Welcome.
This is a guided meditation for loving kindness.
My name is Errol.
Come to a comfortable position,
Either sitting down or lying down,
Whatever feels safe and supportive for you in this moment.
And when you get to that position,
Relax your shoulders away from your ears,
Allowing your collarbones to broaden,
Opening your heart space,
Allowing the muscles of your face to relax,
Forehead soft,
Eyes closed,
Or maybe just looking towards the floor if that feels better for you.
Relax your jaw and your neck,
Softening your arms and your legs,
And relaxing your belly,
Dropping into this moment,
Putting aside your to-do list,
Your responsibilities,
Your worries,
Just for the next couple of minutes to give yourself the gift of love,
Of connection,
Of presence.
Be here now.
Feel the weight of your body.
Let it get heavy.
And feel the support beneath you.
Whether that's a chair,
Your bed,
A couch,
Or the floor.
And allow your body to melt down even more towards it.
Allowing yourself to feel safe,
Supported,
And loved in this moment just as you are.
Drop into your breath now.
And before you alter it or deepen it in any way,
Just notice its natural rhythm.
Observe where you feel your breath most in your body.
Maybe it's in your nose or your throat.
Or maybe you feel your breath a bit more in your chest or your rib cage or your belly.
Be with it.
When you feel ready,
Start to deepen your breath gently and mindfully,
Welcoming it down deep into your belly.
Letting the belly expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale.
If your mind wanders,
That's totally normal.
It's human.
Just notice that and come back to your breath.
Make it that simple.
No judgment,
No need to criticize or reprimand yourself.
Just come back.
Back to your breath.
Back to your body.
Back to this moment.
Take a long breath in through your nose.
Hold the breath just for a moment and then open your mouth and sigh.
Do that one more time.
Take a deep breath.
Pause.
Open your mouth.
Let it go.
Relax.
Feel the weight of your body once again and the support beneath you.
Let that ground you.
Bringing your awareness now to your heart space.
First just noticing how your chest is feeling in this moment.
Is it tight?
Does it feel dense or heavy?
Or does it feel relaxed and spacious?
However your chest and your heart is feeling in this moment,
Meet it with kindness.
See if you can take some deep breaths into your heart space,
Feeling the collarbones lift as you breathe in and feeling the collarbones lower as you breathe out.
If your shoulders have started to creep back up towards your ears,
Just relax them down again.
Feel the shoulder blades slide down the back,
Drawing them in very slightly towards the spine so your chest and your heart remain open.
Now we'll move into the mantra part of this meditation,
First sending love to ourselves.
This is where it begins.
And if it feels safe and comfortable for you,
You can place one or both hands on your heart.
Otherwise just relax them in any position that feels comfortable for you.
Take a deep breath.
Let it go with an open mouth.
Repeat the following words aloud or silently in your mind.
May I be strong.
May I be healthy.
May I have the power to accept and forgive myself.
May I be safe.
May I be free.
May I be peaceful.
May I love and appreciate others generously.
May I show myself respect and honor.
May I feel gratitude for my mind and body.
May I be kind to myself because I am so worthy of love.
Breathe in those words.
Notice how they land in your body.
Feel these words soften any tension in your face,
In your shoulders,
In your chest,
Welcoming in a sense of self-compassion and acceptance.
Now let's expand this loving kindness to the world around us.
Love is meant to be shared.
So think about one person or maybe a group of people you'd like to send this loving kindness to.
And this person or this group may be somebody you already feel a lot of love for,
Or maybe you're struggling to show them kindness.
Either way,
Bring that person or that group of people to mind.
Visualize them.
What do they look like?
Noticing their facial expressions,
Their body,
Their clothing.
Feel gently to yourself as you relax in your own body and breathe deeply,
Holding this kind image of this person or this group.
Deep breaths into the chest,
Into the heart,
And into the belly.
With this image of this person or group held in your mind,
Repeat the following words silently or aloud.
Imagine them receiving these words with an open heart.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you achieve what you want and deserve in life.
May you have the power to accept your anger and sadness.
May you be free.
May you accept the love and kindness I'm sending you now.
Visualize,
Imagine,
Or picture this person or group receiving this loving kindness.
With an open heart and with gratitude.
Notice how it feels in your mind,
In your body,
Maybe in your spirit to share this kindness and love that resides within you,
With the world around you.
Relax your shoulders.
Open your heart and breathe.
Take a moment to set an intention for the rest of your day or your night.
Knowing how you can share this love,
How you can extend this love out into your words,
Your actions,
Your thoughts.
And then take a moment to show yourself gratitude for being here,
For taking this time to connect to the wisdom and to the support and guidance of your heart.
Thank you.
