Just beginning by finding your comfortable position,
And with the loving-kindness practice,
Really taking any extra time to really make this comfortable for yourself,
If there's a way to be even 10% more comfortable.
Going ahead and making that adjustment,
Grabbing that support,
And just taking a moment to arrive here,
Sensing the body and space,
Feeling the breath,
Honoring anything that led up to this moment,
And welcoming the practice here and now.
And as you're ready,
Bringing awareness to the space beneath you,
Sensing the weight and the gravity and connection to the earth,
A sense of being rooted to the earth,
Held and supported by the earth,
And sensing the space above you,
The space between the body and the ceiling,
Up to the top of the building,
Out beyond,
Sensing the vastness of the open sky,
The cosmos,
Gently making a relationship with these energies of the sky above,
The earth below,
Sensing the back body,
The length of the spine from tailbone to head,
Strong back,
And soft,
Open front.
Taking some time now to check into your heart area,
Noticing any sensations,
Any numbness,
Whatever is there,
And knowing that this loving kindness,
This unconditional friendliness is really an innate quality,
So no need to cultivate any special feeling,
Just trusting the process and trusting this kindness,
Just like we don't need to increase the brightness of the sun,
The warmth of the sun,
It's just there,
And tuning in as best you can and offering these phrases with a sense of gift giving,
Really allowing yourself to receive this gift from yourself,
And silently repeating these phrases,
Allowing them to drop in.
May I be safe,
May I have mental happiness,
May I have physical happiness,
May I live with ease,
May I be safe,
Safe from inner and outer harm,
Free from danger,
Safe and protected,
Free from fear,
May I be safe,
May I have mental happiness,
Equality of peacefulness,
Contentment,
Joy,
May I have mental happiness,
May I have physical happiness,
Equality of health,
Vitality,
Friendship with the body,
May I have physical happiness,
May I live with ease,
Ease,
Balance,
Equanimity,
Wisdom,
Well-being,
May I live with ease,
May I be safe,
May I have mental happiness,
May I have physical happiness,
May I live with ease,
Continuing to offer yourself these words or others,
Allowing them to drop into the heart as best you can.
You may like to offer yourself a supportive touch,
Maybe placing a hand over the heart,
Gently stroking an arm or hand,
Really allowing yourself to receive this kindness.
May I be safe,
May I have mental happiness,
May I have physical happiness,
May I live with ease,
Expanding the awareness out further,
Recognizing all beings' desire to be happy,
To be safe,
To live with ease,
To have health,
And just expanding it out further and taking some time to bring all beings into the awareness in whatever way it makes sense for you.
All beings,
Young,
Old,
Animal,
Non-animal,
Across cultures,
Time,
Space,
And offering out these wishes for everyone.
May I and all beings be safe,
May I and all beings have mental happiness,
May I and all beings have physical happiness,
May I and all beings live with ease.
Taking some time now,
Just resting,
Just resting and being.
This is a passage by Sharon Salzberg from her book,
Loving Kindness.
Significantly,
When we do meta practice,
We begin by directing meta toward ourselves.
This is the essential foundation for being able to offer genuine love to others.
When we truly love ourselves,
We want to take care of others because that is what is most enriching or nourishing for us.
When we have a genuine inner life,
We are intimate with ourselves and intimate with others.
The insight into our inner world allows us to connect to everything around us so that we can see quite clearly the oneness of all that lives.
We see that all beings want to be happy and that this impulse unites us.
We can recognize the rightness and beauty of our common urge toward happiness and realize intimacy in this shared urge.
Taking some time now to close this practice,
Sensing the breath,
The body,
The weight,
And the connection to the earth,
A sense of being rooted to the earth,
Held and supported by the earth,
And taking a moment to acknowledge yourself,
Perhaps offering yourself gratitude for taking this time,
For offering this kindness to yourself,
And bringing awareness to the sounds around you,
The air temperature,
The sensations on the skin.
As you're ready,
Gently opening the eyes and lifting the gaze and taking in the space around you.
