Welcome to this loving kindness meditation.
My name is Ashley and I'll be guiding you through it today.
Please find a comfortable seat,
Either lying down or sitting,
And just allow your body to relax.
Maybe your shoulders fall down,
And just let your belly take whatever shape it feels most comfortable in.
And once you've allowed your body to fully relax,
Gently close your eyes and take a deep breath in,
And out.
Once more,
Breathe in deeply,
And exhale fully with a sigh.
Begin to soften your breath,
Allowing it to find a natural rhythm.
Now bring your attention to your heart center.
Imagine your heart as a place filled with warmth,
Light,
And compassion.
And if you like,
You can even imagine that light spreading outwards,
Towards others,
And even towards yourself.
Now we'll begin the practice of metta,
Or loving kindness,
By first directing kindness towards ourselves.
Repeat these phrases after me,
And I invite you to do your best to connect with them as much as you can as you hear them.
May I be happy.
May I feel loved.
And if your mind wanders,
Just gently return to these words,
Feeling the warmth of your own goodwill towards yourself.
Now bring to mind someone that you deeply care about.
Remember a child,
Maybe a pet.
Visualize them clearly in your mind's eye,
Seeing them happy and at peace.
Now silently repeat,
May you be happy.
Notice any feelings of warmth or connection,
As you extend your compassion towards your loved one.
Now bring to mind someone neutral,
Perhaps a colleague or someone you see in passing.
Maybe even a stranger at the grocery store.
Someone that you don't know very well.
Kindness,
And silently repeat,
May you feel loved.
May you be free of suffering.
Now bring to mind someone you have difficulty with,
Someone you may be struggling to forgive.
If this feels challenging,
Remember that you're not condoning their actions,
You're simply wishing them peace and healing.
Finally,
Expand your circle of kindness to include all beings everywhere.
Imagine your heart radiating warmth with light spreading across the world,
Touching all people,
Everywhere.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings feel loved,
Be free of suffering.
Now slowly start to bring your awareness back to your body,
Noticing your breath and the sounds around you.
And maybe notice the surface that you're laying or sitting on.
Gently start to open your eyes,
And carry this sense of loving kindness with you for the rest of your day.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
