Welcome to this guided meditation to practice loving kindness.
I am so glad that you're here with me.
Let's begin by positioning yourself into a comfortable position,
Either sitting down or laying flat on your back.
Make sure your spine is straight,
But that you are relaxed and comfortable.
Take a deep breath in.
Be grateful for this opportunity.
As you breathe out,
Breathe away any tension or stress that might be in your body or in your mind.
Let it float away for the moment.
Gently close your eyes and take another deep breath in,
Breathing in the fresh oxygen that nourishes your body.
As you exhale,
Imagine all toxins and all stresses being released from your body.
Feel into this relaxed moment.
Feel the calm,
Peace and serenity.
Loving kindness is the practice of paying attention to ourselves and to those around us with interest,
Compassion and care.
As you slowly begin to deepen your breath,
Open your heart center up.
Feel your heart beating and know that it is filled with love and joy and gratitude for others.
Feel into this heart center for a moment.
And offer loving kindness to yourself by silently repeating the following words to yourself.
May I be full of love and forgiveness,
Health and peace.
May I be filled with stillness and happiness.
Imagine a cool,
Fresh stream of water flowing through every part of your body.
Refreshing every corner,
Melting away any tension or stress that your body might be holding onto.
Washing away any pain as it touches each part.
May I be full of love and forgiveness,
Health and peace.
May I be filled with stillness and happiness.
Shift your attention around the meaning of these phrases,
How each word makes you feel.
Notice if any emotion arises to your surface.
Notice your physical body without judgment,
Just curiosity and kindness.
Now call to mind someone who has given you support,
Has stood by your side.
Someone you look up to that has shown kindness towards you.
And allow yourself to extend kindness to this person saying the following words.
May you be full of love and forgiveness,
Health and peace.
May you be filled with stillness and happiness.
If your thoughts begin to wander,
Just know it's completely okay.
Allow any feelings and thoughts to arise and pass.
You can accept your mind as straight and gently return your attention back to these phrases and back to your breath.
Just bring your attention to the present moment.
See if you can connect to the meaning of these phrases of love and kindness.
See if you can feel the safety and warmth of this moment.
Let's begin to extend this loving kindness to your family,
Your parents,
Your spouse,
Siblings,
Children.
And repeat the following words.
And repeat the following words.
May people in my family be filled with love and forgiveness,
Health and peace.
May they be filled with stillness and happiness.
Now bring to mind someone who is hurting or experiencing a difficult time in their life right now.
Picture them near you.
Feel their presence in yours.
And extend your loving kindness to their energy field,
Surrounding them with love that is so healing,
So pure,
So loving.
And quietly repeat.
May you be full of love and forgiveness,
Health and peace.
May you be filled with stillness and happiness.
Taking a few minutes now to feel how it is to wish these things for them.
Notice how it feels as you send these wishes of well-being to this person that you love or care for.
Notice sensations that you feel in your body.
Notice how your heart might feel right now.
Even when you wish a person well and they are not open to receiving it,
Sending loving kindness to them is a heartfelt wish with no strings attached.
No controlling the outcome.
Letting go of any attachments or expectations.
You're just sending loving kindness by opening up your heart and freeing yourself from any negativity,
Anger or fear towards yourself or others.
Now bring to mind a difficult person.
Perhaps someone you have trouble getting along with or whose words and actions have been painful.
Sending loving kindness to a difficult person is a process of relaxing your heart and setting yourself free from fear and resentment.
There are no enemies.
There are only people we dislike or who dislike us.
And by sending compassion to this person,
We allow ourselves to be liberated from any resentment or negativity that could block our heart centers.
Try to remember that just like you,
They want to be loved.
And just like you,
They want peace in their life.
And do your best to quietly repeat,
May you be full of love and forgiveness,
Health and peace.
May you be filled with stillness and happiness.
And finally,
Offer your well wishes to all beings everywhere.
All animals,
Pets,
People you don't know,
Strangers you see on the street.
All beings,
May you be full of love and forgiveness,
Health and peace.
May you be filled with stillness and happiness.
As this loving kindness meditation comes to an end,
Take your time now to appreciate the potential of this practice.
You are increasing your sense of connection and belonging in this world.
You are practicing love,
Joy,
Freedom,
Patience,
Tolerance and forgiveness.
Thank yourself for taking this time to become a better you and to bring a little more joy into your life.
Slowly begin to return to your full awareness.
And as you softly open your eyes,
Notice the movement of your breath.
Notice the feeling of the air bringing nourishment and aliveness to your whole body.
Feel the energy emanating outward towards the rest of the world as your wishes of good will bring nourishment and aliveness to everyone around you.
Namaste.
