Welcome to the loving kindness meditation.
Bringing awareness to your breath and your body as a whole resting here.
Tuning in to the points of contact as you lie or sit here.
Noticing the parts of your body that aren't in contact with the floor or the mat.
Bringing your attention to the air around you.
Noticing if it's moving or still,
Cool or warm.
Shifting your awareness now to your breathing.
Noticing the breath wherever it's most obvious to you right now.
This might be in the belly,
The chest,
The back.
All the gentle movement of air in and out of the nostrils and the felt sense of this.
Allowing your attention to rest wherever the breath is most obvious.
Gently following the in breath.
All the way up until it turns around and becomes the out breath.
And following that too.
So in this practice we're going to be cultivating our loving kindness.
Opening our hearts and minds to wishing ourselves and others well.
This is a very traditional practice.
And the purpose of this practice isn't to manufacture anything,
Not even a feeling.
It's more about attending to what it may be like for you to send well wishes to different categories of people.
And how you experience this moment by moment.
There is no wrong way to do this.
Knowing that you can return to the anchor of the breath anytime that you need to throughout this practice.
So let's begin by bringing to mind someone who is easy to love.
Getting a sense or image of this person.
And wishing them well.
And we're going to experiment now with sending them four well wishes.
The first is,
May you be safe.
The second,
May you be happy.
The third,
May you be healthy to whatever degree possible.
And lastly,
May you find ease.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy to whatever degree possible.
May you find ease.
And gently at your own pace now,
Repeating these phrases.
Sending this person who is easy to love these four well wishes.
Thank you.
As best you can now.
Letting go of the sense or image of this person.
And gifting yourself now with those same well wishes.
Even though it might feel that you don't deserve it at times,
Giving yourself that same message.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy to whatever degree possible.
And may I find ease.
So let's take a few moments now to really contemplate what each of those sentences means to you.
May I be safe.
Noticing what comes up for you here,
Perhaps a sense of protection or security.
May I be happy.
Perhaps a sense of joy comes up for you here,
A sense of lightness.
May I be healthy to whatever degree possible.
Being curious to what comes up for you with this well wishing.
Healthy in mind and body,
Perhaps healthy habits,
A sense of wellness or wholeness.
May I find ease.
Noticing what it means to you to be easeful.
Maybe a sense of freedom from habitual thought patterns that don't serve you well.
Perhaps easefulness means a gentler pace,
Less hurried.
Notice whatever is here as you contemplate finding ease for you.
And now gently at your own pace,
Sending well wishes to yourself,
Repeating the four phrases.
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I'm now bringing to mind someone who you're coming to contact with in your life,
But whom you don't know very well at all.
Someone who you feel neutral towards.
Perhaps a shopkeeper,
A bus driver,
A businessman or woman that you see sometimes going to work.
A member of your community that you don't know so well.
And as best you can,
Wishing them well.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy to whatever degree possible.
May you find ease.
And gently now at your own pace,
Sending these four well wishes.
To this person whom you don't know so well.
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And letting your focus on this person go now.
And bringing to mind if it's right for you.
Someone with whom you experience or have experienced difficulty.
With whom you have a sense of negativity towards.
Acknowledging now that they too wish to be safe,
Happy,
Healthy and easeful.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy to whatever degree possible.
May you find ease.
Repeating these phrases silently.
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Letting your focus on this person go now.
And experimenting with opening your heart wide.
Offering a heartfelt feeling of well wishes that touches all beings on this planet.
And indeed the whole universe.
May we all be safe.
May we all be happy.
May we all be healthy to whatever degree possible.
And may we all find ease.
Repeating these phrases silently,
Sending your well wishes far and wide.
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Opening to how this is felt in your body as you offer these expansive well wishes.
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And bringing this loving kindness energy back to yourself once more.
Pushing yourself well.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy to whatever degree possible.
And may I find ease.
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Continuing to wish yourself well.
Until the bell sounds.
Know that this practice can be nourishing on a regular basis if you're drawn to keep it alive and vibrant.
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