So let's begin this loving kindness meditation by settling into your meditation posture.
Gently closing the eyes or softening the gaze.
Whatever is most comfortable for you.
Finding a posture where you can be upright and alert.
But also a place where you can relax and let go.
You might extend up through the crown of the head.
And at the same time perhaps letting go of the shoulders and opening the chest.
Creating more space around the heart.
Beginning now by bringing your awareness low down into the body.
Into the feet perhaps.
Becoming aware of where your feet make contact with the floor.
Becoming aware of where your body makes contact with the chair or whatever is supporting you.
And as you're sitting there feeling the weight of your body.
Feeling your body moving as the breath moves in and out.
You can have a growing sense of relaxation and comfort as your muscles relax and let go.
In this guided practice you'll focus on particular phrases.
You'll hear my voice followed by periods of silence.
After I introduce the phrases gently repeat them silently to yourself.
So now bringing awareness to the sensations of your own heart.
Breathing into and out from your own heart.
Notice how each breath brings new energy to your heart.
Allows your heart to send life-giving oxygen throughout your body.
Simply resting in this awareness for a few breaths.
And with this awareness of your own heart.
Beginning the first stage of loving kindness practice by wishing yourself well.
Cultivating an attitude of appreciation and care for yourself.
And you can do this simply by dropping the words.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
And may I live with ease.
Slowly and with care into your heart.
Letting the effects of those words ripple gently into your emotions.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
And may I live with ease.
It might help to think of a time where you felt particularly well and happy.
You can call to mind some time from the past when you had a sense of well-being and contentment.
And you can experience that once more.
Intensifying the feelings of ease by dropping in the words.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
And may I live with ease.
And then moving into the second stage of the practice.
You can call to mind a good friend or a loved one.
Someone for whom you already experience warm,
Compassionate feelings.
Someone whose well-being is important to you.
And you can wish your friend or loved one well by repeating.
May you feel safe.
May you feel happy.
May you feel healthy.
And may you live with ease.
And saying these words with meaning and conviction.
And notice what changes are taking place in your emotions in response to those words.
They may be subtle or quite noticeable.
So just noticing what happens to your emotions as you wish your friend or loved one well.
And then moving into the third stage of the practice.
You can put your friend or loved one to one side for now.
And bring to mind a neutral person.
Someone that you don't have any strong feelings towards.
It might be someone you see quite regularly,
Perhaps in a shop,
In your workplace or on the street.
Call this person to mind and begin to wish him or her well,
Saying,
May you feel safe.
May you feel happy.
May you feel healthy.
And may you live with ease.
And although you know little or nothing about this person's life,
You share something very powerful in common with them.
They,
Like you,
Simply wish to be happy.
So the more you're aware of them being like you,
The more you can wish him or her well in a heartfelt way.
And moving into the fourth stage,
You can put the neutral person to one side.
And call to mind someone you know and have difficulties with.
When you call this person to mind,
You may have a sense of discomfort.
So just noticing that and at the same time wishing him or her well from your heart.
May you feel safe.
May you feel happy.
May you feel healthy.
And may you live with ease.
Like you,
This person simply wants to be happy.
And as you move into the fifth and final stage of the practice,
Calling to mind all four people.
Yourself,
Your friend or loved one,
The neutral person and the difficult person.
And wishing all four people well.
May we feel safe.
May we feel happy.
May we feel healthy.
And may we live with ease.
And you can imagine all four people being well and happy.
You might notice a tendency to not want to extend your good wishes equally to all four people.
But try to spread your well wishing evenly.
And then you can begin to spread your well wishing in wider and wider circles.
Wishing that everyone who's around you be well and happy.
People in the building that you're in.
Around the building.
In the neighborhood.
Wishing well to everyone in your town.
In the area around your town.
And perhaps having a sense of your well wishing radiating outwards in all directions.
May we all feel safe.
May we all feel happy.
May we all feel healthy.
And may we all live with ease.
And then you can begin to let go of the effort to wish others well.
Becoming aware of your mind.
And appreciating whatever calmness and awareness you've developed.
And appreciating your emotions.
Noticing whatever changes have taken place.
And knowing that you can generate these feelings of kindness and warmth anytime you wish.
By taking this time you condition your heart to take your well wishing more fully into the outside world.
