Lovingkindness Meditation

This Lovingkindness meditation is inspired by the metta Bhavana Buddhist meditation. First, we will bring ourselves to mind and send us wishes of love and kindness. In the second stage we will be thinking about a dear friend, then a stranger, and finishing with someone we have a difficult relationship with. We end the meditation by sending wishes of lovingkindness to all living beings.

Transcript

Loving kindness meditation for this meditation you can lie down or sit on a chair or a meditation cushion close your eyes and let your body settle slowing down the breath feel the contact of your body on the floor or the chair and move your attention to your breath observe the natural movement of your breath happening in your body notice how your belly expands as you breathe in and contracts as you breathe out for a few seconds focused all your attention on the breath repeating in your head in and out as you breathe in and out for this loving kindness meditation I'm going to invite you to bring to mind yourself maybe you can picture yourself as if you were looking in a mirror or turn your attention inward and as you think about you about I repeat those sentences may I be well may I be happy may I be free from suffering may I be well may I be happy may I be free from suffering as you repeat those sentences wishing you to be well to be happy and to be free from suffering try to really feel those feelings really being honest in what you're wishing to yourself as much as possible maybe it's by evocating some warm colors or just feeling this love for yourself as much as possible may I be well may I be happy may I be free from suffering may I be well may I be happy may I be free from suffering then moving on turn your attention bring to mind a dear friend someone you know not someone you're related to a partner but just a very good friend and bringing that person to your attention try to feel the same warmth and love you had turned toward yourself and wish them my dear friend may you be happy may you be healthy may you be free from suffering may you be happy may you be healthy may you be free from suffering may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering you moving on again I'm inviting you to bring to your mind a neutral person someone you don't really know but maybe you see them in your corn shop or in your commute in your streets a neighbor someone you don't really have any particular feeling for and just as we've done with our dear friend trying to wish them all those good things and repeat dear neutral person may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering you you may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering you moving again we are turning our attention to someone that you know you have difficult feeling for maybe it's someone you had an argument with or someone you find irritating bring this person to your mind remember and notice how you feel about this person and just as we've done before wish this person to be well happy and free from suffering they too want to be happy try to find in your heart to really wish those people those good things and repeat may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering you you may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering may you be well may you be happy may you be free from suffering now expanding this love and kindness to the four people you bring to your mind yourself your dear friend a neutral person and difficult person and wish all of them one last time may we all be well may we all be happy and maybe we all be free from suffering and as you finish this meditation come back to your body and your physical sensation your feet on the ground and the weight of your hands listen to the sound around you and sound of your own breath and when you're ready at your own time you can open your eyes