Hi everybody,
Welcome.
So this is a meditation on loving kindness,
Or metta it's called.
And we are going to connect with loving kindness for ourselves and others.
So to begin,
We'll start just like we do with most of the other practices by finding a comfortable position.
You really want to let your body rest and your heart be soft.
So take some moments to find a place of comfort.
And relax areas of the body that might be tight or tense.
And when you feel ready,
You can close your eyes or lower your gaze.
And take some moments to feel the breath at the heart.
So breathing in,
Sense that you're receiving warmth and energy.
And breathing out,
Sense that you are letting go into openness.
Breathing in warmth and energy.
Breathing out.
Letting go into openness.
Connect with your longing to feel safe,
Protected,
And loved.
Can bring to mind a place in the world or in your imagination.
Where you feel deeply at home.
And take some moments to evoke with all your senses imagining the forms and colors.
The smells and sounds of your healing place.
It might be outside in nature.
Or your bedroom.
And if nothing comes to mind,
It can be just where you are now.
Can you feel yourself being held?
By the peaceful,
Comforting energy around you.
Now bring into your heart someone who you feel loved by.
It might be your grandmother,
A beloved teacher,
Your cat,
Your dog.
A good friend.
Think of someone where love comes easily and is uncomplicated.
You might also imagine a more formless presence that you experience simply as warmth and light.
And picture this person or presence when their love is turned towards you.
Breathe gently and recite inwardly the following phrases.
Directed towards their well-being.
You can choose the phrases that resonate with you.
If you want you can choose your own.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be howled in lovingkindness.
May you feel safe and at ease.
May you feel protected from inner and outer harm.
May you be happy and joyful.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May loving kindness manifest throughout your life.
May you experience love,
Joy,
Wonder and wisdom.
In life just as it is.
May you be held in the heart of love.
As you repeat these phrases,
Hold this loved one or presence in loving kindness.
Repeat the phrases and kind intentions letting the feelings wash over you like warm water in a bath.
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be held in loving-kindness.
May you feel safe and at ease.
May you feel protected from inner and outer harm.
May you be happy and joyful.
May you accept yourself,
Just as you are.
May loving-kindness manifest throughout your life.
May you experience love,
Joy,
Wonder and wisdom.
In life just as it is.
May you be held in the heart of love.
This meditation can feel mechanical and awkward.
You can also bring up feelings of irritation or anger.
If this happens,
It's especially important to be patient and kind towards yourself.
Allowing whatever arises.
To be held in the heart of love.
Now.
Turn your loving-kindness towards yourself.
If it's helpful,
You can imagine this loved one or presence gazing back at you with the same well-wishing.
They want you to be held in kindness,
To be safe.
To feel joy.
Picture them saying this to you kindly.
May you be filled with love and kindness.
May you be howled in loving kindness.
May you feel safe and at ease.
May you feel protected from inner and outer harm.
May you be happy and joyful.
May you accept yourself,
Just as you are.
May loving-kindness manifest throughout your life.
May you experience love,
Joy,
Peace.
Wonder and wisdom.
In life,
Just as it is.
May you be held in the heart of love.
As you repeat each phrase,
Open to whatever images and feelings arise with the words.
Approach this meditation as an experiment.
Sensing what words and images best serve to soften and open your heart.
You might explore placing your hand gently on top of your heart.
To see if this deepens the experience of holding yourself in kindness.
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be held in lovingkindness.
May I feel safe and at ease.
May I feel protected from inner and outer harm.
May I be happy and joyful.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May loving-kindness manifest throughout my life.
May I experience love,
Joy,
Wonder and wisdom.
In life just as it is.
May I be hell in the heart of love.
Again,
If you notice feelings of agitation,
Fear,
Shame,
Confusion.
Without judgment,
Just include this in the meditation.
May this too be held in loving-kindness.
Then simply return.
Accepting whatever thoughts may arise.
And you have established a sense of love and kindness for yourself.
You can expand your meditation to include others.
So you can include those in your household.
Those in your community.
Those in the larger world or the global community.
So take a moment and establish.
Who you'd like?
Offer loving-kindness towards.
Could hold the images in your mind.
While you repeat.
May you be filled with love and kindness.
May you be howled in loving-kindness.
May you feel protected.
From inner and outer harm.
May you feel safe and at ease.
May you be happy and joyful.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May loving kindness manifest throughout your life.
May you experience love,
Joy,
Peace.
Wonder and wisdom in life just as it is.
May you be held in the heart of love.
Gradually extending your meditation.
Step by step.
To include your neighbors,
Your community members.
Animals,
All beings,
And the whole earth.
And just imagine.
If we offered others.
Loving kindness.
How powerful of a change that could be.
So I'm going to end with a palm.
This is a Suki Master.
Dr.
Javad in our box.
We are the people of loving kindness.
Leaders and guides of one another.
To the purity of love.
We are helpers of one another.
Though in bodies separate.
We are all but one spirit.
We are all the soul,
Spirit,
Heart and beloved of one another.
We're all one people.
Without you.
And I,
There is only we.
All equal.
Allah All Companion.
Of one another.
Once you've radiated your love and kindness outward.
Come back into the space of your room,
Into your body.
And when you feel ready.
You can open your eyes.
