This is a loving-kindness meditation adapted from the book Soul-Centered by Sarah MacLean.
The loving-kindness meditation is a simple heart-centered meditation technique with its roots in Buddhism.
It's practiced around the world to cultivate compassion for oneself and others.
In this meditation,
I will guide you to focus your attention on a specific phrase that you will repeat silently.
First,
You will direct that phrase and feeling of love towards someone you care about.
Then,
You'll direct it towards yourself,
And ultimately you will offer your well-wishing globally.
During this meditation,
I will invite you to become aware of your heart center from time to time.
Your heart center is the area of your heart itself and the area around your heart,
Above and below,
In front and in back,
And on either side.
So now,
Sit quietly and comfortably,
And ready yourself for a silent meditation.
If you're comfortable with your eyelids closed,
You may close them now,
Or you may leave your eyes capped.
Capping is a practice of maintaining a soft,
Unfocused gaze directed two or three feet in front of you.
Begin by taking a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in through your nose,
And let it go.
And another long,
Slow,
Deep breath in through your nose,
And let it go.
And one more long,
Slow,
Deep breath in,
And let it go.
And now,
Allow your breath to return to its natural pace and rhythm.
Next,
I will guide you through a brief body scan.
Relax your body as you go.
If you notice any pain or tension or tightness anywhere in your body,
Simply guide your attention there,
Letting your attention be the love your body needs.
So now,
Simply become aware of the top of your head,
The sides and back of your head,
Your forehead and temples.
Become aware of your eyes and the area around your eyes,
Your nose,
Your upper lip,
Your lower lip,
Your chin,
And your jaw.
And as you continue breathing,
Just allow these areas just to soften and relax.
Become aware of your mouth and your throat,
Your neck and your shoulders,
Again,
Just allowing them to relax and soften.
Continue breathing and become aware of each arm,
The upper arms,
Your elbows,
Your forearms,
The palms of your hands and the backs of your hands,
And your thumbs and fingers.
Again,
Just allow these areas to relax and soften.
Allow any tension just to flow out through your arms,
Out through your fingertips.
Continue with your breathing.
Become aware of your chest and your abdomen,
Your upper back,
The middle of your back,
And your lower back,
Allowing all of these areas to soften,
To relax.
Become aware of your pelvis and hips and each leg,
Your upper legs,
The knees,
Your calves and shins and your lower legs,
Your ankles and heels,
The top of the feet,
The soles of your feet,
And your toes.
Just allow everything to relax.
Allow them to soften.
And as you feel settled and relaxed,
Shift your awareness to your heart center.
You might even gently place one or both of your hands there if you like.
And with your attention focused on your heart center,
Bring into your awareness someone that you care about.
This may be a child,
A parent,
A partner,
Or anyone you feel love for or who has been good or inspiring to you.
It may even be a pet.
Get a feeling for his or her presence.
Visualize this person or pet and silently say his or her name.
Silently and sincerely offer loving kindness to this person or pet by silently repeating the phrases to yourself.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you know peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you know peace.
As you repeat this phrase silently,
Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions arise,
Whether it's love,
Sadness,
Bliss,
Or gratitude.
There's no need to hurry and no need to force a feeling or to make anything up.
Keep your awareness in the present moment with the practice instead of going into a memory about this person.
Keep breathing naturally and continue to offer them loving kindness.
Be aware and present with whatever experience is happening,
Even if it feels like nothing at all.
Stay with this for a few moments more silently.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you know peace.
Now,
Shift your attention inward,
Refocusing your attention on your heart.
Continue to breathe naturally and notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest.
And then,
With the same sincerity,
Offer the same phrases of compassion to yourself.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be free from suffering.
May I know peace.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be free from suffering.
May I know peace.
Give yourself time to feel whatever comes up.
Perhaps you'll feel loving emotions,
Painful emotions,
Confusion regarding how you're feeling or nothing at all.
Whatever you feel is perfect,
Just as it is.
You might feel physical sensations such as lightness,
Numbness,
Or physical pain.
If pain comes up,
Don't ignore it.
Don't try to cover it up or pretend it's something else.
Don't try to change it.
Instead,
Bear witness to the actual sensation and stay with the focus on yourself for a few moments more.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be free from suffering.
May I know peace.
Now,
Come back to your heart center.
And next,
Identify a neutral person.
Someone you may have met briefly.
The server at the restaurant.
The cashier at the restaurant.
The cashier at the restaurant.
The cashier at the restaurant.
The server at the restaurant.
The cashier at the supermarket.
A delivery person.
Even without knowing his or her name,
Get a sense of this person,
Imagining his or her face,
Or what he or she was doing when you encountered him or her.
Remember the same phrases of compassion towards this person that you offered towards your loved one and towards yourself.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you know peace.
Bear witness to what you feel.
And stay with this for a few moments.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you know peace.
Now come back to center and scan your body to make sure you're still comfortable and relaxed.
Next,
Identify someone with whom you are having difficulty.
Imagine her or him sitting in front of you.
Imagine that you're sitting in front of a person.
Imagine that you're sitting in front of a person with whom you are having difficulty.
Imagine her or him getting a feel for her or his presence.
Offer the same phrases of compassion to her or him.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
Notice if you have difficulty doing this practice or come up with a judgment about her or him.
If you do,
Simply refocus your awareness onto the area around your heart.
Keep your attention in the present,
Wishing the person well.
Imagine her or him well and happy.
This may be challenging for you,
But remember,
It is a practice.
Bear witness to what you're feeling,
Whether it is a pleasant,
Unpleasant or numb sensation.
Maintain a beginner's mind.
Even if this person hurt you in the past,
You can't fully know him or her.
Take your time and stay with this for a few moments.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you know peace.
Now relax your body and give yourself some deep breaths,
Focusing once again on your heart center.
I have found that this practice can shift relationships,
Even if you don't feel much at all during the time that you're doing it.
Next,
Imagine those who you believe are suffering or in need.
You can practice this with any form of life,
People or an animal,
Or even an entire ecosystem.
Perhaps you're moved by accounts of the suffering that follows a natural or man-made disaster.
Even if you don't know the specific people personally,
Think of others who are like you and have some of the same daily concerns as you do.
They may be parents,
Children,
Grandparents,
Business owners,
Teachers,
Animal lovers and so on.
Get a feeling for their presence.
Keep them in your awareness and offer the same phrases of compassion to them.
May you be well.
