We're just going to take a second before we begin and just settle in into our seats.
Just getting comfortable and ready.
Paying attention to our breath,
But not doing anything special with it yet.
Just noticing how our body feels in this very moment.
So we're just going to kind of,
With our eyes still open,
Just kind of relax them and take in all the space around us.
Just using that peripheral vision.
Just without moving your eyes around,
Just see with your peripheral vision what you know that's around you.
Maybe you weren't aware of just a second ago.
Just using this as a way to really anchor and center into this moment.
So now,
All together we'll just take in a deep breath through our nose and do that now.
And when you get it in,
Hold it in for a moment.
And as you allow it to exhale,
Just picture all the tension in your body just falling away with that.
And this time when you breathe in through your nose,
Just envision the golden white light entering through your nose,
Filling up your body with a cleansing,
Healthy breath,
Making your body glow.
Hold the breath in for a few.
And on this exhale,
Just imagine all the thoughts of the day in your mind just falling away with the breath.
We'll do a third really deep breath in through the nose,
Just feeling every bit of your body,
Allowing that cleansing oxygen just to hit all the extremities,
Getting ready to let your body go into a deep state of relaxation.
And then as you exhale,
If your eyes are still open,
Go ahead and just let them gently close if that feels good.
If not,
You can let your eyes just have a relaxed kind of half stare.
Just going within.
So now we're just going to be breathing deeply for a moment.
Just starting at the top of our scalp,
We're just going to take a quick scan on our own,
Top of our scalp all the way down to our toes.
Just notice if there's any place that's holding tension.
If there is,
Just envision your breath going to that area and kind of relaxing it.
Almost like the breath is fingers massaging,
Just needing that place a little bit just to help it relax just with your imagination and breath.
Continue down throughout your body and see if there's anywhere that has tension that needs to be released.
All the while paying attention to your breath,
Noticing the in and the out,
And directing the energy of the breath to any spots that are still holding tension,
Ligament pressures,
Any discomfort.
Just knowing that we are relaxing more deeply into this moment.
Any other thoughts that may be bouncing around in the head,
We're just going to let those fall away just by not judging them,
But just by bringing our attention back to the breath,
Reminding ourselves that the thoughts are there when we need them later,
That for now we can just be focused on the moment.
Now this first part of this meditation,
We're going to be bringing our attention to our heart space,
Right to the center of our chest.
We're going to focus on our breath,
And we're going to breathe in evenly to a count of four or five,
And then we're going to exhale the same count,
Just making sure that our inhales and our exhales are the same duration.
No pause in between,
Just regular deep breathing,
But no holding.
We're focusing on that heart space,
So this is the one where we can imagine as if there was a nose that comes right out of our chest.
As we breathe in,
That air goes straight in through the nose right into our heart.
If it helps you to count,
You can pace it out.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Out two,
Three,
Four,
Whatever helps you make sure that you get that rhythm down,
Focusing it on your heart space.
We're just going to do that for a few moments on our own.
What this first step does is it brings our heart waves into alignment with our brain waves.
They call it coherence or cohesion.
It is something that can be measured,
An EEG,
An EKG.
Now we're going to move into the metta,
The loving kindness meditation.
Just being aware of that space in the center of your chest,
The first thing we're going to do is bring to mind somebody that has shown you that they deeply care for you,
Somebody that makes you feel that you were seen,
Loved,
Cared for.
It can be somebody living,
Non-living.
It can be a spiritual teacher or leader.
It could be a friend,
Family member.
It could be an animal.
It's bringing to mind one person that makes you feel loved.
Once you take a second,
You can allow a smile to be on your face in that presence.
In our imagination,
We're just going to say these words.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
Repeat that one.
Just in your mind's eye,
Repeat after me,
Just say,
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
And now we're going to turn our attention and our heart outward,
Back at that person or being that showed you love.
We're just going to wish this for them.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
We'll repeat those.
The more feeling you're able to put into it,
The more power that this has.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
That will bring to mind somebody that has just a kind of a neutral reaction for you.
Maybe it's a neighbor,
Somebody you see every day in passing.
Maybe somebody at work,
Just an acquaintance.
We acknowledge that just like me,
They want the same things.
The core of their being,
They just want to have the same.
Do the same with them.
May they be happy.
May they be well.
May they be safe.
May they be peaceful and at ease.
We'll do it one more time.
May they be happy.
May they be well.
May they be safe.
May they be peaceful and at ease.
And next on this one,
This is where it gets harder.
At the beginning,
We want to remind ourselves that what we hold within us is our reality.
It is what we feel.
So this is an exercise that ultimately is to free ourselves on the inside,
Which frees all of us in the collective.
We bring to mind somebody that maybe there's some animosity or difficult feelings.
We can start this sense with,
To the best of my ability.
And as well as you're able to,
To envision and feel,
You'll say the same.
May they be happy.
May they be well.
May they be safe.
May they be peaceful and at ease.
Just continuing the breath into that center of our chest.
Staying grounded and focused,
Knowing that we're totally safe in this moment.
Still thinking of the person that might bring up some tense feelings.
We just repeat again.
May they be happy.
May they be well.
May they be safe.
May they be peaceful and at ease.
And then next,
We just bring up every person on the entire planet.
Everybody that's ever lived.
Everybody that ever will live.
And just acknowledge that just like me,
They all want to feel safe,
Happy,
Well.
So just with that broader picture in mind,
I'll repeat these words.
May you all be happy.
May you all be well.
May you all be safe.
May you all be peaceful and at ease.
And we'll repeat that one.
May you all be happy.
May you all be well.
May you all be safe.
May you all be peaceful and at ease.
Then turning back to ourselves,
Back with that person who brought us the feelings of unconditional love.
And repeat back to yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
One more time.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
Again just with a gentle smile on your face.
With your awareness and your heart space and on your breath,
Just remind yourselves that right now you are safe.
Right now everything is well.
And that this space is within us.
That this is the space within that can never be harmed.
Where the eternal lives.
Where we are eternal.
It's our sanctuary.
So I invite you to offer yourself gratitude and thanks for taking this time for yourself.
Taking this time for your loved ones.
Taking this time for all those on this planet.
And those that sometimes are difficult.
Knowing that this calm and this peace stays with you and it can be called upon at any time you need it.
Just with a brief closing of your eyes and a deep breath.
It's getting easier and easier to recall throughout our days.
With deep gratitude I say thank you.
We'll go ahead and start gently bringing our awareness back into the body.
Back into the space around us.
Bring it back into this room that you're in.
As you're comfortable gently allow your eyes to open.
Your breath to return to normal.
Thank you.
