Welcome to this loving-kindness meditation,
With gratitude to Stephen Levine.
Sitting comfortably,
Allow the attention to come gradually to the breath.
The breath coming and going all by itself,
Deep within the body.
Take a few moments to allow the attention to gather within the even rhythm of the breath.
Turning gently within,
Begin to direct toward yourself care for your own wellbeing.
Begin to look on yourself as though you were your only child.
Have mercy on you.
Silently,
In the heart,
Say,
May I be free from suffering,
May I be at peace.
Just feel the breath breathing into the heart-space as we relate to ourselves with kindness and care.
Allow the heart,
Silently,
To whisper the words of mercy that heal,
That open.
May I be free from suffering,
May I be at peace.
Allow yourself to be healed.
Whispering to yourself,
Send wishes for your own wellbeing.
May I be free from suffering,
May I be at peace.
Repeat gently with each in-breath into the heart,
May I be free from suffering.
With each out-breath,
May I be at peace.
With the next in-breath,
May I be free from suffering.
With the following out-breath,
May I be at peace.
Repeat these words slowly and gently with each in-breath,
With each out-breath.
Not as a prayer,
But as the extending of a loving care to yourself.
Notice whatever limits this love,
This mercy,
This willingness to be whole,
To be healed.
May I be free from suffering,
May I be at peace.
Continue with this rhythm,
This deepening of merciful joy and loving-kindness drawn in with each breath,
Expanding with each exhalation.
May I be free from suffering,
May I be at peace.
Let the breath continue naturally as mercy for yourself,
Your only child,
For this being within.
Though at first these may only feel like words echoing from the mind,
Gently continue.
There can be no force here,
Force closes the heart.
Let the heart receive the mind in a new tenderness and mercy.
May I be free from suffering,
May I be at peace.
Each breath deepening the nurturing warmth of relating to oneself with loving-kindness and compassion.
Each exhalation deepening in peace,
Expanding into the spaciousness of being,
Developing the deep patience that does not wait for things to be otherwise,
But relates with loving-kindness to things as they are.
May I be free from suffering,
May I be at peace.
Allow the healing in with each breath,
Allow your true spacious nature.
Continue for a few breaths more this drawing in,
This opening to loving-kindness.
Relating to yourself with great tenderness,
Sending well-being into your mind and body,
Embrace yourself with these gentle words of healing.
Now gently bring to mind someone for whom you have a feeling of warmth and kindness,
Perhaps a loved one or a teacher or a friend.
Picture this loved one in your heart,
With each in-breath whisper to him or her,
May you be free from suffering,
May you be at peace.
With each breath draw that loved one into your heart,
May you be free from suffering.
With each out-breath filling them with your loving-kindness,
May you be at peace.
With the next inhalation drawing their heart closer to yours,
May you be free from suffering.
With the following out-breath extending to the loved one a wish for their well-being,
May you be at peace.
Continue to breathe the loved one into your heart,
Whispering silently to yourself,
To them,
May you be free from suffering,
May you be at peace.
Continue the gentle breath of connection,
The gentle wish for their happiness and wholeness.
Let the breath be breathed naturally,
Softly,
Lovingly into the heart,
Coordinated with your words,
With your concentrated feelings of loving-kindness and care.
May you be freed of any suffering,
May you know the deepest levels of peace.
Send them your love,
Your compassion,
Your care,
Breathing them in and through your heart.
And as you sense them in your heart,
Sense this whole world that wishes to be healed,
And to know its true nature,
To be at peace.
Noting to yourself,
Just as I wish to be happy,
So do all sentient beings.
And in your heart,
With each in-breath,
With each out-breath,
Whisper,
May all beings be free of suffering,
May all beings be at peace.
Let your loving-kindness reach out to all beings as it did to your loved one,
Sensing all beings in need of healing,
In need of the peace of their true nature.
May all beings be at peace,
May they be free of suffering,
May all sentient beings,
To the most recently born,
Be free of fear,
Free of pain,
May all beings heal into their true nature.
May all beings know the absolute joy of absolute being.
May all beings everywhere be at peace,
May all beings be free of suffering.
The whole planet like a bubble floating in the ocean of your heart,
Each breath drawing in the love that heals the world,
That deepens the peace we all seek,
Each breath feeding the world with the mercy and compassion,
The warmth and patience that quiets the mind and opens the heart.
May all beings be free from suffering,
May all beings be at peace.
Let the breath come softly,
Let the breath go gently.
Wishes of well-being and mercy,
Of care and loving-kindness,
Extended to this world we all share.
May all beings be free of suffering,
May all beings dwell in the heart of healing.
May all beings be at peace.
Thank you for watching.
