So allowing the body to settle into a seated posture or lying down posture.
And for this practice in particular,
It's important that you be comfortable.
So just making some adjustments if you need to.
How can I be 10% more comfortable,
More at ease?
Checking from time to time my level of alertness so that if I feel really,
Really sleepy,
Opening the eyes maybe might do it,
Maybe straightening the spine might do it.
Maybe stretching might do it sometimes.
So here we're going to practice something we call loving kindness.
And here to set this up,
To set up the conditions,
It might be helpful to embody a sense of love or a sense of kindness.
Maybe by adjusting our facial expression,
We can imagine ourselves with a half smile.
We can actually change our facial expression so that we are smiling a little bit.
Some people find it helpful to place one of their hands over their heart or over their stomach so you can experiment with that if you want.
So making whatever adjustments now just to embody a little bit more a sense of open heartedness,
Love,
Caring,
Nurturing.
And tuning into the breath.
Noticing that during an in-breath,
We're in a position of receiving.
And during an out-breath,
We're in a position of offering.
So noticing that exchange that happens here,
Receiving and offering.
And I'll invite you now to bring to mind someone for whom there is a lot of love,
A lot of caring.
It's not complicated,
That goes easily both ways.
Someone who is easy to love.
And that might be a spouse or a child,
A family member,
A friend,
A mentor,
A neighbor.
It can also be a pet or someone who is no longer alive.
Or maybe a spiritual figure.
So seeing if you can bring this person in your imagination as though they were just standing right in front of you.
And let the image of their face become clearer and clearer.
See even if you can let their eyes be open so that you can look into their eyes,
Looking into their humanity.
And here finding a way to express and communicate the love that you have for them.
And so perhaps that's simply your facial expression,
Communicating non-verbally that you love them,
You care about them.
Perhaps it's a gesture,
Like a touch.
Or perhaps you're choosing to use words.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from suffering.
Or perhaps just using your own words.
As you do that,
Notice that this is the person you really care about.
And you want to let them know.
And as you do that,
Simply noticing what shows up in your own experience as you sit here or lay down here.
Noticing what body sensations arise as I send this loving kindness to this person I care about.
And on an out-breath,
Releasing that person from your awareness.
And on an in-breath,
Seeing if you can bring a new person now,
A person who's just relatively neutral,
You don't have strong positive feelings for or negative feelings for,
It's just someone that you see regularly.
Maybe you never speak to that person,
Or maybe you do just briefly,
Like a cashier or bus driver,
Colleague you don't really know.
Someone you cross on the street regularly.
Seeing if you can bring that person to mind.
Have that person just be right here in front of you,
Seeing their face,
Seeing their eyes,
Looking into their humanity.
There's a human being who wants to be happy,
Who wants to be free from suffering.
And so finding a way to send loving kindness to that person.
Whether it's through your facial expression,
Your gesture,
Or maybe your words.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be free from suffering.
Just allowing yourself to feel whatever you're feeling as you practice doing this.
And on an in-breath we can release this person from our awareness.
And on an in-breath we can call to mind another person,
But this time someone with whom we have some difficulty.
And seeing here if we can keep a difficulty of like a 10 pound weight rather than a 100 pound weight.
Maybe it's a complicated relationship.
Maybe it's someone who hurt us or hurt someone we care about.
Someone for whom there's some unpleasant feelings.
And if you're willing,
Seeing if you can imagine this person.
Right there in front of you,
Seeing the details of their face and allowing their eyes to be open so that you can look into again their humanity.
Here is a person,
A human being,
Who like me wants to be happy,
Wants to be free from suffering.
And as a practice,
Even if it's difficult,
Seeing if it's possible to send loving kindness wishes in a way that seems appropriate to you.
May you be happy.
May you find peace.
May you love and be loved.
May you find acceptance,
Be free from suffering.
Staying attuned to your own body sensations as you do that,
Maybe noticing thoughts that may be showing up.
It's best you can continuing to send loving kindness wishes and allowing your experience to be your experience.
And on a now breath we can release that person from our awareness.
And on an in breath we can bring all living beings to mind.
If that seems too large then you can just bring in a few other people in your life or from other regions of the world.
Noticing that each one of these individuals are human beings who want to be happy and free from suffering.
And so taking a moment to wish them well.
May all living beings or may all of you be happy and peaceful.
Be healthy and strong.
Live with ease and joy.
Be free from suffering.
And just noticing what that's like for you.
And on an out breath we can release all living beings from our awareness and actually just keep one of these living beings which is yourself.
And bringing an image of yourself in front of you.
You might even imagine walking up to a mirror seeing your reflection in front of you.
And seeing if you can allow the reflection of the picture of yourself to become really clear in front of you.
And even allow your own eyes to be open in your imagination.
You're looking deeply into your own eyes and noticing your own humanity.
You're noticing a person there that wants to be happy.
That wants to be free from suffering.
Just like all the other living beings.
Just like the person you care about.
And finding your own way to wish yourself well.
Whether that means putting your hand over your heart,
Smiling to yourself.
Or saying something caring and kind.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I receive love and caring.
May I be free from suffering.
And just noticing what shows up in your experience as you send yourself this loving kindness.
And on a now breath you can release your own picture.
Your own image of yourself from your awareness.
And on an in-breath coming back to your body here.
To your breathing.
To this sitting here.
To this lying here.
With this kind of wide open spacious awareness.
Allowing your experience to flow from moment to moment.
However it's going to show up.
Whether there are thoughts,
Emotions,
Body sensations,
Urges.
Just feeling what's here to be felt.
And on a now breath you can release your own picture.
And on a now breath you can release your own picture.
And on a now breath you can release your own picture.
