Awakening your heart.
As we plant the seeds of loving kindness,
We allow ourselves to flower again from within.
Our hearts begin to soften and open,
Rediscovering knowledge of our own goodness and that of others.
The spirit of loving kindness is unconditional,
Open and flowing freely.
Love is our true nature and the source of healing for ourselves and for the entire world.
Let us begin by taking a comfortable position either on a chair or a cushion on the floor,
Assuming a posture of dignity and balance,
Allowing the attention to gradually come to focus on the breath.
The breath coming and going all by itself in a never-ending cycle.
Feeling it deep within the body,
Taking a few moments to allow the attention to gather within the even rhythm of your breath.
Turning gently within,
Moving your attention from your breath to the heart center,
Reconnecting to your inner essence,
Inviting feelings or images of kindness and love to radiate until they fill your whole being.
Noticing how your heart is feeling.
Without judging,
Just noticing is it tight and restricted?
Is it open and joyful?
Or perhaps it is somewhere in between,
Allowing the heart to express itself in this moment,
Letting things be just as they are and noticing.
Gently inviting your heart to soften,
Giving it time,
A self-giving,
Breathing into the heart area and allowing it to gently soften.
You may want to imagine breathing in rainbow light or a color that feels deeply comfortable to you.
Breathing in this rainbow light,
Allowing it to fill the heart area with a lovely warm feeling,
A healing sensation.
As this light fills the heart area,
Allow it to flow through your body,
Filling all the cells within.
Taking a moment now to rest in your open heart,
Allowing yourself to remember the blessings of an open heart,
Laughter,
Joy,
Simple moments of delight and peace.
Allowing yourself to be cradled by this warm light as if you were as deserving of loving kindness as any child.
In this moment,
Allowing yourself to honor your being,
Letting yourself bask in this energy of loving kindness.
Breathing it in and breathing it out.
With each breath opening and softening to this warm,
Comfortable feeling,
Inviting feelings of peacefulness and acceptance to be present within you,
Reflecting on the good within.
With each breath opening your heart as if it were a flower opening to receive the sunlight,
Filling your heart as a warm,
Glowing sun,
Full of beautiful healing and loving energy.
In the tradition of loving kindness meditation,
Repeating now the following phrases silently.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
When we extend unconditional love to ourselves,
We can truly be non-judgmental to others as well.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
May I be safe and happy.
As we reconnect to our own loveliness,
Becoming less fearful of others and trusting our ability to love,
We will have mental happiness.
When we relate to all mind states that arise without nourishing or cultivating them,
We will have happiness.
May I be safe and happy.
May I feel self-worthy that from deep within you know that you are deserving of happiness and love,
That this is your true nature.
May I feel self-worthy.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
We wish that our day-to-day life be free from struggle,
That we accomplish our days gracefully and with ease.
Other phrases could be,
May I dwell in peace or may I live with ease.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
May I be healthy,
Inviting feelings of peacefulness and acceptance to be present within,
Allowing the heart to receive the mind in a new tenderness,
Each breath deepening the nurturing warmth of relating to oneself with loving kindness and compassion.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
May I be happy and safe.
May I be healthy.
May I feel self-worthy.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
May I be happy and safe.
May I be healthy.
May I feel self-worthy.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
May I be happy and safe.
May I be healthy.
May I feel self-worthy.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
Each exhalation deepening in peace,
Expanding in spaciousness of being,
Allowing the healing in with each breath,
Continuing for a few breaths more this opening to loving kindness.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
May I be happy and safe.
May I be healthy.
May I feel self-worthy.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
Relating to yourself with great tenderness,
Sending well-being into your mind,
Body,
And spirit,
Embracing yourself with these gentle words of healing,
Dwelling here,
Renewing yourself,
Nourishing yourself.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
May I be happy and safe.
May I be healthy.
May I feel self-worthy.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
May I feel kindness towards myself.
May I be happy and safe.
May I be healthy.
May I feel self-worthy.
May loving kindness manifest throughout my life.
Becoming aware of your chest,
The area around the heart,
Focusing your attention now on your inner heart,
The spiritual heart.
You may imagine that the light that has filled your heart,
That has nurtured your heart,
Now expands out to the universe.
From the center of your heart,
Bringing awareness to your family and the people you live with.
To all the people and animals new your home.
Then expanding this awareness to include your neighborhood,
Your state,
Your country,
To the world,
To the entire universe,
All beings.
Feeling your heart expanding to include all of them,
Reminding yourself of the deep connection to all beings.
Radiating loving kindness out to everyone.
Just as I wish to be happy,
So do all beings.
Just as I wish to live in peace,
So do all beings.
May all beings dwell in the heart of healing.
May we learn just to be a moment at a time with an open heart,
Sharing as we can.
May we all come home to our true nature.
