Hi,
And welcome to this loving kindness meditation.
In this practice,
We'll send loving awareness to ourselves,
A loved one,
Stranger,
Someone who you have difficulties with,
And finally,
All living beings.
And as you practice with me,
I want to note that loving kindness can be hard.
It can be challenging to hold space for ourselves and others in a way that feels natural or even comfortable.
That's okay.
This is why it's a practice,
And it's why loving kindness meditations are great to return to regularly as a way to practice and expand your own loving kindness.
To start,
Please come into a comfortable seat.
That can look like lying down,
Walking,
Standing,
If sitting doesn't feel right for you.
Remember that physical discomfort is a sign from our bodies,
So don't ignore what your body is telling you today.
Begin with eyes open,
Focus soft,
And take some gentle breaths.
In through the nose and out through the mouth with a sigh.
Before we move into practice,
With compassion,
Check your posture once more.
Are there any final movements or adjustments that would create support here?
On this next exhalation,
Gently closing your eyes or let your gaze rest softly ahead.
Start to deepen the breath,
Breathing into the belly,
Letting it expand fully before exhaling out the nose.
And the next time you inhale,
Breathe into the belly and ribs,
And then gently exhale out the nose.
And finally,
Breathing into the belly,
The ribs,
Chest,
Finding the fullest expression of your breath,
And gently out the nose.
This is Dhirga Pranayama,
Three-part breathing.
Continuing for a few more moments to breathe in and out of the nose,
Filling up your belly,
Your ribs,
Your chest,
The fullest expression of your breath today.
Notice the qualities of the breath now.
Is it deep or shallow,
Warm or cold?
What do you notice about the breath as it moves in and out?
Letting your awareness be gentle,
Compassionate,
Nonjudgmental.
There's no right or wrong breath,
No right or wrong experience of this moment.
Shifting your awareness to the body,
And for a few moments,
Noticing where the breath resides.
Can you feel the belly and chest rise and fall?
Awareness remaining gentle,
Compassionate,
Nonjudgmental.
Beginning now to imagine a warm light surrounding you.
It wraps around you,
Creating a sense of support.
Then repeating after me,
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be present.
May I feel peace.
Letting the words fill your body,
Letting them be part of the warmth surrounding you.
Repeating again,
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be present.
May I feel peace.
Once more,
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be present.
May I feel peace.
Letting the light expand now,
Bring to mind someone you care for.
Someone who you want to experience this same sense of support.
Let the light wrap around the image of this person,
As you send the following words out to them.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Feel the words traveling from you to this person,
Supporting and surrounding them in light.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Once more,
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Allowing the light to expand again,
Bring to mind an acquaintance or a stranger,
Someone you met in passing,
Someone who you feel neutral about.
Imagine the light coming to them as you repeat after me.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Feel the words traveling from you to them,
Supporting and surrounding them in light.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Once more,
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Imagine now someone who you have difficulties with.
Maybe someone who you need to resolve a conflict with.
It doesn't have to be a big conflict either.
Witnessing the light expanding again to surround this person too.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Repeating again,
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Sending the words to them once more.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be present.
May you feel peace.
Finally,
Let the light expand as far as you can go.
Let your awareness expand to include your local community,
The state or country you reside in.
Let it extend to all beings.
Imagining this warm light encompassing the whole world itself,
We send the following words out to the universe.
May we be happy.
May we be well.
May we be present.
May we feel peace.
May we be happy.
May we be well.
May we be present.
May we feel peace.
May we be happy.
May we be well.
May we be present.
May we feel peace.
Witnessing and holding the light for all living beings.
Slowly release the light now,
Letting it slowly grow smaller,
Leaving behind its warmth and support.
Returning to your breath in the here-now moment.
Sensing the breath rise and fall.
Sensing the seat or ground beneath you.
Finally,
Sensing the space you're in,
Taking in sounds or smells,
Letting yourself fully arrive back.
Deep inhale through the nose and exhale out the mouth with a sigh.
Bringing hands to heart center for Andralay Mudra,
Prayer hands.
Aum.
May all beings be happy.
May no one fall ill.
May all see what is auspicious.
May no one feel sorrow.
Aum,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace unto the three sources of karma.
Thank you for joining me today.
Thank you for your practice.
The light in me sees and honors the light in each and every one of you.
