Welcome to this loving-kindness meditation,
And thanks for joining.
The practice of loving-kindness,
Also known as ametha meditation,
Is meant to generate a deep attitude of friendliness,
Kindness,
And acceptance towards yourself,
Others,
And all beings.
An attitude of friendliness is incompatible with negativity or self-criticism,
So what we're aiming to do is replace one habit with another.
Loving-kindness is also known to strengthen your empathy muscles so that you can feel more compassion for other people.
Remember to practice this meditation as often as you can to help grow and strengthen your compassion and empathy.
So let's begin.
Find yourself seated comfortably in a safe place.
Ensure that your back is upright,
And gently close your eyes.
Begin by noticing how your body feels right now in this moment.
Notice any tension or any sensations.
Feel free to identify it,
Acknowledge it,
And just be mindful of how you feel.
Take note now of your breath.
Where do you feel the breath most distinctly?
Notice any movements associated with each in and out breath.
Are there any sensations?
Where are they felt?
And if thoughts are now seeping in,
That's perfectly normal.
That's what the mind does.
Just take note of those thoughts,
And you may label them.
When you're ready,
Gently go back to exploring and experiencing and witnessing the breath.
And together,
Let's take a deep breath in through the nose,
Slowly exhale,
And let out some more of that tension that may be holding you back.
When fully exhaled,
Direct your breath into your heart,
So you breathe into your heart,
And imagine the air leaving your heart.
Slow deep breaths into your heart,
Slow exhales out of your heart,
Moments to do this at your own pace,
Ensuring that the breath flows in and out of your heart,
Activating the power of your heart and bringing it into play.
There is a lot of good in you,
And you have so much capacity to empathize and feel love and give love.
With that said,
You may resume noticing your breath,
Becoming more one with the present moment.
Next,
I'd like you to imagine yourself.
It may be through the lenses of a mirror,
It may be you are facing yourself,
Or you could just be imagining yourself,
In whichever context is easiest for you.
The first thing that comes to your mind when you see yourself,
I'd like you to take a moment to soak in those emotions,
How being with yourself makes you feel,
And together,
Let's say the following with me to yourself.
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be happy,
May I live with ease,
May my life be filled with love and kindness.
I want you to say it like you mean it and notice how you feel.
You may smile at yourself and let it go.
Next,
I'd like you to think someone in your life,
Someone you like or someone who has been kind to you recently.
Imagine this person seated in front of you,
Like you're at a cafe or in a room,
Facing each other.
How do you feel when you're in the presence of this person?
What emotions may serve us?
Notice how they feel when they're in your presence.
Say the following to this person and I'd like you to say it like you mean it.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you live with ease,
May your life be filled with love and kindness.
Notice how this person feels when they hear you expressing these words to them.
How does it make you feel knowing that you've made them feel better?
You may now part ways with this person and now let's bring to mind someone you're neutral towards,
Someone for whom you don't hold any particular feelings or opinions.
You may just walk past them every day.
It could be the postman,
Your neighbor,
A colleague you barely speak to.
You can pick anyone,
Don't overthink it,
Just pick the first person and imagine them sitting with you now,
Facing you.
You may not feel anything in particular when you're in the presence of this person and that's fine.
Please say the following to this person.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you live with ease,
May your life be filled with love and kindness.
Notice in your mind's eye how this person reacts and feels about these words.
Notice how you feel knowing that you have brought some certainty and joy to this moment for them and you may,
When you're ready,
Let this person go.
Next up,
Think of someone difficult,
Someone who has let you down.
You may not be in the headspace for them right now,
They may be in your bad books,
But just imagine this person sitting in front of you.
I'll give you a few moments to establish a setting,
Establish their presence.
How do you feel when this person is currently seated with you?
Explore those emotions too.
Let's say the following to this person.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you live with ease,
May your life be filled with love and kindness and you don't have to feel anything,
You don't have to expect anything,
Just know that you did the right thing and whenever you're ready,
You may let this person go their way and you should be proud of yourself.
Next up,
I'd like you to imagine planet Earth,
Imagine the world,
The globe,
Imagine watching it from a distance like you're floating in space or from a spaceship or you could be on the moon and I'd like you to direct your energy now to everyone in the world,
All beings and with me,
Say the following,
May all beings be safe,
May all beings be healthy,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings live with ease,
May all beings lives be filled with love and kindness.
I want you to take a deep breath in,
Breathe in love,
Send this love out to the world as you exhale.
Pass it on to everyone else in the world who may need it.
Notice how you feel in this moment,
Has your body changed,
Have your emotions changed from when we started this meditation?
Now take a deep breath into your heart,
Imagine the air flowing into your heart and exhale,
See the air leave your heart,
Another deep breath into your heart and let the air leave your heart when you exhale.
One more time,
Inhale into your heart and let the air leave your heart when you're ready.
I'd like to wish you many more years of love,
Empathy and compassion and may you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you live with ease and may your life be filled with love and kindness.
From my heart to yours,
Thank you.
