So as ever,
Bring yourself into a posture that suggests your intention to remain alert but relaxed throughout the practice.
So sit up straight,
But not military stiff straight.
Just sit up straight and as if your head has been gently pulled upright by an invisible cable.
While your spine lifts,
Allow your shoulders and the rest of your body to relax.
So you're upright but you're relaxed.
You're alert but you're not stiff.
You can put your hands wherever they feel comfortable.
In your lap or your thighs is probably going to be best.
Place your feet flat on the floor,
Legs uncrossed and relaxed.
Now you may close your eyes or if you want to keep them open,
Downward a few feet in front of you with a soft focus.
And so now that we're in that posture,
Let's start as we always do with six deep breaths where the intention is to make the exhalation as much as twice as long as the inhalation.
So as you take this first breath now,
Counting in and if the counting is one at the top of the breath,
Hold it for a beat of one and then breathe out.
And if the count in is one,
Breathe out for a count of two.
If the count in is two,
Breathe out for a count of four.
And just as I go quiet for a few moments,
Take five or six of these gentle breaths.
Don't stretch yourself,
Don't strain yourself.
Just deep,
Gentle,
Smooth breaths where the focus is on making the exhalation longer than the inhalation to trigger your parasympathetic nervous system and just settle you before we start the practice.
So carry on with that in the silence.
Okay.
So as your last exhalation finishes,
Just gently bring your attention to your feet on the floor.
And as always,
Being alert and noticing any sensations you find there.
Tuning into whether there's any tingling or numbing sensations,
Any hot or cold,
And you're not looking for anything in particular,
Just whatever presents itself,
Whatever there is to notice.
So take a few minutes just to tune in and observe and stand as an observer,
Watching for the sensations going on in your feet.
You might want to notice what's going on with the sole of your feet.
What sensations are there?
Sole in contact with your stocking or your sock and your shoe and the floor,
Top of your feet,
Each individual toe.
And again,
Not looking for anything in particular,
There is no right or wrong.
Just being observant of whatever there is to observe.
And so now gently moving the focus of your attention up to your seat,
Up to where you're behind is on the chair and noticing what sensations are there.
What calls out to you from there?
What do you notice?
You may notice the sensation of your clothing in contact with your skin,
Sensation of gravity as you feel the bones of your behind being dragged into the seat.
Just be observant.
Don't strain,
Don't visualize.
Just reach out to notice what sensations might be there over the next minute or so.
So,
Now connect with your intention.
For this practice,
As a leader of people,
Your intention for a loving kindness practice is to cultivate an open and empathetic attitude to all people you encounter,
Even those people that you have difficulties with.
So set that intention for the next few minutes.
So now let's begin by taking a breath in,
Letting it out slowly.
And as you do so,
Just notice that this whole time while we've been going through the start of our session,
Your breath has been carrying on automatically in the background unnoticed.
Now bring a gentle,
Light attention to it.
You don't want to manage it.
You don't want to cramp its style.
You just want to notice its passage in and out of your body.
Bring your full attention to it.
Let it be,
But simply notice the in breath and the out breath as they repeat over and over.
You're not trying to change the breath.
You're not trying to affect it.
You're just simply observing it with curiosity that it just keeps going.
Just be present to your breath wherever you notice it most.
And already you may have noticed that thoughts and sensations and sounds arise and threaten to steal your attention away.
When that happens,
Simply return your attention to the breath.
Every time you notice that you're lost in a thought,
That you're overly focused with a sensation or have been distracted by a noise,
Just notice it and gently,
Without judgment,
Without feeling bad about it,
Return your attention to the breath.
And know that every time you recover your attention from a distraction,
You're actually building the muscle of attention.
Everything that you've lost attention is a success,
Not a failure.
And so now,
We'll allow our attention to the breath just to slip to the background.
You'll still continue to breathe.
You may even have some low attention to it.
Now you're going to bring some attention to bringing some positive friendliness and empathy to yourself.
Because if you cannot be empathetic with yourself,
If you cannot be kind to yourself,
It's difficult to be kind to others.
So repeat these phrases slowly.
May I be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May I be as happy and healthy as it is possible for me to be.
May I have ease of being.
And each time you repeat these phrases,
Imagine them echoing all around you in the room and notice any reactions to them in your thoughts or your feelings or your bodily sensations.
No need to get lost in thought on them.
No need to get lost in any sensations that arise or any emotions.
Maybe notice any reaction and then return to the next phrase,
Repeating,
May I be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May I be as happy and healthy as it is possible for me to be.
May I have ease of being.
It's not unusual for meditators to feel guilty about focusing upon their own well-being like this.
Let that guilt go.
Caring for yourself is the beginning of caring for others.
But if you find it difficult to bring these kind wishes to yourself,
Then bring to mind anybody whom you know has or does love you unconditionally.
Feel what it would be like to them to wish you this kindness and see if you can bring through their eyes this kindness and love to yourself.
So may I be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May I be happy and healthy as it's possible for me to be.
And may I have ease of being.
Now bring to mind somebody who you scarcely know,
Maybe even a complete stranger.
It might be somebody you see as you go about your day,
But you don't really know them.
Somebody about whom you'd say your feelings were neutral.
And bring these same wishes to them.
So may he or she be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May he or she be as happy and healthy as it's possible for them to be.
May he or she have ease of being.
And again,
As you hear these wishes echo around you,
Notice if you experience any reactions in your thoughts or your feelings or your bodily sensations.
Just be aware.
Just notice.
Don't analyze.
Don't follow.
Just stay present.
Now bringing a loved one to mind,
Bring the same kindness and love to them.
May he or she be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May he or she be as happy and healthy as it is possible for them to be.
May he or she have ease of being.
Listen to the phrases echo.
Notice how you react to them,
If you do at all.
Again repeat.
May this loved one be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May this loved one be as happy and healthy as it's possible for them to be.
May this loved one have ease of being.
Now bring your attention to someone in your life whom you find difficult.
It doesn't have to be the most difficult relationship in your life.
Just one where it is less than natural for you to think of them in a kind or empathetic way.
And bring these same sentiments to them.
May he or she be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May he or she be as happy and healthy as it's possible for them to be.
May he or she have ease of being.
This may seem unnatural.
It may even feel insincere.
And if that's the case,
Notice that reaction.
Then let it go.
Don't get lost in thought on it.
Don't be concerned that you cannot currently,
Genuinely and authentically settle kindness upon this person.
The practice is in trying to bring a positive attitude even to those people who are a source of difficulty in your life.
And again,
As you bring kindness to them,
Notice any thoughts or feelings or bodily sensations that arise when you bring your loving kindness to this person.
So once again,
May he or she be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May he or she be as happy and healthy as it's possible for them to be.
May he or she have ease of being.
Now keeping this person in mind,
I'm bringing back to mind all of the others that you've wished well during these last few minutes.
Consider that these people have experienced many joys and happiness just like me.
These people wish nothing more than to be healthy,
Loved and have fulfilling relationships just like me.
These people just want to be happy,
Just like me.
These people have at some point in their lives been sad,
Disappointed,
Angry,
Hurt or confused,
Just like me.
These people have in their lives experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering,
Just like me.
These people wish to be free from pain and suffering,
Just like me.
These people behave as they do because they feel somehow it will make them happy,
Just like me.
These people just want to be listened to and understood,
Just like me.
So keeping all of these people in mind and now extending your wishes out to every living being,
Repeat the phrases one final time,
Wishing everybody in the world what you wish for yourself.
May everyone be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May everyone be as happy and healthy as it's possible for them to be.
May everyone have ease of being.
And remember,
It's okay if in the practice you don't deeply connect with these phrases as you practice.
Simply repeat them and notice what thoughts,
Feelings or bodily sensations come up for you.
Just watch,
Listen,
Notice and trust that the practice is working even if it doesn't feel it is.
Now in the background your breath has continued to function for you.
So briefly before we finish up,
Return your attention to the breath,
Settling your attention very gently back on the breath,
Noticing the in-breath and the out-breath wherever it's most apparent to you.
So on the next out-breath,
Gently shift your attention from the breath back to the present moment and what's going on around you.
Open up your awareness to what's going on around you and then gently open your eyes and prepare to return to your day.
But set the intention as you exit the practice that you will take some of this feeling for others,
Some of this empathy back into the world.
A So far away gonna be no cues.
