This is a loving-kindness meditation designed specifically to generate feelings of love and compassion for ourselves and extend it to others.
Loving-kindness meditation,
Or META,
Is a softening of the mind and heart and has been proven to relieve anxiety and to help us feel more calm and connected during difficult times.
By opening our hearts unconditionally,
We feel loved,
Safe,
And develop more kindness towards ourselves and towards other people.
To start this practice,
Find a relaxed and comfortable posture.
It could be sitting on a chair or meditation cushion,
Or maybe even laying down.
Finding a posture that allows you to be awake,
Alert,
And present.
Allowing the shoulders to relax.
Softening the muscles of the face.
Relaxing the jaw.
And keeping the eyes gently closed.
And as we transition into this quiet moment,
Start by noticing how you're feeling right now.
The mind is really busy,
And you notice different emotions due to whatever situation you're going through right now.
And with compassion and kindness,
Allowing whatever you notice to simply be there for now.
It's okay.
Connecting to the breath.
And allowing this moment to be as it is.
Accepting yourself unconditionally.
Letting yourself bask in the warm energy of love for yourself.
Inviting feelings of peace and acceptance.
And now,
Allowing the heart to open with tenderness.
Start by developing loving kindness towards yourself.
And you can do this simply by repeating silently the following words.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I find peace in my heart.
May I be safe.
I deserve to be safe.
May I be healthy.
I deserve to be healthy.
May I find peace in my heart.
I deserve peace in my heart.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I find peace in my heart.
And now,
See if you can call to mind someone with whom you have a positive relationship with.
Someone that you care about very much.
Who is kind to you and who generates positive emotions when you think about this person.
It could be a friend,
A family member,
A teacher or a mentor.
And holding the image of that person in front of you,
Wish him or her well by repeating silently.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace in your heart.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace in your heart.
And now,
Putting that person aside for a moment,
Call to mind someone with whom you have a neutral relationship with.
Someone that you don't have any particular feelings about and that you only see occasionally.
Could be a neighbor.
Somebody you see at work.
Maybe a clerk at the store.
And holding the image of that person in front of you,
Wish him or her well by repeating silently.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace in your heart.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace in your heart.
And now,
Putting that person aside for a moment,
Call to mind someone with whom you have difficulties with.
Someone that gives you a sense of strain or that you have conflicts with.
And to the best of your ability,
Without getting caught up in the feelings of resentment.
And keeping in mind that this person,
Just like you,
Also wants to be happy and free from suffering.
And wish this person well by repeating silently.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace in your heart.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace in your heart.
And now,
See if you can call to mind all four people,
Yourself,
The positive person,
The neutral person,
And the difficult person.
And wish everyone well by repeating silently.
May we be safe.
May we be healthy.
May we find peace in our hearts.
May we be safe.
May we be healthy.
May we find peace in our hearts.
And we can expand our well wishes to include everyone around us.
The people in our neighborhood.
All the people in our city.
In our country.
To all living beings around the world.
Knowing that everyone wants to be happy and free from suffering.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings find peace in their hearts.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings find peace in their hearts.
And now,
Bring this practice to a close by coming back to extend kindness to yourself.
Sitting for a few moments and basking in the warm energy of loving kindness that may have been generated during this meditation.
Bringing these positive feelings into your life after this meditation ends.
