Take a moment to get comfortable.
Find a position that allows you to sit and simply be here for a while.
And whenever you're ready.
Gently close your eyes,
Taking a slow easy breath in and then letting that go.
Another breath in.
And out.
Just giving yourself a few minutes or moments to arrive.
Feeling your body here.
Feeling the support beneath you.
Noticing your breath.
Just as it is.
For the next few minutes.
We're going to practice loving kindness.
It is a simple practice of wishing ourselves and others well.
You can practice this in whatever way feels most natural to you.
You might say the words.
Or you may just simply feel that loving-kindness in your body.
Or you might bring an image to mind like maybe sending some light and let that image hold you.
Beginning with yourself.
If you wish,
You can bring a gentle awareness to yourself just sitting or lying down here.
Perhaps just noticing your body.
Perhaps imagining yourself just as you are right now.
Then maybe taking a moment to ask.
What would I most love to receive today?
Maybe that's peace.
Maybe that's ease.
Maybe that's safety.
Maybe it's simply to feel a little more at home in yourself.
And from there.
.
.
You might offer yourself a few simple phrases of loving kindness.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be safe.
May I live with ease.
You may choose to repeat the phrases silently,
Slowly just letting them settle.
And if saying may I feels at all far away today.
You may choose to say may I begin.
May I begin to be happy.
May I begin to feel peaceful.
May I begin to feel safe.
May I begin to live with a little more ease.
Or you can let the words go and simply feel the intention behind them.
The feeling of wishing yourself well.
Or perhaps you can imagine offering yourself kindness like a warm light or a gentle embrace.
Letting yourself find your own way into the practice.
You know,
Bringing someone that you care about could be a child,
A special someone,
Or even a pet.
Just someone you naturally wish well.
And if you'd like you may also offer them a few simple wishes.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Or just simply holding them in that feeling of loving kindness.
And now if it feels appropriate.
Just bringing to mind someone who may be a little bit more difficult for you.
Someone who might bring up some resistance,
Irritation.
Not the hardest one to practice on,
Just,
Just.
.
.
Some resistance and noticing what happens as you bring this person in mind.
And we can even make the practice a little simple by maybe just simply having less ill will.
So And it's up to you to choose.
You can say,
May you be.
Or may there be less.
Farewell.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be safe.
And may you live at ease.
Maybe visualizing their relationship becoming just a little softer.
Nothing for us.
Just whatever feels possible today.
And then letting that person go.
Returning to yourself.
Your breath and your body.
And now gently widening that circle even more,
That circle of loving kindness.
Bringing to mind.
People around you,
People you may know.
You may not know people you pass every day.
Each living their own lives,
Carrying their own joys and difficulties.
Maybe even extending it to all sentient beings in the whole world.
May we all be happy.
May we all be peaceful.
May we all be safe.
May we all live with ease.
And maybe letting the words move gently through you.
And if the words don't feel right.
Simply feeling the intention behind them.
And whenever you're ready,
Beginning to notice the room around you,
The sounds,
The space,
Just your body sitting or lying down here.
Maybe gently moving your fingers,
Your toes,
Gently opening your eyes.
And as you move into the rest of your day,
Perhaps taking a little bit of this loving kindness with you.
Maybe in the way you speak or you meet other people,
Just in the small moments that make up your day.
Thank you so much for taking these few precious minutes to practice with me.
May you be happy,
Peaceful,
Safe,
And at ease throughout your days.
