Welcome my name is Brenna Ricci and today we're going to continue to cultivate loving-kindness.
This is a longer version.
If you would like to try a shorter version you can refer to the loving-kindness track that is about 15 minutes long.
For today we're going to add in a silence at the end which will create an additional length of time about a total of 30 minutes.
So as you come in start to find a seat.
Sitting up nice and tall starting to elongate from the crown of the head.
Coming all the way down the midpoint finding the center line and once you do start to delve deeper into the heart chakra.
Right here across the breastplate you'll find in the very center this is where we're going to begin to cultivate loving-kindness.
Allowing for yourself to start to find some longer,
Deeper,
Slower breaths.
We're going to take several rounds together.
The first round is going to be about a teacher.
Somebody who has guided you,
Who is giving you knowledge,
Who you have learned from.
This is going to be who we think about cultivating loving-kindness.
The second round this is who we call a neutral or this could be the random stranger.
This might be the person that has passed you by.
You don't know their name but maybe there was a gentle interaction of a soft smile.
We are going to continue to cultivate loving-kindness for the neutrals.
Then we will move on and we are going to look at someone or something in our lives that we don't like.
This might even be someone that we hate.
Someone that we have a strong discord with.
So typically starting out with the worst is going to be the hardest.
So I encourage you to build up and cultivate loving-kindness for someone that you don't like and from there you can build upon cultivating a deeper sense.
Gaining loving-kindness as you continue to practice this meditation.
The last round,
As you pour deep into your heart chakra,
Right there at your emotional being,
We're going to cultivate loving-kindness for yourself.
You will choose your name and you will place that over your heart.
Providing and pouring into,
Filling back up right there as you cultivate loving-kindness.
Each time we go through these rounds we're going to talk about the same phrases that sound like,
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
And may you be loved.
Some different versions throughout this.
So coming up with what sounds and feels most in tune for you to cultivate loving-kindness is going to be how you make and create this your own.
So as we start to settle in I'm going to invite you to lengthen up one more time.
Finding the crown of your head,
Rooting firmly in towards the sit bones,
Finding the center.
If you feel comfortable allow for your eyes to close,
Letting a gentle smile appear across your face.
As you start to come down in towards your breath again.
We'll take three breaths together,
Wherever you're at with your breathing,
Exhaling out all your air.
Take an inhale in,
And exhale slowly releasing.
Inhale again,
And exhale.
Let it out.
Take another inhale,
And exhale slowly.
Continuing with your own natural breath,
Allow for this teacher,
This person with great knowledge to start to come to your mind.
And then feel them sitting across from your heart center,
And as you picture their gaze looking back at yours.
Repeating to yourself as you take an in breath in,
And exhaling out.
Looking back at them telling yourself,
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
Free from harm and suffering,
And be at peace,
And may you be loved.
And allowing yourself to take another big breath in,
And exhaling it out.
Releasing the gaze of this teacher in front of you,
And finding now somebody who's just passed you by,
Or somebody that you don't really know,
But you've seen them once or twice.
Maybe it was earlier at the gas station,
With the grocery store.
This is the neutral.
Bring this person now in front of you.
Notice them.
Take an in breath in,
And an exhale breath out.
Looking at them as you notice them,
Tell them,
May you be safe,
And may you be healthy,
And may you be happy,
And free from harm,
And at peace,
And may you be loved.
And looking at them again as you notice that they are there in your presence,
In front of your heart.
Take an in breath in,
And an out breath out.
And as they leave,
Beginning to find the person or the thing that we don't see eye to eye with.
Somebody that causes trouble for us.
Somebody that may have really hurt our feelings one point in time.
Maybe today we don't choose the most difficult person,
But we find somebody who we dislike for one reason or another.
Allow for them to come across from you,
In front of your heart,
As you take an inhale in,
Lengthen up,
Fill up your lungs,
And then exhale out.
And telling yourself as you look across them with your gaze,
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
And free from harm,
And suffering,
And be at peace,
And may you be loved.
Take a big inhale in.
Watch the breath rise up and wash over your heart as it fills your lungs.
And then exhaling back down,
Releasing.
And then this person or this thing is no longer there.
And looking out,
You see yourself sitting right in front of you.
Begin to acknowledge your presence,
Your beautiful face as it appears in front of your heart.
Rooting down with your sit bones,
Lengthening up through your crown.
Take an inhale in.
And exhaling,
Releasing it out.
Looking back at yourself,
Tell yourself,
May you be safe.
Repeat your name.
And may you be healthy.
And repeat your name.
And may you be happy.
And repeat your name.
And may you be free from harm,
And suffering,
And be at peace.
Repeat your name.
And may you be loved.
And repeat your name.
Take a big inhale in.
And exhale it out.
We'll take this on two more times.
Looking back at yourself,
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy.
May you be free from harm,
And suffering,
And be at peace.
May you be loved.
Take an inhale in.
And exhale it all the way out.
And again,
Last round.
Inhaling in,
May you be safe.
Exhale out.
Inhale in,
May you be healthy.
And exhale out.
Inhale in,
May you be happy.
Exhale out.
May you be free from harm,
And suffering,
And be at peace.
Exhaling out.
Take an inhale in,
May you be loved.
And exhale all the way out.
Slowly continue to find your own natural breath.
Continuing to focus here on the heart chakra,
We're going to allow ourselves to continue to repeat as we cultivate loving kindness.
Filling up each breath.
And exhaling each breath.
Repeating the rounds.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy.
May you be free from harm,
And suffering,
And be at peace.
And may you be loved.
Taking this time to continue to find loving kindness in your heart.
Keeping your posture tall and upright.
Letting there be a soft facial expression.
Noticing how each breath we take continues on the rounds of the four mantras.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy.
And may you be loved.
We'll continue just like this.
Waiting until the sound of the bell.
Allowing for this time to cultivate loving kindness.
Keeping the eyes closed.
Allowing yourself to finish the round that you're on.
After finishing that last round,
Taking some cleansing breaths.
So wherever you're at,
Slowly start to take an inhale in.
And exhale all the way out.
Inhale the breath.
And exhale all the way out.
Another big breath in.
And there you go.
Exhale it all the way out.
Finding your own breath.
Whenever you feel ready.
If you haven't done so already,
Starting to add some movement back into the body.
Thank you for loving kindness.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
