Loving-Kindness Meditation

It is a powerful practice that can change how we respond to difficult situations over time. Loving-Kindness meditation helps you to set the intention to be better friends to ourselves and to others, by realizing that we all want to be happy and free of suffering. We can learn to turn down the volume on the internal, snide monologue of self-judgment and be kinder to ourselves.

Transcript

You loving kindness meditation finding a comfortable posture relaxing if that's possible relaxing the body and also the mind we are not trying to make anything happen for loving kindness practice a comfortable position is of particular importance sitting upright with your feet on the floor starting by bringing attention to your chest to your physical heart or to wherever you feel kindness and connection in the body if you do feel it for most people that's the actual heart but for some it can also be the belly or perhaps some other place notice if your heart feels open or closed today or anything in between checking in not in order to change anything but in order to know remember that in this practice we work with intention the intention to cultivate an open heart and friendlier stance toward others and ourselves it may feel fake or contrived as we start out and that's okay now place your right hand on your heart bring into mind one person you feel a connection with it can be a friend a loved one a family member somebody who was kind to you or even your pet don't get hung up on who to choose whoever you choose imagining the person being here with you the more details you use to recall his or her image or presence the more likely you feel the connection maybe feeling your gratitude for this person being in your life maybe recording something that you like about this person or something kind that he or she has done you now starting to send this person friendly wishes or loving-kindness I will be saying some phrases that you can repeat silently to yourself it's helpful if you can get a sense of the meaning of the words even if you don't feel it this way in this moment may you be safe and protected may you be safe and protected may you be happy and deeply peaceful may you be happy and deeply peaceful may you be healthy and strong and if that's not possible may you accept your limitation with grace may you be healthy and strong and if that's not possible may you accept your limitation with grace you now moving the attention from your friend to yourself you can send loving-kindness to yourself as the adult that you are today or perhaps it may be easier to imagine sending loving-kindness to a younger version of yourself you can also connect with what you like about yourself and if nothing comes to your mind just connect with your genuine wish to be happy so choose what works for you and then use the phrases in a way that makes sense may I be safe and protected may I be safe and protected may I be happy and deeply peaceful may be happy and deeply peaceful may I be healthy and strong and if that's not possible may I accept my limitation with grace may I be healthy and strong and if that's not possible may I accept my limitation with grace finding your breath gathering up these wishes for yourself for safety and protection health and happiness getting a sense for how this feels in the body coming to an end with loving-kindness for yourself in your own time and transition to the breath but feel free to continue loving-kindness practice if it feels right you