Welcome to today's meditation.
Today's theme is loving-kindness.
So this session is all about showing love and compassion towards yourself and the ripple effect that it can have on others on a small scale like your network or an even greater scale expanding out to the rest of the world.
So finding a comfortable position.
If you're sitting down and you're on a cushion you might like to prop up your hips so that they're slightly elevated above your knees.
If you're on a chair ensuring that your feet are planted into the ground below you.
You might like to sit towards the edge of the chair so you're not relying or slouching on the backrest.
You can either place your hands in your lap or on your knees with the palms facing up or down.
You might choose to roll your shoulders forwards and backwards a few times just letting go of any tension in the area.
And just wriggling around until you find a comfortable position.
I'm visualizing a string pulling you up from the crown of your head with a straight yet relaxed spine.
Or you might like to practice this meditation laying down ensuring that your body is symmetrical.
So laying on your back with the arms away from your body,
Legs relaxed and apart.
And if it feels comfortable for you gently closing down your eyes.
Or you might like to soften your gaze and looking beyond the tip of your nose and allowing yourself to connect back to your body.
Noticing how your body feels.
Are there any tense spots?
How does the temperature of the air feel against your skin?
Do you notice warmth,
Coolness or maybe something in between?
Just observing any sensations with gentle curiosity.
Now opening up your ears to any sounds you can hear in the distance.
Maybe it's the sound of traffic,
The sound of the wind or perhaps white noise.
Without attaching a narrative to these sounds,
Allowing them to show up just as they are.
Now zooming in your focus to the sounds you can hear right around you.
Maybe it's the sound of music,
The sound of your breath,
Your wonderful breath.
Or maybe the sound of your stomach or any other internal sounds.
Now gliding your awareness to your breath,
Noticing the nature and dynamic of your breath.
Does your breath feel deep or shallow?
Fast or slow?
There's no need to change your breath or modify it in any way.
Simply observing your breath.
You might like to pay attention to the cool air as it enters your nostrils on the in-breath and perhaps the warmer air as it leaves your nostrils on the out-breath.
Or you might like to observe the sensations of your breath,
Like the rise and fall of your belly.
You could even place your hand on your belly if you need that tangible reference.
If at any point during this meditation your mind starts to wander,
That's completely natural.
It's natural to have countless thoughts come and go.
You might like to label the thought as thinking,
Noting this to yourself and then coming back to an anchor,
Such as your breath or the sensations of your breath.
There's nowhere to be,
Nothing to do.
Allowing yourself to be here in this present moment,
Free of any external distractions,
Notifications,
To-do lists.
And giving yourself permission to be here,
100%.
Shifting your awareness to the crown of your head.
Noticing how the top of your head feels.
Are there any strong sensations?
Maybe tingling,
Tightness,
Or maybe a sense of relaxation.
There are no good or bad labels.
Observing these sensations and letting them be.
Your eyes,
Nose,
Forehead,
Cheeks,
Lips and jaw.
How do your facial muscles feel?
Are you clenching anywhere?
Or do your muscles feel soft and relaxed?
Your neck and shoulders.
Do they feel tight,
Tense?
Or do the muscles feel soft and loose?
Your chest and heart space.
Does your heart feel open and expansive to receiving?
Or does it feel closed,
Restricted?
And maybe a bit cautious.
Once again,
Acknowledging that there's no good or bad.
Observing what you notice for you.
Your stomach.
Are there any strong or maybe subtle sensations in your stomach?
And shifting your awareness to your feet.
The tops of your feet,
Your ankles,
The soles of your feet,
And each and every toe.
How do your feet feel?
Now extending that awareness to your entire body.
Noticing the strong sensations and the more subtle sensations.
And breathing in to these sensations.
We'll be repeating some affirmations in the next section of the meditation.
You may choose to simply listen or you can repeat them gently in your mind.
Now visualizing your heart space.
And noticing a gold light beaming around your heart.
Radiating and infusing the rest of your body.
And sharing this love and compassion towards yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
Now picturing someone that you love unconditionally.
Perhaps it's a person or a pet.
And extending this loving kindness towards them.
You might like to even visualize the gold light,
The gold bubble expanding and also enveloping them.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Now picturing someone you might not have the best relationship with.
Perhaps you've lost contact with this person.
Or you've had a falling out.
Or a disagreement.
And sending loving kindness towards this person.
And perhaps passing on this golden bubble to them.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Now thinking of your immediate community.
Perhaps your neighbourhood or any other communities you might be a part of.
And allowing this gold bubble to expand,
To encompass your close knit community.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy.
May they live with ease.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy.
May they live with ease.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy.
May they live with ease.
And just noticing how you feel in your body.
Now expanding this gold bubble and this feeling of loving kindness even further.
Out to the rest of your country,
Surrounding countries and the rest of the world.
Wishing all beings loving kindness.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy.
May they live with ease.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy.
May they live with ease.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy.
May they live with ease.
And for the next few moments,
Allowing yourself to sit in silence.
And bask in the golden bubble of love and compassion.
Gently deepening your breath.
Noticing that feeling of loving kindness.
And connecting back to the sounds you can hear in the distance.
And shifting your focus to the sounds you can hear right around you.
Maybe it's the sound of your breath.
Any other internal sounds.
Or the sound of music.
Noticing your sense of touch.
How does the temperature of the air feel?
Do you notice any strong or subtle sensations in your body?
And when you feel ready,
You might like to gently wriggle your fingers and toes.
Bringing movement back into your body.
You might like to roll your shoulders forwards and backwards.
Or massage any tight areas in your body.
Maybe your legs and feet.
And in your own time,
With no rush at all,
Gently cracking open your eyes.
And reconnecting back to your physical space.
Knowing that you can come back to this meditation and space at any time.
Thank you for practicing with me.
Namaste.
You
