Find a comfortable sitting posture.
Straight back,
Relaxed shoulders.
Head tilted forward,
Eyes closed or softly open.
And if we bring to attention the fact that our intellectual minds have been whipped up in the past hour.
So now we're here consciously allowing our minds to settle.
Grounding ourselves now back in the present moment.
Using our breath as the anchor.
So if you'd like to bring to mind a person that you are fond of,
Or a loved one,
As best possible with your attentional stability.
Placing this person in front of you.
One or two meters away.
And for this short space of time we're going to dedicate some wishes to this person.
It's okay if it's not a strong image or if we get distracted not to beat ourselves up.
But with relaxation we refocus,
Evoke an image of this person.
And so we extend these wishes to this person we like.
Or love.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from pain.
Just gently repeating these phrases as if all our tender care and attention is on this person.
As if we're breathing in a light healing quality to this person in the form of these wishes.
When they receive them they feel happy,
They feel peaceful,
And they feel free from pain.
Really establishing this connection with this individual.
Allowing all else to simply dissipate in the background and just remain in presence,
Loving awareness.
With this individual.
So now allow this person to sit next to us or behind us or to go and see if we can evoke an image of someone that we don't know.
Maybe someone who served us food or in the supermarket.
To any person you don't know.
Recognizing that this person also wishes to be happy.
Who has their own barriers to equanimity.
Extend this person these wishes.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from pain.
If any distractions arise that's okay.
Contend to any areas of the body.
May feel uncomfortable.
Let's not beat ourselves up if the image isn't secure as best possible.
Allowing everything to dissipate in the background.
We have this unknown person in front of us.
And we extend these wishes.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from pain.
Now allow this person to sit next to you or behind you or to go.
And now bring to mind someone who is causing you difficulty or someone that you would put in the category of disliking.
Could be a political figure or someone you've seen on the media.
Be sensitive in case you bring someone who's too close or it's too difficult right now.
And just imagine this person sitting in front of you one or two meters away.
You may be observing any feelings,
Feeling tones that may occur,
Have changed within you.
Is there any tightening of the heart or chest area?
Simply be self-compassionate to yourself.
Breathe in an openness,
A soothing healing quality.
And recognizing that this person in front of you is conditioned by their own barriers to equanimity.
Extend them these wishes.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from pain.
Recognizing that this is maybe more difficult than the other two.
That we're establishing a clear connection.
As if we're breathing a healing lightness into them with these wishes.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from pain.
May you be free from pain.
Now call to mind the person that you like.
The person you don't know and the person you're experiencing difficulties with and seek them all in front of you.
Collectively now establishing this human connection that everyone's sitting there trying for happiness and peace.
Extend these wishes.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May be free from pain.
Now perhaps extend these even further to whole communities,
Country,
Nations,
The whole world.
Widening our scope of awareness to encapsulate this entirety of the planet.
Extend these wishes.
May everyone be happy.
May everyone be peaceful.
May the whole world be free from pain.
May you be free from pain.
The entirety of the population includes animals,
Every living creature,
And then we can return to ourselves as we sit here in the moment.
And you can say to yourself may I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be free from pain.
And then you may wish to congratulate yourselves for just being part of something on a Sunday morning and you can slowly end the meditation and open your eyes.
