And when you're ready,
Close the eyes,
If that feels safe,
Or you could soften your focus or lower your gaze,
Bringing awareness into the body,
Noticing how the body feels as it sits,
How does the butt feel in the chair,
How do the feet feel on the ground,
Noticing any parts of the body that want attention,
Breathing slowly and intentionally,
Putting awareness on the breath,
And when the mind wanders,
We have a place to come home to,
Meeting the breath wherever it is.
You may notice an intention you had for this practice when you sat,
Bringing that awareness into the foreground and letting it go,
Not doing anything with it,
Just following the breath,
And as you breathe,
Incline your mind toward the experience of loving-kindness toward yourself,
You might start with just a gentle smile,
Thinking to yourself,
May I be happy,
May I be well,
May I live free from suffering,
And then expanding that experience of loving-kindness,
And then bringing to mind someone you love,
And sending and experiencing loving-kindness towards them,
Thinking to yourself,
May they be well,
May they be happy,
May they live free from suffering,
Bringing to mind someone you don't know well,
Maybe the barista,
The checkout person at the grocery,
The neighbor you only shared glances with,
And let's send them loving-kindness by thinking,
May they be well,
May they be happy,
May they live free from suffering,
Bringing to mind someone with whom you have a disagreement,
Someone you find distasteful or offensive,
Someone you share no affinity with,
And sending them loving-kindness as well,
Thinking,
May they be well,
May they be happy,
May they live free from suffering,
And expanding now,
Imagining you're floating over the planet,
Wishing every living being loving-kindness,
Thinking,
May they be well,
May they live free from suffering,
And when you're ready,
You can take a few more breaths,
Gently open your eyes and come on back.
