I am free of stress.
And you can place your kind friend within this feeling of loving-kindness,
And relax into it.
May you be happy,
Just as I am happy.
May you be content,
Just as I am content.
May you be free from stress,
Just as I am free of stress.
There's nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
And nowhere to be.
Just relax into this loving and kind energy.
And you can check yourself from moment to moment,
And see if you're still smiling.
And if you're not,
Maybe the mind got distracted.
Or perhaps you're trying a little too hard to make the feeling arise.
And that's totally okay.
Approach it playfully,
And keep the mind light.
Simply recognize that your attention has moved.
Release the distraction by not giving it any personal attention.
And relax any tightness.
Then gently come back to your smile,
And reinitiate a warm feeling again.
And rest with that feeling.
And for the rest of the sitting,
Just enjoy sending this loving and kind energy,
These kind thoughts and wishes to your friend.
And feel how it uplifts your mind when you wish them well.
And relax and rest in that warmth and softness.
And again,
If you notice your attention is drifting away,
When you're no longer with your wholesome friend or the wish,
Simply recognize it.
Release your attention from it,
And relax the tension in your body and in your mind.
And see if there is a sense of relief in that letting go.
An expansion that happens as you soften.
And reinitiate the smile and wish.
Return to the feeling,
And gently rest your attention there.
You may continue to stay with the feeling,
If the mind is inclined to.
Or gently come back to your mind and body to end your session.
And when you're ready to close the session,
Just relax,
Come back to the body,
Come back to your mind,
And slowly open your eyes.
