Aloha and welcome to this Loving Kindness Meditation.
Allow the soothing night sounds of the jungle to surround you while we focus on compassion.
Compassion towards those around us and reflecting that same compassion for ourselves.
And even if it means directing love and compassion outward to the earth,
To the sky,
To the sun,
And to the universe,
It will help us to appreciate and understand the weight of each day of life that we receive,
A free and harmonious life.
It will help us with the ability to embrace and understand that which is within our control and to let go of that which is not.
As always,
Find a favorite comfortable position.
Begin by recognizing your body.
Notice any areas of tension.
Let your muscles begin to relax.
And as you do so,
Bring attention to your breath.
Just notice the breath gently and naturally moving in and out.
You can use the air moving in and out of your nostrils as a point of focus,
Perhaps noticing the gentle movement of air or the coolness of the in-breath.
You can notice the gentle movement of your chest as the air flows in and out of your lungs.
And if it is helpful,
You can say to yourself the words in and out on each breath,
Even just in your head.
Again,
Just as naturally as always,
Just breathe,
But bring your attention to it.
And with each breath,
Letting all of your muscles relax just a bit more.
And then a bit more,
Breath by breath.
And as you are here in this comforting place,
If distracting thoughts try to creep their way into your mind,
It is fine.
You can always recognize them and just let them drift away.
Just bring your attention back to the breath and to the body and to my suggestions again and again.
Recognizing a small victory each time that you notice a stray thought and gently send it away.
And so now,
As you just gently continue that breath and body focus,
I will share with you some excerpts from Buddhist discourse on loving kindness.
And while I do so,
You can just continue to relax,
Focus on your thoughts,
And take these words in,
Feeling them deeply as you remember your breath and body.
May all beings be happy and secure.
May all beings be happy-minded.
May we not wish anger nor ill will or suffering upon others.
May all beings,
Without exception,
Be happy-minded.
Just as a parent would protect a child,
Cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings.
Keep a strong mind,
Free of enmity and negativity.
Let the thoughts of boundless loving kindness in one true direction pervade the whole world.
And as we settle into these thoughts,
We understand the universal nature of their themes.
And we see life and the world as it could be.
And we recognize that we are just one grain of the greater whole.
And yet,
Have the ability to move mountains with the strength of our outward love.
Our resolve towards the betterment of humanity.
And so now,
We will move into affirmation themes of loving kindness.
So,
If you like,
Just repeat each short affirmation phrase after me in whatever way you see fit.
Either out loud or in your head.
And I will leave just a moment to process each one.
Just a reminder to continue to focus on your gentle and natural breath.
In and out.
And the body.
Loose and relaxed muscles here in your comfortable space.
We begin now.
May my life be filled with happiness.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I give openly and freely.
May I be filled with grace and compassion.
And now,
In this perfect place that we have built,
We will send these affirmations outward to all beings.
And even to the earth,
Sky,
And universe.
Embrace and become one with all that is good around you.
Feel the healing freedom that it brings.
Feeling gratitude and remembering our breath and our body.
Let us say once more,
May all of our lives be filled with happiness.
May we all be well in body and mind.
May we all give openly and freely.
May our minds stay at ease during times of challenge.
May all the world be filled with grace and compassion.
Go forth with confidence and pride.
As a compassionate person,
You can know that your kindness will be put forth into the world and passed along through everyone you encounter.
Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love.
Let us lastly reinforce these ideas of loving kindness.
By once again remembering the lines from the Buddhist text.
May all beings be happy and secure.
Cultivating a boundless heart towards all beings.
A strong mind free of negativity.
Let thoughts of loving kindness pervade the whole world.
And we'll conclude this session from a countdown from five to one.
Starting now.
Five.
Three.
Two.
Mahalo Nui.
Aloha.
Take wonderful care of yourself.
And spread that loving kindness.
