Welcome.
So we're going to be doing a loving kindness meditation today.
And part of this meditation means bringing to mind someone or something that naturally brings us a feeling of warmth,
Care,
Or gentleness.
This could be a pet,
A child,
A grandparent,
A close friend,
A teacher,
Or someone in your life who has shown you kindness,
Even in a small way.
If it's difficult to think of someone,
It might be good to envision a place that has brought these feelings up for you.
Or a fictional character,
Whether from a book or a movie.
The intention matters more than getting it 100% right.
So before we begin I just want you to get comfortable finding a space where you won't be interrupted for the next 10 minutes.
Whether that's sitting on a chair with a pillow or lying down,
Just knowing you might fall asleep if you lie down,
Totally okay if that's your intention.
Just take a moment.
Okay,
So as we begin,
I just want you to soften your gaze and I invite you to close your eyes if that's in your practice.
Allow your hands to rest wherever they feel natural.
And as we begin,
We're just gonna gently notice our breath.
We don't need to change it right now,
We're just wanting to notice it.
You feel it coming through your nose,
Your mouth.
Very gentle rise and fall of your chest.
If you're noticing your shoulders are quite tense,
See if you can soften them just a little bit more.
To allow your jaw to unclench.
Now I want you to bring to mind that personal place that naturally cultivates a feeling of warmth or care in your heart.
As we hold this person or place in our mind,
We're going to silently say to ourselves,
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be peaceful,
May you live with ease.
I'm going to say them with you for a few rounds and then I'm going to let you repeat them in your mind's eye.
Or if you want to do it out loud,
You can as well.
So may you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be peaceful,
May you live with ease.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be peaceful.
May you live at ease.
May you be safe,
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be peaceful.
May you live with ease.
Just continue repeating these phrases quietly to yourself for the next minute at whatever pace feels natural with whatever place or whomever you have in your mind's eye.
Just noticing what feelings are coming up.
After doing this.
Where is that warmth in your body if it's present?
It's okay if it's not as well.
If you've noticed your mind's wandered,
Totally normal.
Simply acknowledge where it's gone and gently invite yourself to return to this personal place and to the next phrase.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be peaceful,
May you live with ease.
Now we're going to invite you to see if you can turn some of that warmth towards yourself.
For many people,
This can be hard.
You might notice resistance,
Discomfort,
Or your inner critic becoming louder.
That's important information to acknowledge if that comes up.
Simply notice what it's like to offer yourself those same wishes you offered someone else.
If this feels too difficult,
Totally okay.
You can return to your attention to the person or place or image you were holding before.
Sometimes we need to borrow a little compassion before we're ready to offer it to ourselves.
So gently holding yourself in awareness for a moment,
Maybe bringing a picture of yourself to your mind and say,
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be peaceful,
May I live with ease.
May I be safe,
May I be peaceful,
May I be healthy and may I live with ease.
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be peaceful and may I live with ease.
And continuing these phrases quietly to yourself for the next minute or two,
Allowing yourself to receive them in whatever way feels accessible or possible for you today.
Just before we finish up this practice,
Just take a moment to see how you're feeling.
Did you find this hard or was it easy?
Did you find warmth came quicker?
For you,
Or maybe it didn't.
It's no wrong or right,
Just that curiosity right now.
Maybe we need to take a deep breath in and out for a moment.
Whatever your experience was,
See if you can simply acknowledge it with curiosity rather than judgement.
And just bringing yourself back to the present moment,
What sounds are around you,
The room you're sitting in,
Perhaps wriggling your fingers and toes,
And if your eyes have been closed,
Gently allowing them to open when you're ready.
And as you move into the rest of the day,
See if you can carry just a small piece of this kindness with you.
Not only towards others,
But towards yourself as well.
Thank you for practicing.
