On our adventure into awareness and presence,
As we deepen our meditation practice,
We gain new insights into the true nature of reality.
One of those insights is the interconnectedness of all things and the interdependency that we have with each other and the world around us.
This loving-kindness meditation fosters that inner connection and interdependency.
As we start,
Let's take three deep cleansing breaths,
Breathing in through the nose and sighing out of the mouth.
As we breathe in our natural rhythm,
Let the sensation of the air through your nostrils fill your awareness.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Let the sensation of your lungs filling with air fill your awareness and follow the rising of your breast and the falling of your breast with each breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing in,
Fill your belly,
Expand with each in breath.
And fall back with each out breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Bring your awareness to the sensations of your face,
The folds in your cheek by your nose,
Your lips.
Soften your eyes and feel the tension melt away from your forehead.
Feel the sensation of your scalp and your ears down the back of your neck.
Feel the sensation in your shoulders as they fall away from your ears and let go of the tension of the day.
Feel the sensation of your arms and your hands as they sit gently in your lap.
Feel the sensations in your chest and in your back,
Down your spine and your abdomen,
Into your hips,
The pelvic floor and down through your legs.
Feel the sensation in your knees and your shins and calves and your feet as they rest gently on the floor.
Bring your awareness to your heart center.
Place your hands gently over your heart and as you breathe,
Feel your heart.
And be aware of how much you want to be happy and peaceful.
How much you long to be healthy and safe.
How much you want to be free from suffering.
And how much you want to be loved and to prosper.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be healthy and safe.
May you be free from suffering.
May you prosper and be one in love.
Now bring into your awareness the face of a loved one.
And sense the expression on their face as they are here close to you.
And feel the sensation in your face as they are here close to you.
Sense how much your loved one longs to be happy and peaceful.
How much your loved one wants to be healthy and safe.
How much your loved one wants to be free from suffering.
How much your loved one wants to be loved and prosper.
May we be happy and peaceful.
May we be healthy and safe.
May we be free from suffering.
May we prosper and be one in love.
Now think of your family and friends.
Imagine your friends or your personalities.
Now think of your family and friends.
Bring them into your awareness and sense how much they,
Like you,
Want to be peaceful and happy.
How much they,
Like you,
Want to be healthy and safe.
How much they,
Like you,
Want to be free from suffering.
And how much they,
Like you,
Want to be loved and prosper.
May they be happy and peaceful.
May they be healthy and safe.
May they be free from suffering.
May they prosper and be one in love.
Bring into your awareness someone that you have neutral feelings for.
It could be an acquaintance,
A co-worker,
A clerk in a store.
And sense how much they,
Just like you,
Want to be happy and peaceful.
How much they,
Just like you,
Want to be healthy and safe.
How much they,
Just like you,
Want to be free from suffering.
And how much they,
Just like you,
Want to be loved and prosper.
May they be happy and peaceful.
May they be healthy and safe.
May they be free from suffering.
And may they prosper and be one in love.
Now bring into your awareness someone that you have difficulties with.
And sense how much they,
Too,
Just like you,
Want to be happy and peaceful.
How much they,
Just like you,
Want to be healthy and safe.
And how much they,
Just like you,
Want to be free from suffering.
And how much they,
Just like you,
Want to be loved and prosper.
May they be happy and peaceful.
May they be healthy and safe.
May they be free from suffering.
May they prosper and be one in love.
And now bring into your awareness a group that you have difficulties with and don't understand.
It could be a political party,
A religious group,
Someone of a different race or ethnicity,
Or even an entire country.
And sense in your awareness how much they,
Just like you,
Want to be happy and peaceful.
How much they,
Just like you,
Want to be healthy and safe.
How much they,
Just like you,
Want to be free from suffering.
And how much they,
Just like you,
Want to be loved and to prosper.
May they be happy and peaceful.
May they be healthy and safe.
May they be free from suffering.
May they prosper and be one in love.
And now bring into your awareness all of the people in our world,
In our town,
County,
State,
Country,
On our continent,
On all continents.
How much we all as humans want to be happy and peaceful.
How much we all as humans want to be healthy and safe.
How much we all as humans want to be free from suffering.
And how much we all as humans want to be loved and to prosper.
May we all be happy and peaceful.
May we all be healthy and safe.
May we all be free from suffering.
And may we all prosper and be one in love.
Happy and peaceful.
Healthy and safe.
Free from suffering.
Let's come together and be one in love.
You
