Hello this is Katherine Cocoutone,
Author of Embodiment and the Treatment of Eating Disorders.
The body is a resource in recovery.
I'll be reading from the script called script 11.
5 Loving Kindness Meditation.
So before we begin,
Find yourself in a nice seated,
Grounded position.
Feet on the floor,
Sitting bones grounded,
Engaged core extending through the crown of your head,
Shoulders soft,
Jaw soft.
And orient yourself toward your breathing.
Grounded,
Breathing,
Present.
Breathing deeply,
Inhaling and exhaling.
Cultivate a sense of awareness and simple attentiveness.
Begin to expand your awareness to encompass your whole,
Whole body.
Yeah,
Toes,
Fingertips,
Crown of head.
And then imagine that you're surrounded by a sphere of loving kindness and that you are in the very center.
Imagine that the sphere is like a mother holding a beloved infant with care,
Warmth and abounding love.
This is the nature of the sphere that is around you.
Love.
As you sit within the sphere of loving kindness,
Say these words to yourself,
May I be happy?
May I be well?
May I be safe?
May I be peaceful and at ease?
Once you have finished,
Bring your awareness back to your breath,
To your whole body and then out to the sphere,
The sphere of loving kindness.
Now bring to mind a loved one or someone who has shown you great loving kindness.
Imagine that the sphere of loving kindness that surrounds you is now expanding to include your friend or loved one.
Breathe and visualize you,
This beloved one in the sphere of loving kindness,
Repeating these words.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
Now bring to mind a friend or a neighbor,
Somebody for whom you feel warmth and kindness.
This can be someone from your daily travels,
The person who lives next door or your yoga teacher.
It can be anyone you choose.
Breathe and visualize you,
Your loved one and your friend or neighbor within this expanding sphere of loving kindness and repeat these words.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
And may you be peaceful and at ease.
Now think about someone for whom you feel neutral.
It may be someone in your life with whom you interact,
Yet you have no feelings,
Good,
Bad or otherwise associated with this person.
This can be someone who you see in your daily travels.
They serve you coffee.
The interactions are neutral,
Not good,
Not bad.
Hold this person in your awareness.
Breathe and visualize your sphere expanding to include you,
Your loved one,
Your friend or neighbor and this new neutral person that is in the sphere,
The sphere of loving kindness.
Repeat these words.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
Now bring to mind someone with whom you struggle.
Perhaps it's someone close to you,
Someone in your family or someone at work,
Someone at school.
Bring to mind this person.
Breathe and visualize your sphere of loving kindness expanding even further to include this person.
Your sphere of loving kindness is now so large it has you,
Your loved one,
Your friend or neighbor,
The neutral person and this difficult person.
Repeat these words.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
Now it's time to expand your sphere of loving kindness to all beings everywhere.
Bring to mind those who are hungry,
Cold,
Tired,
Impoverished as well as those who have great wealth and abundance,
Everyone.
Bring to mind beings that are sick and those who have great health.
Bring to mind all beings in your town,
City,
State,
Province,
Nation.
Bring to mind all beings across the world,
Those who are here,
Those yet to be born and those who have passed.
Bring to mind all beings everywhere.
Breathe and visualize you,
Your loved one,
Your friend or neighbor,
The neutral person,
The difficult person and all beings everywhere within your sphere of loving kindness and repeat these words.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be well.
May all beings be safe and may all beings be peaceful and at ease.
Feel the radiating love and kindness as you breathe.
Feel the expansiveness of your sphere of loving kindness and the possible connectedness of all beings.
Slowly bring your awareness back to your breath and to your body and when you are ready,
Rub your hands together,
Warming them gently.
Raise your hands to your eyes and slowly open your eyes into the palms of your hands and when you are ready,
Rest your hands on your lap,
Eyes open,
Breath steady.
Thank you for practicing.
