Meditations From The Hammock Series: Kindness
Enjoy a meditation focusing on kindness. Soften into your space and choose to rest in stillness or be more active through creative journaling. Quotes and scriptures will be shared. The session will include breath work and close with a time of prayer and/or reflection as well as a blessing.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to this meditation on kindness.
This meditation is part of the meditations from the hammock series.
Perhaps you are practicing in a hammock or maybe you prefer to be seated in a comfortable chair or on a meditation cushion or in some other way or perhaps you prefer to be reclined on a mat in bed or in another comfortable way.
Today's topic is kindness.
You are invited to soften into your space,
Closing the eyes or having a soft gaze and taking a few breaths,
Allowing time to bring your whole self into this space.
You might think about inhaling slow and exhaling slower.
Inhale slow and exhale slower.
Inhale slower and exhale slowest.
Inhale slower and exhale slowest.
Inhale slower and exhale slowest.
Inhale slowest and exhale the slowest yet.
Trying to slow down the inhales and slowing down the exhales even more.
Taking a few more rounds of breath at your own pace,
Being mindful to try to slow down the breath and perhaps this next round of breath can be your slowest inhale and slowest exhale yet.
We'll try one more of your slowest inhale and slowest exhale.
After your next exhale allow your natural breath to take over and perhaps let a smile appear on your face.
Maybe let the corners of your mouth curl up toward the heavens.
If you prefer to experience this meditation mostly in stillness today,
Then make yourself a little bit more comfortable adding in any props,
Pillows,
Cushions,
Blankets,
Anything that will help you to enjoy this meditation to the fullest.
If you prefer a bit more creative movement you might choose to gather a journal or sketchpad to draw or write during this meditation as the prompts are shared.
Whatever it is that you choose let your imagination have full rein here.
Take full creative license and let your heart,
Body,
Mind,
Soul,
And spirit experience kindness.
Being kind to yourself today perhaps you'll give yourself a foot or hand or neck massage.
When you are finished with the self massage then making yourself more comfortable than you were before if you're maintaining a more still posture and ensuring that all of your creative materials are nearby if you are choosing to sketch,
Draw,
Or journal.
I'll share with you some scriptures and quotes about kindness and then I will pause to allow for silence and reflection in between each scripture and quote.
I invite you to reflect on these words maybe in a new way letting these quotes and scriptures fall upon your heart in perhaps a fresh way today.
Ephesians 4 32 says,
Be kind to one another,
Tenderhearted,
Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.
Be kind to one another,
Tenderhearted,
Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4 32.
She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Proverbs 31 26.
She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Proverbs 31 26.
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice,
To love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6 8.
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice,
To love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6 8.
If we scatter love and kindness,
We harvest love and happiness.
Fulton Sheen.
If we scatter love and kindness,
We harvest love and happiness.
Fulton Sheen.
Be kind whenever possible,
It is always possible.
The 14th Dalai Lama.
Be kind whenever possible,
It is always possible.
The 14th Dalai Lama.
Carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward,
Safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you,
Princess Diana.
Carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward,
Safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you,
Princess Diana.
What we all have in common is an appreciation of kindness and compassion.
All the religions have this.
Love.
We all lean towards love.
Richard Gere.
What we all have in common is an appreciation of kindness and compassion.
All the religions have this.
Love.
We all lean towards love.
Richard Gere.
To encourage self-kindness,
Here are some words.
Stop trying to be perfect.
Believe in yourself.
Part of being kind to yourself is wanting the best for yourself,
And in order to get the best,
You have to believe in yourself.
Have faith in your own abilities and in your own judgment.
Believe in yourself.
Honor your dreams.
Find the sweet spot between acceptance and striving.
Part of being kind to yourself is acknowledging your potential.
Know what you want and go after it.
However,
Never being satisfied with where you are or with what you have achieved so far in life is being unkind to yourself.
Accept yourself.
Accept yourself as you are.
You have strengths and you have weaknesses.
Sometimes you succeed.
Sometimes you fail.
Sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong.
Allow yourself to fully be who you are.
Remind yourself of your good qualities.
Lift yourself up.
When you fail,
Make a mistake,
Or do something wrong,
You have two choices.
You can tear yourself down or you can lift yourself up.
People who are kind to themselves choose to lift themselves up.
Take good care of yourself.
You're doing that by taking this time right now.
We will now move into a loving kindness meditation practice.
So if you would like,
You may wish to bring one or both hands to the heart space or to the torso.
Continuing with the notion of self-care,
Self-acceptance,
Self-kindness,
You may wish to repeat these few phrases as well wishes toward yourself or turning them into a prayer for yourself.
My heart fills with loving kindness.
I love myself.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful.
May I be free.
My heart fills with loving kindness.
I love myself.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful.
May I be free.
My heart fills with loving kindness.
I love myself.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful.
May I be free.
With our hearts filled with loving kindness,
Let's extend this sentiment to all beings everywhere.
Again,
You may wish to turn these phrases into well wishes for all beings everywhere or offer them as a prayer.
May all beings everywhere,
Whether near or far,
Whether known to me or unknown,
May all beings everywhere be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings everywhere be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings everywhere be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May they be well.
We will now include a time for personal prayer or reflection.
We will now include a time for personal prayer or reflection.
And now we will have a blessing,
Which could be considered a prayer or allow time for additional reflection.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for displaying your character of love and kindness through us.
Help us to choose to show kindness to others so we can honor you with our thoughts,
Words,
And actions each and every day.
Amen and amen.
Thank you so much for being here for this meditation on kindness.
Blessings,
Blessings,
Blessings.
