Welcome to your practice.
I'm inviting you to find your most comfortable seat,
Allowing your back to remain straight yet relaxed,
Your hand resting in your lap on your knee wherever it is comfortable for you and then gently closing the eyes if it's in your practice and we will begin by taking three full breaths at your own rhythm.
Breathing in deeply when you're ready,
Allowing a pause at the end of the inhale and when you exhale,
Exhaling slowly all the air from your lungs and with this exhale and all the want to come,
Releasing what doesn't serve you,
The stress of the day,
The tension in your body,
The tension in the mind.
Let them go.
And when you completed a few full breaths allowing it to come back to its natural rhythm.
Nothing controlled,
Nothing forced.
Let it be simply as it wish.
And with each gentle breath,
Allowing yourself to arrive a little more deeply in this present moment.
Breathing in,
I have arrived.
Breathing out,
I am home.
And allowing the body to relax just a little more.
Softening the shoulders,
Relaxing the hands,
Resting the muscles of the face,
The forehead,
The space between the eyebrows,
The skin around the mouth and also allowing your jaw to be free.
And simply breathe.
Here and now.
Breathing.
Notice each inhale and exhale as they come and go.
We will now begin our practice of metta.
I would like to invite you to bring your attention to your heart space.
And first taking this moment to feeling the middle of the chest.
Some might be able to feel the heart beat,
The heart pounding.
And if it calls you,
You can bring your hand or two to rest in the middle of the chest.
And if you do so,
Take a moment first to feel the warmth of your hand when it lands on your heart.
For each step of our practice of metta,
I will offer a few phrases.
I am inviting you to repeat them silently if they resonate.
If they don't,
Simply use your own words.
I am inviting you to bring to mind a dear friend,
Someone that you have a very easy relationship with,
Someone that you trust,
That you feel comfortable with.
Imagine them and being in their presence and notice how it feels within to bring them to your heart and mind.
And let's send them some good wishes.
May you be well.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you feel whole and healthy.
May you find ease and peace within.
May you feel loved and cared for.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you feel whole and healthy.
May you find ease and peace within.
May you feel loved and cared for.
May you be happy.
And rest in this moment with the experience,
Without judging.
And let this person go.
And now bring to mind another person that you have an easy relationship with.
It could also be a pet,
Whichever you prefer.
Notice how it feels to be with them in the mind and in the heart.
Please remember one thing that you truly appreciate about them.
And let's begin.
May you be well.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you feel whole and healthy.
May you find ease and peace within.
May you feel loved and cared for.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you feel whole and healthy.
May you find ease and peace within.
May you feel loved and cared for.
May you be happy.
And resting in this experience for a moment,
Noticing what is there to be noticed.
And now,
If you wish,
Bring the first person that you brought into this practice and hold them both into your heart-mind.
Take this moment to look at them as they look at you with a smile,
With care.
And they would like to share some good wishes for you.
So take this moment to receive.
May you too be well.
May you too feel safe and protected.
May you too feel whole and healthy.
May you too find ease and peace within.
May you too feel loved and cared for.
And please,
May you too be happy.
May you be well.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you feel whole and healthy.
May you find ease and peace within.
May you feel loved and cared for.
May you be happy.
And breathing this in.
Allowing their care to wash over you.
Allowing yourself to receive.
May you be happy.
May you feel loved.
May you be healthy.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you be happy.
Now we're allowing them to go.
And if you wish,
Bring to mind an image of you.
If it's easier to find an image of you when you were a child,
So bring this child into your mind hard.
Or simply an image of you as you look right now.
At your best of course.
When you blink at yourself in the mirror and the mirror smiles black.
And notice something that you appreciate about yourself.
It might be your curiosity,
Your kindness,
Your care for others.
The way you know how to listen.
So take this moment first to appreciate something about yourself.
It doesn't need to be grandiose.
And I will offer again some phrases.
If they resonate,
Repeat them for yourself.
And if they don't,
Use your own word.
It's always about you.
I'm only here to guide.
May I be well.
May I feel safe and protected.
May I feel whole and healthy.
May I find ease and peace within.
May I feel loved and cared for.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I feel safe and protected.
May I feel whole and healthy.
May I find ease and peace within.
May I feel loved and cared for.
May I remember that I deserve to be loved and cared for.
May I be happy.
If there are other words that you would like to wish for yourself,
Take this moment to do so with kindness,
Non-judgment,
Care and appreciation for the beautiful being that you are.
There's only one like you.
On this whole planet,
You are worth it.
If your hands are resting on your heart,
Release them into your lap,
On your knees.
Releasing also the image of you and allow yourself to take one full breath,
Savouring the inhale and the exhale because you are alive.
And coming back into feeling the body,
Resting on the chair,
On the floor,
On the cushion.
And allowing yourself to simply be for the remaining of the time.
Breathing in and out.
Every idea.
When you are ready,
Blinking the eyes open.
Allowing the light and the colors to come back into your awareness.
And give yourself a thank you.
And a hug.
You deserve it.
May your day be filled with ease.
Please,
Take care.
