Taking a moment to settle into your body.
Gently closing the eyes if that's comfortable or softening the gaze.
Taking some slow deep breaths and noticing where you feel the breath the most.
Maybe it's in your nostrils or on the skin beneath your nose or maybe in the rising and falling of your chest and belly.
Slowly in,
Slowly out.
Now bring to mind a time when you felt completely at ease and held in loving support.
Imagine it not as if you're watching it on a movie screen but rather as if you are fully immersed in that moment right now.
What does the space look like?
What do you smell or taste or hear?
Who is with you in this moment?
Maybe a family member,
A dear friend,
A cherished pet.
Allow yourself to fully sense the comfort,
The gratitude,
The love that exists around you and within you.
Consider this feeling of unconditional love,
How full your heart feels in this space and allow that feeling to fill the center of your chest,
The heart space.
Feel as if each inhale fuels the flames of love and each exhale anchors that love deep into your core.
Breathing in love,
Breathing out love.
Filling yourself with love with each breath until love is all that you are.
And now from this place of warm and radiating compassion,
Say to yourself,
May I be well.
May I be well.
May I be at ease.
May I be free from suffering.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
And allow yourself to bathe in these feelings of love,
Acceptance,
And wishes for well-being.
Bring to mind someone you dearly love.
Allow the image of that person to clearly form in your mind's eye.
And when you are ready,
Imagine yourself wrapping them in love and support and sending love from your heart to theirs.
And with this person in mind,
Repeat these words.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
And now bring to mind someone with whom you have a neutral relationship.
Maybe a co-worker,
A neighbor,
A store clerk.
Allow the image of that person to clearly form in your mind's eye.
And when you are ready,
Imagine yourself wrapping them in love and support.
And sending love from your heart to theirs.
With this person in mind,
Repeat these words.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
Now visualize your community.
Your home,
Your neighborhood,
Businesses,
Places where you work or volunteer.
See the streets,
The buildings,
People driving in cars.
People interacting with one another.
And then allow that image to expand outward to include your state,
Your country,
The whole planet.
And with this image in mind,
Of the entire globe of beings,
Each existing to the best of their ability,
Gently repeat these words.
May all beings be well.
May all beings be at ease.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be filled with loving kindness.
As we rest in the sweet joy of kind and loving energy,
I leave you with this poem by Rachel Macy Stafford.
Today,
I choose love.
Tomorrow,
I will choose love.
And the day after that,
I will choose love.
If I mistakenly choose distraction,
Perfection,
Or negativity over love,
I will not wallow in regret.
I will choose love until it becomes love.
That is who I am.
Much love,
Dear ones.
Much,
Much love.
