Loving kindness meditation for this meditation you might like to wrap a blanket around your shoulders to give yourself a feeling of warmth and comfort or lie down and cover yourself with it,
Whichever you prefer.
Take a few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Now allow your breathing to take on its natural rhythm.
Try to imagine the breath around the heart area.
Feel the rise and fall of your chest.
Place a hand on your heart area,
Noticing the warmth of it.
How does that make you feel?
Place your hand gently on your abdomen,
Again noticing the warmth.
This helps to cultivate a feeling of self-care and kindness.
When you're ready,
Think of somebody or a pet that makes you happy.
Choose someone that you have an easy,
Positive relationship with,
Perhaps a cousin or child,
And then wish this person well,
Perhaps using the phrase,
I wish you happiness and health and for you to be free of suffering.
Let the words come from your heart,
Feel them and mean them.
Repeat the words several times.
I wish you happiness and health and for you to be free from suffering.
I wish you happiness and health and for you to be free from suffering.
I wish you happiness and health and for you to be free from suffering.
Now bring yourself to mind.
You deserve kindness and care.
May I be happy,
Healthy and filled with compassion and kindness towards myself.
May I be free from suffering.
Even though you may find it difficult to focus on yourself,
Allow the words to come and with time this meditation will become easier for you.
Say again to yourself,
May I be happy,
Healthy and filled with compassion and kindness towards myself.
May I be free from suffering.
Now think of someone that you don't really know,
Someone you see regularly,
Perhaps a checkout assistant or waiter.
Wish them well.
Use your own words or the following,
I wish you happiness and health.
I wish for you to be free from suffering.
Next,
Bring to mind someone that you dislike or find difficult,
Dead or alive.
Try not to pick the most difficult person in your life to begin with.
Maybe this person has hurt you in the past.
Think of this person as a whole person with their own life and problems.
Can you find forgiveness in your heart?
Send them your words of compassion.
I wish you happiness and health.
I wish for you to be free of worry and pain.
I wish you happiness and health.
I wish for you to be free of worry and pain.
Now think of all four that you have chosen,
Yourself,
The friend,
The stranger and the difficult person.
Try to send a feeling of wellbeing and compassion to them all.
And now send kindness and compassion beyond these people to the whole planet.
Finally,
Return to yourself,
To the awareness of your breathing,
To the rise and fall of your chest and abdomen and to the feeling of warmth.
Try to take the sense of compassion with you for the rest of the day.
And when you're ready,
I'll draw the meditation to a close.
Slowly open your eyes.
