Hi this is Carolyn and welcome to the Loving Kindness Meditation.
So this meditation,
This Loving Kindness Meditation is practiced all around the world to cultivate compassion for oneself and for others and the research shows that indeed it works.
So settle in,
Get comfortable whether that's lying down,
Sitting in your favorite chair or on a cushion.
Remember comfort is key and we're going to be meditating together doing this wonderful Loving Kindness Meditation.
So let's begin with three long slow deep breaths.
Inhale slowly through the nostrils filling your abdominal area first and then your chest cavity and your collarbone area and just visualize expanding your body in 360 degrees as you inhale and exhale slowly through your nostrils beginning with the collarbone area then the chest and then the abdominal area contracting your navel towards your spine.
Match the length of the inhale and the exhale without any force and just do this for a few more breaths.
Allow your breath to be natural.
Throughout this practice you'll breathe naturally ideally through your nose and your breath might slow down or speed up and get heavier,
Deeper or shallower or stop for a moment.
So just feel it and let it be as it is.
Without your eyes closed you might notice that you are more aware of the sounds in the environment with your eyes closed,
Sounds near and far and let's just welcome every sound in that we hear.
Sound is really a barrier to meditation,
It really is and also with your eyes closed you might notice that you are more aware of your body sensations.
We'll begin with the body relaxation practice.
So feel your body from the inside out noticing every sensation.
As you focus on each body part relax the area and any tension you find.
Notice your scalp and your forehead.
Soften your eyes,
Your entire face,
Even your ears.
Soften your mouth,
Tongue,
Chin and jaw.
Tuck your chin and drop your shoulders away from your ears.
Let your arms hang comfortably relaxing your hands and fingers.
Relax your upper back,
Upper chest and diaphragm.
Relax your upper mids and lower back and soften your belly.
Soften your hips,
Your pelvis and let them relax with gravity as you notice how you are being supported by the chair or the cushion.
Feel your spine reaching from the tailbone to the base of your skull like a tree reaching for the sky and notice your left leg from hip to toes and notice your right leg from hip to toes.
Now bring your awareness to the movement of your breath and notice the expansion and contraction of each natural inhale and exhale.
Feel the sensations in your breath enters and leaves your body and notice the cool air on the inhale and the warm air on the exhale and just bring your attention to the rise and fall of your chest.
Imagine looking inward towards your heart.
We'll practice a heart-centered breath.
If you like you can imagine your breath is moving in to and out of your heart.
So it's moving in and out of your heart center as if it were a doorway to your breath in and out of the center of your chest.
Now if it feels comfortable you can place your hands over the center of your chest over your heart area and just keep your attention focused there.
Now bring to your heart or mind someone who has or has a deep love for you.
It can be a grandparent or a parent,
A friend,
A spouse,
A child or grandchild,
Could be a spiritual being or even a beloved pet and feel what being loved feels like.
Now let that awareness of that being fade and bring to your heart and mind someone you really truly care about,
A child or any being you feel love for.
Get a feel for his or her presence and visualize this person or silently say their name.
Silently with sincerity offer them loving kindness using the phrase you choose.
Perhaps you choose the phrase may you be happy,
Maybe you be free from suffering,
May you know peace.
You can imagine that the loved one is benefiting this and benefiting from this blessing.
Repeat the phrase silently and feel whatever emotions arise,
Love,
Sadness,
Bliss,
Gratitude and so on.
There's no need to force a feeling or make anything up.
Be aware and present with whatever experience is happening even if it feels like nothing at all.
Focus your attention on your heart and with the same sincerity offer the same phrase of compassion to yourself.
Feel whatever comes up loving or painful emotions or perhaps you're not too sure what you feel.
Whatever you feel is perfect as it is.
If physical sensations such as lightness or numbness or physical pain arise,
Simply acknowledge their presence.
Don't ignore them or cover them up or change it.
Bear witness to the actual experience.
Now identify a neutral person,
Someone you may have met today or someone you've met briefly this week.
A bus driver,
A supermarket cashier or a delivery person.
Even without knowing their name,
Get a sense of the person.
Imagining the person's face or what they were doing when you encountered them.
Offer the same phrases of compassion towards them as you offer towards your loved one and yourself and bear witness to what you feel.
Now scan your body to be sure you are still comfortable and relaxed.
Identify someone you are having difficulty with over the past few days and just imagine them and get a feeling for their presence and offer the same phrases of compassion to them.
Even if they hurt you in the past,
You can't fully know this difficult person.
Notice what you are feeling,
Whether it's pleasant,
Unpleasant or you feel numb.
Keep your attention in the present with your intention to wish the person well.
This may be challenging for you but remember it's a practice.
So just take your time and imagine them receiving this blessing and it will just lighten their load.
When you feel complete,
Be sure your body is relaxed and return your focus to your heart center.
This practice shifts relationships and even if you don't feel much at all,
Now identify someone or something you believe is suffering or in need.
This can be practiced with any form of life,
A pet,
Wild animal,
An ecosystem etc.
Perhaps you're moved by those suffering in natural man-made disasters or by someone going through a tragedy.
Even if you don't know them personally,
Imagine someone who has some of the same daily concerns as you do.
A mother,
A daughter,
A father,
A son,
A business owner and get a feeling for their presence.
Offer the same phrases of compassion to them.
May you be happy,
May you be free from suffering and may you know peace.
Don't get hung up in their story,
Simply keep the person in your awareness and imagine them benefiting from your concern and keep breathing.
Now return your attention to your heart center and expand your awareness to include all beings in your immediate environment,
Each one of us in the room with you.
And now extend your blessing to those in your home and the neighbors on your street.
Extend it to all beings in your city,
Your country,
Then on earth.
Offer them the loving kindness.
May you be happy,
May you be free from suffering and may you know peace.
Now bring your attention back to yourself,
Just as you wished all beings to be well and free from suffering.
Repeat may I also be happy,
May I also be free from suffering and may I also know peace.
And I will ring the bell to invite your attention back to the space.
Just keep your eyes closed,
Allow some deep breaths and bring in your awareness to your body and just sense the space around you.
Keeping your eyes closed for a few more minutes and moments,
Just enjoy your state of being and when you are ready,
There's no rush,
You can slowly open your eyes.
Thanks for meditating with me.
Namaste.
