This is Leigh Bridges.
Thank you for joining me on this guided meditation.
To begin this meditation,
I ask you to find a comfortable position.
You can be on the floor or in a chair,
But choose a position that allows you to be awake and alert and where you can sit comfortably with a straight spine.
You can place your hands on your knees or your thighs while resting together in your lap,
Whatever feels good to you.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Exhale slowly and exhale slowly as you consciously relax your body.
Relax your eyes.
Relax the muscles of your jaw.
Relax your arms and feel softness travel down through your body.
As you relax,
Breathe in awareness and breathe out stress and tension.
Feeling relaxed prepares your body and mind for the deep awareness of love and compassion that we'll be using as our focus.
Now think about someone you love.
Choose someone you love easily and naturally rather than someone for whom you feel an emotionally complicated love.
This can be a close friend or even a pet.
Focus your attention on the area around your heart.
If it helps you focus,
You can put your hands over your heart.
Imagine you're breathing in and out through your heart.
Take several deep breaths and as you do,
Feel your heart breathing in and breathing out.
As you breathe,
Think about the one you chose.
And imagine with every breath that you are breathing in feelings of gratitude and love.
If you find your attention has wandered away from your heart,
Just bring it back gently and without judgment.
Imagine that the warm glow of love and compassion coming into your heart is moving through your body as you send love and kindness and compassion to yourself.
Send these warm feelings of love and compassion up and down your body from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.
As you're sending the warm feelings up and down your body,
Repeat these words silently to yourself or out loud.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
Again,
Whenever you notice your attention has wandered away from your heart and these warm feelings,
Just bring it back gently and without judgment.
You're breathing in through your heart and breathing out through your heart.
Now imagine you're expanding this warm glow to include all of your friends and family.
Imagine the warm glow of love and compassion that comes from your heart moving into their hearts.
As you're moving love and compassion from your heart to theirs,
Repeat these words silently to yourself or out loud.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
Now imagine expanding your heart bubble so you are sending your loving kindness and compassion to all living things on the planet.
And again,
If you find your attention has wandered away,
Just bring it back to your heart bubble gently and without judgment.
As you're moving love and compassion from your heart out into the world,
Repeat these words silently to yourself or out loud.
May everyone be happy.
May everyone be well.
May everyone be safe.
May everyone be peaceful and at ease.
Let's bask in the glow with these wonderful loving feelings for a little while longer.
Now as we slowly and easily come back into the room,
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes,
Stretch your body.
You can slowly open your eyes.
