Bring all awareness to the sensations of breath.
Take a few moments and find the place in your body where you feel your breath most easily.
As you breathe in,
Notice your breath moving in through your nose or your mouth.
And notice the slight pause before you breathe out.
Now slowly bring awareness to the sensations of the body.
Notice any discomfort,
Any anxiety,
Any tightness.
Now starting at the top of your head,
Allow your forehead to relax,
Your eyes to soften.
Let go of any tension you might be holding onto in your jaw or your cheeks.
Bring awareness down through your neck into your collarbone.
Your shoulders,
Allow them to become heavy.
Relaxing into your left shoulder,
Softening your left bicep,
Tricep,
Elbow,
Forearm,
And left hand.
Now relax into your right shoulder,
Allowing it to feel heavy,
Softening your right bicep,
Tricep,
Elbow,
Forearm,
And right hand.
Allow your right hand to feel heavy on your leg.
Now relaxing into your chest,
Imagine the breath filling all the spaces in the chest cavity.
Relax your stomach,
Softening the stomach muscles with each exhale.
Feel the rise and fall as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
Notice the heaviness of your body on your seat.
Remind yourself that you're safe and you're anchored.
Relax through the hips,
Softening the left thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Calf muscle,
And left foot.
And then softening the right thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Calf muscle,
And right foot.
Bring awareness into your back,
Softening vertebra by vertebra at the back of your spine,
Allowing yourself to sit up a little bit straighter,
Starting to open up the heart center.
Now allow yourself to imagine breathing directly into your heart center.
Really begin offering yourself loving kindness.
Breathe softly and repeat these phrases to yourself.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
You may want to try to picture yourself,
Maybe yourself as a child,
Receiving these phrases of loving kindness.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
Uncomfortable feelings may come up as you repeat these phrases.
Maybe sensations of anxiety,
Anger,
Doubt.
It's important to be patient and kind to yourself.
Feel whatever is present.
Try to repeat these phrases another time.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
May I be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
Now gently bring to mind someone who is kind to you,
Maybe a family member,
A close friend,
Your child or mother.
As this person that you love comes to mind,
Tune into your natural desire to see this person happy and free from suffering.
And begin to offer this person the same phrases of loving kindness you offer to yourself.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Gently let this person go and bring to mind a neutral person,
Someone you see regularly but you do not know very well.
Maybe a coworker or someone that you've seen at the grocery store.
Although you don't know this person well,
Recognize that just like you wish to be happy,
This person wishes to be happy as well.
Begin to offer this person the same phrases of loving kindness that you offer to yourself.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Now gently let go of this neutral person.
Begin to think of somebody that you find difficult to get along with in your life.
Someone that maybe hurt you.
Someone that you hold resentments against.
Maybe don't pick the most difficult person in your life,
But someone that currently and recently has been agitating or annoying you.
And gently begin offering this person the phrases of loving kindness that you offer to yourself.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Once again,
Be kind to yourself during this practice.
Allow yourself to feel whatever sensation is coming up.
See if you can recognize it,
Accept it,
Investigate it,
And then practice letting it go.
Now gently try to expand and send your wishes of loving kindness to encourage you to be in this place.
Include your whole family,
Your friends,
Your community,
All the people in your city,
Your state,
Your country.
Extend this loving kindness to all beings on this earth.
Acknowledge the depth of your own heart as you offer these phrases.
May all beings be filled with loving kindness.
May all beings be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May all beings be well in body,
Heart,
And mind.
May all beings be at ease and happy.
Now let go of all the thoughts of others.
Begin to bring your awareness back to your breath.
Breathing in,
I accept.
Breathing out,
Let go.
Notice the texture that your fingertips are touching.
Notice the weight of your body once again on your chair or cushion.
Notice the breath as it fills the lungs,
Moves into your stomach,
The slight pause,
And then notice your breath as it moves back out through the nose and the mouth.
When you feel ready,
Allow your eyes to open.
Take in your surroundings.
Notice if you feel any lighter or better or relaxed.
Notice if you feel any discomfort or frustration.
Simply enjoy the experience.
Breathing in,
I accept.
Breathing out,
Let go.
