Welcome to a loving kindness meditation.
Today we'll focus on cultivating more self compassion,
More self love.
Oftentimes it can be easier to direct these things outward,
Yet when we try to reflect them back at ourselves there's some resistance.
So today seeing if you can ease in to allowing yourself to open and receive that same love and compassion.
To get started I invite you to find a comfortable seated position.
This can be on a cushion or a chair,
Somewhere that allows the body to feel grounded and settled and allows you to have a lifted and upright spine.
As you notice the hips gently rooting into the surface on which you're sitting,
Simultaneously notice the support that's coming up from underneath you.
Feeling of being held,
Of being safe.
Perhaps you notice this under the feet or the legs as well.
From the hips allowing the spine to lift up nice and tall.
Finding gentle strength in the back body.
Finding an openness and an ease in the front body that will allow us to breathe freely.
As we transition from whatever was to whatever is here in this present moment,
Allow your awareness to come into the body.
Start to notice what is here for you today.
Maybe there's already a sense of openness,
Lightness,
Sensation of tingling anywhere in the body.
Perhaps there's heaviness or tension.
Without judging anything,
See if you can allow whatever's there to simply be.
Making space for it,
Welcoming it,
And even softening around it.
Starting to notice the breath and quality of the breath.
Where do you feel the breath coming into the body?
Where do you feel the breath shape-shifting the body?
Again,
Simply noticing.
If it's available for you,
Start to narrow the breath down to just the nose.
Slowing down the inhale,
Slowing down the exhale.
Seeing if you can pull the breath all the way down to the bottom of the lungs.
Filling up the belly,
Filling up the rib cage,
And then exhaling,
Letting it go nice and slow.
Finding a gentle rhythm here that works for you.
One that allows you to pull that air,
That energy,
That prana deep into the body.
And then slow,
Gentle exhales,
Releasing anything you don't need and making room for the next wave.
Relaxing into this rhythm,
Checking in with the jaw,
Releasing any tension in the forehead.
Relaxing through the shoulders,
Once again softening through the belly.
Slow,
Gentle breaths.
From here,
I invite you to place your right hand over your heart center,
Left hand over the low belly,
Bringing your awareness to the heart center.
Feeling what's here for you right now.
Again,
It could be a range of different sensations or emotions.
Allow whatever it is to simply be.
Breathe here.
As you inhale,
Allow the energy to come down into the heart center and start to build up.
A sense of energy here.
Each inhale gently expanding.
Each exhale relaxing.
Again,
Checking in with the shoulders,
Relaxing them,
Finding space across the collarbones and openness here.
Freedom through the belly to breathe.
Pulling that energy from the inhales right into the heart center.
Exhaling,
Surrendering into this area.
To start our loving-kindness meditation,
We'll begin by directing this outward to someone you find it easy to share love and compassion with.
So maybe bringing to mind a family member,
A friend,
Perhaps a pet.
Allowing that person to reside in your mind's eye,
Bringing in a clear picture of them.
If a smile crosses your face here,
All the better.
I'll offer phrases for you to repeat either silently or out loud.
With that person in your mind's eye,
Directing these phrases,
This energy and this love from the heart center toward them.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be loved.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be loved.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be loved.
May you be safe,
May you be healthy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
Feeling this energy from the heart center radiating out toward them,
Allowing the image of this person or this animal to gently start to fade,
And then starting to redirect your attention back toward your hand at your heart center,
Feeling what is here for you now.
We'll start the same phrases,
This time substituting I for you,
Bringing your attention back to your heart center,
Noticing the sensations that are here for you now.
And we'll shift our focus from sending this love and compassion outward to now radiating it inward.
So with your hand over your heart and over your belly,
Repeating these phrases and allowing them to permeate into every cell of your being,
Allowing them to ripple throughout the body,
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be peaceful,
May I be loved,
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be peaceful,
May I be loved,
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be peaceful,
May I be loved.
Again,
Allowing the words to echo,
Allowing the intentions to sink deep into the body,
Opening up to that gift,
Taking a big breath in,
Exhale,
Sighing out through the mouth.
Another big breath in,
Really feel this,
Embody this love throughout the body.
And exhale,
Sigh out the breath.
This time I invite you to bring both hands now to your heart center,
One hand lying over the other.
Bringing your attention here and noticing if there's a difference in the sensation here at the heart center.
Seeing if you can take a big breath right into the middle of whatever you're feeling there and letting that go.
We'll expand this self-compassion and self-love,
Feeling whatever you can in the heart center,
Gifting this forward now as far as feels right for you.
We're gonna send the energy from our heart center out as far as feels comfortable,
While repeating either silently or out loud the following phrases.
May we be safe,
May we be healthy,
May we be peaceful,
May we be loved.
And maybe this energy permeates outward and fills up your room.
Maybe it ripples outward to blanket your town or your city.
And perhaps you can send this feeling all the way enveloping the entire world.
Repeating the phrases again.
May we be safe,
May we be healthy,
May we be peaceful,
May we be loved.
May we be safe,
May we be healthy,
May we be peaceful,
May we be loved.
Taking a big breath in,
Letting this resonate in the body.
Taking a long slow exhale.
Once again bringing your awareness back to your heart center,
Feeling what's here now.
Taking those hands into a prayer position at the heart.
Gently tilting your chin down toward your chest.
Honoring yourself for the time and the work that you have put in today.
The more we are able to offer ourselves compassion and understanding,
Grace,
Forgiveness,
Love,
The more that we're able to offer that to others.
Thank you for taking the time today.
Namaste.
