Sit quietly with your eyes closed.
We're going to be working today with the concept of the inner smile.
Start by lifting the edges of your lips into a gentle smile without changing the expression on your face.
Now lift the corners of your eyes.
Draw this smile down into your heart.
See if you can lift the corners of your heart.
With this inner smile filling your heart,
Your energetic heart center,
We fill the heart with loving kindness.
Feel a warmth spread and glow in your heart space.
Feel an ease in your chest,
A softening behind your breastbone.
Continue to fill your heart space with loving kindness.
And quietly to yourself say,
May I be happy,
May I be well,
May my heart be open and filled with loving kindness.
Send loving kindness into your heart and on your exhale,
Allow this loving kindness to spread out into the rest of your body.
Inhaling to expand the loving kindness and exhaling to spread loving kindness into all cells of your body.
Continue to breathe.
Continue to share loving kindness with yourself.
Now,
In your mind's eye,
Bring up the image of someone that you hold dear,
Someone that you love and care for deeply.
And say to this person,
May you be happy,
May you be well,
May your heart be open and filled with loving kindness.
Inhale to fill your heart with loving kindness.
And as you exhale,
Send this loving kindness to the person that you love.
Inhale to amplify the loving kindness in your heart and exhale as this loving kindness moves outwards,
Filling the entire body and being of the person that you love and care about.
Continue to breathe and continue to send loving kindness.
Now releasing the image of this person,
Bring up the image of someone that you have a neutral relationship with.
Perhaps someone that you see on a daily basis but don't really have a relationship with.
This might be the person at the grocery store who packs your bags.
Or a co-worker that you don't typically speak with.
See them clearly in your mind's eye and say to them,
May you be happy,
May you be well,
May your heart be open and filled with loving kindness.
Now inhale to grow the loving kindness in your heart.
And exhale as you send this loving kindness outwards to this person,
Witnessing as it fills their entire being.
Releasing the image of this person now,
Bring up the image of someone that you are struggling with.
Someone that there is tension and perhaps judgment with.
See this person clearly and remember the tension and the struggle that you have with them.
Allow this shadow to boil up,
To be seen in order to be cleansed.
Now say to this person,
May you be happy,
May you be well,
May your heart be open and filled with loving kindness.
Inhale to fill your heart with loving kindness.
And exhale as this loving kindness reaches out to this person in your mind's eye,
Filling their entire being with loving kindness.
Inhale to fill your heart with compassion and love.
Exhale as you see this love and compassion move out to the person in your mind's eye that you are struggling with.
And witness as this loving compassion works its alchemical magic as it spreads across and through their body.
Releasing the image of this person.
We now share loving kindness with all sentient beings.
We begin by saying,
May you be happy.
We begin by saying,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings be well,
May all beings have an open heart filled with loving kindness.
Inhale to fill your heart space with loving kindness.
As you exhale,
Witness this loving kindness spread outward from you in all directions.
Inhale to amplify the loving kindness in your heart.
Exhale as you watch this loving kindness effortlessly spread out to all beings.
Bring your awareness now back to your heart center.
Remembering the seat of your loving kindness and your deep compassion and grace.
Carrying this forward with you into your day.
Om Mani Padme Om
