In this sitting,
We are cultivating a sense of kindness and friendship towards others and towards ourselves,
Acknowledging that no matter how we appear to be from the outside,
Each of us can harbor feelings of sadness,
Loneliness,
Or fearfulness on the inside,
Purposefully taking time to be kind to ourselves as well as to others.
Let's take just a few moments now to settle in.
Find a posture that allows you to be alert,
Yet relaxed,
Embodying a sense of presence,
Dignity,
And wakefulness.
Take a deep breath,
And on the exhale,
Feel the weight of your body settle.
Your shoulders relax,
Your jaw relax.
Now bring your focus to the breath,
Noticing where you feel the breath entering and leaving your body.
No need to overanalyze here,
Just allow your body to take care of itself.
And now,
Bring your attention to your whole body.
Feel yourself present within it,
Right here,
Right now.
If you're ready,
We'll start this practice with ourselves,
Repeating the following phrases,
And allow yourself a little kindness.
Imagine that each phrase is a small pebble dropped into a vast lake.
Allow the ripples to spread out,
Expanding in circles across the water.
Say to yourself,
May I be safe and free from suffering?
May I be happy and healthy?
May I have an ease of being?
Be attentive to the feelings in your body,
No need to judge,
Just be aware of whatever arises.
Now,
If you find it difficult to feel this kindness towards yourself,
As many do,
Bring to mind a loved one.
Maybe it's a family member,
A friend,
Even a pet.
Imagine the trust you have for them,
And the love that you feel from them.
And now,
Let's offer the same message to them.
May you be safe and free from suffering?
May you be happy and healthy?
May you have ease of being?
Now let's choose a stranger.
Someone you recognize,
But don't know much about.
That might be the barista at your coffee house,
A person you pass on the street every day,
Or someone on the bus.
Someone you don't feel strongly,
But rather neutral about.
Although you don't know them,
They probably have a life full of hopes and dreams.
They've experienced fear or loneliness.
They too wish to be happy,
Just as you do,
Just as your loved one does.
Wish them love and kindness,
And say to them in your mind,
May you be safe and free from suffering?
May you be happy and healthy?
May you have ease of being?
Now let's choose someone you find difficult.
It may be someone you had an argument with,
Or you find difficult to work with.
Bring them to mind,
And open your heart to them as best you can.
Know that they too have had a life full of hopes and dreams,
Have experienced struggles,
Fear,
And loneliness.
They too wish to be happy,
Just as you do.
Wish them love and kindness,
And say to them in your mind,
May you be safe and free from suffering?
May you be happy and healthy?
May you have ease of being?
Now don't worry if feelings of love and warmth don't immediately come up here.
It is enough to extend these wishes,
To hold these intentions,
And incline the mind in this way.
Remember that if feelings become overwhelming,
Take a break.
Treat yourself with kindness.
You can always come back to your anchor,
The breath,
Or the body,
To ground yourself in the present moment.
To close this meditation,
Let's set our intention to extend kindness to the world around us,
To ourselves,
To loved ones,
To strangers,
And to those who struggle in life.
May all be safe and free from suffering.
May all be happy and healthy.
May all have ease of being.
Thank you for watching!
