Welcome to this loving kindness meditation.
Take a moment to settle into a comfortable position.
You might be sitting upright or lying down.
Allow your body to arrive.
Let your eyes gently close or soften your gaze.
Feel the support beneath you,
The chair,
The floor,
The bed.
Now take a slow breath in through the nose and a gentle breath out.
Again,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Allow the breath to move naturally.
There's nothing you need to change.
With each exhale,
Allow the body to soften just a little more.
The jaw softens,
The shoulders drop,
The belly relaxes.
Let yourself land here.
Now bring your attention to the center of your chest,
The forehead,
The heart area.
You don't need to feel anything special,
Simply noticing.
Perhaps there's warmth,
A subtle movement or maybe just a quiet presence.
Now bring to mind someone you care about.
Someone who feels easy to hold in your awareness.
Someone safe.
It could be a close friend,
A family member or even a beloved pet.
There's no need for a perfect image,
Just a sense of them.
And now,
Silently on your mind,
Let's offer these phrases.
May you feel safe in your body and your world.
May you meet yourself and others with kindness and love.
May you feel peaceful and calm.
May you experience moments of lightness.
Let those words land.
You might imagine them receiving your wishes or simply trust the intention.
Now allow that person to gently fade from your awareness and bring to mind someone neutral.
Someone you don't know very well,
Perhaps someone you pass occasionally.
A colleague,
A neighbor,
A barista.
No strong feelings either way.
Just another human being living a life as complex as yours.
And again offering the same intentions.
May you feel safe in your body and your world.
May you meet yourself and others with kindness.
May you feel peaceful and calm.
May you experience moments of lightness.
Allow those words to settle.
Now let your awareness widen beyond individuals to include many people.
People you know,
People you don't know,
People nearby and far away.
All beings everywhere.
In whatever way feels natural,
Sense this wider field of life and silently offer.
May all beings feel safe in their bodies and their world.
May all beings meet themselves and one another with kindness.
May all beings feel peaceful and calm.
May all beings experience moments of lightness.
You might imagine this kindness radiating outward from your heart,
Gently spreading,
Without effort,
No force,
Just intention.
And now as this field of kindness includes everyone,
Allow it to include you.
There is nothing special you need to do.
Simply let yourself be the one of those beings receiving care.
And now offer these words to yourself.
May I feel safe in my body and my world.
May I meet myself and others with kindness.
May I feel peaceful and calm.
May I experience moments of lightness.
Now let the words gently fade.
Keep the feeling.
Perhaps placing a hand on your heart,
Or simply resting in this quiet.
Receiving the kindness you've offered.
Take a slightly deeper breath now.
Feel the surface beneath you,
The room around you.
Gently begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes and carry this sense of kindness with you into the rest of your day.
