Welcome.
This practice is an invitation to rest in loving kindness,
Not as something we have to manufacture,
But as something that we can gently cultivate.
As the meditation teacher Sylvia Borstein has said,
Loving kindness practice is a way of sweetening the mind.
You'll hear a series of phrases repeated throughout the meditation.
There's no need to force any particular feeling.
Simply let the words wash through you.
If they resonate,
Allow that.
If they feel distant or difficult,
That's completely okay too.
There's no requirement to feel anything in particular.
Loving kindness can be practiced as an intention even when the heart feels tired.
Let's begin by gently settling the body.
Begin by sitting or lying down comfortably.
Feeling your body where it makes contact with the floor or cushion or seat beneath you.
Allowing your body to just relax and be supported.
Settling in and allowing your eyes to gently close if you wish,
Or if you prefer to keep your eyes open,
That's okay too.
You might just invite a soft gaze cast downward at your lap or at the floor.
And allowing the breath to be the focus of your attention for the next few moments.
Perhaps inviting a few deeper breath cycles now if that's comfortable for you.
A nice deep inhale with a long slow exhale.
Letting the out-breath be an invitation for settling and softening.
And then when you're ready allowing the breath to return to its own natural rhythm,
Depth,
And pace.
Just letting the body breathe itself while the mind and spirit settles and softens.
And as you sit and breathe,
Imagine as if your eyes are smiling even under closed lids.
And imagine feeling the expression creep into even the slightest expression of a smile in the face.
Maybe feeling the smile from the inside of the mouth.
And now perhaps bringing some awareness to the heart center of the body.
Gently noticing how it is in the heart space.
Perhaps there's some tenderness there.
Maybe you feel open-hearted.
Maybe there is some sorrow or heaviness or lightness present.
Whatever is there is okay.
You're invited to meet it with acceptance and a sense of kindness.
And now gently bringing to mind someone whom it is easy to feel loving-kindness and friendliness toward.
A being who brings a smile to your face.
This may be a child perhaps or a pet.
An easy simple relationship may be best.
And allow yourself to hold this being in your awareness.
Perhaps seeing them with your mind's eye or perhaps just feeling a sense of them in your heart.
And as you hold them in your awareness,
Begin to send wishes of loving-kindness to them.
Silently repeating these phrases after I say each one.
May you be free from inner and outer harm.
May you have love,
Warmth,
And affection.
May you be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
May you abide in peace and loving-kindness.
And when you're ready,
Allow the image or sense of this being to fade.
And bring to your heart and mind someone else toward whom you'd like to send loving-kindness.
Allow them to arrive in your mind's eye.
And we'll practice offering them your wishes for their well-being.
Silently repeating these phrases after I say each one.
May you be free from inner and outer harm.
May you have love,
Warmth,
And affection.
May you be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
And when you're ready,
Allow the image or sense of this being to fade.
And practice offering yourself loving-kindness.
We will actually run through this set of phrases as we go through this meditation.
May I be free from inner and outer harm.
May I be free from inner and outer harm.
May I be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
May I abide in peace and loving-kindness.
May I be free from inner and outer harm.
May I have love,
Warmth,
And affection.
May I be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
May I abide in peace and loving-kindness.
And now,
Exploring the experience of moving loving-kindness outward again,
Bring into your awareness someone towards whom you feel neutral.
Someone with whom there are no strong feelings of attachment,
Like,
Or dislike.
This might be a familiar but unknown stranger,
Perhaps somebody that works in your doctor's office,
Or a cashier that you see regularly at your grocery store.
Simply bring someone to mind,
And offer them your intention for loving-kindness.
May you be free from inner and outer harm.
May you have love,
Warmth,
And affection.
May you be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
May you abide in peace and loving-kindness.
And now,
Gently bringing into your awareness someone towards whom you feel dislike.
Someone whom you have perceived as being difficult,
Challenging,
Obstructive,
And some way.
And offer to them your intentions for their well-being.
Very gently repeating these phrases after I say each one.
May you be free from inner and outer harm.
May you have love,
Warmth,
And affection.
May you be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
May you abide in peace and loving-kindness.
And gently letting this being go with your next out breath.
And now,
We'll expand these wishes out further.
Expanding your awareness to include your own circle of closest family and friends.
Holding them as a group in your awareness,
And offering them your intentions for their well-being.
May you be free from inner and outer harm.
May you have love,
Warmth,
And affection.
May you be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
May you abide in peace and loving-kindness.
Continuing to hold this group of loved ones in your mind and heart.
We'll expand these wishes outward even further still.
Much,
Much further.
Expanding awareness to include all beings.
All new beings.
Those who are being born today.
All old beings.
All who are leaving this world today.
And everybody in between,
Barring none.
Holding all beings in your heart and offering them your intentions for loving-kindness.
May all beings be free from inner and outer harm.
May all beings have love,
Warmth,
And affection.
May all beings be happy and healthy in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
May all beings abide in peace and loving-kindness.
And as we bring this practice to a close,
Imagine the field of loving-kindness widening.
Expanding beyond the room you're in.
Beyond this moment.
Touching people you will never meet.
We are each practicing in our own way,
In our own circumstances.
And yet,
Every sincere intention toward goodwill contributes to something larger.
May the loving-kindness cultivated ripple outward in ways seen and unseen.
