Begin by finding a comfortable posture.
Let your breath be natural and relaxed.
Keeping your eyes open,
Observe the area around you.
Observe the many distractions,
Sights and sounds.
Can you observe others without judgment?
Traveling is one of the most ideal times to practice cultivating the Brahma Viharas.
Loving kindness,
Compassion,
Sympathetic joy and equanimity.
Look for someone who is a stranger to you.
Practice loving kindness by thinking of them and repeating silently.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you live peacefully and with ease.
If you're traveling with someone you know,
Practice with them.
While thinking of them,
Repeat silently.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you live peacefully and with ease.
Next,
Practice compassion by looking for someone who is suffering.
Perhaps a crying baby is on the plane.
While thinking of them,
Silently repeat.
May you be free from pain and sorrow.
May you be at peace.
Instead of hoping that their behavior changes,
Simply extend compassion to them for who they are in this present moment.
May you be free from pain and sorrow.
May you be at peace.
If you are suffering,
Extend the same compassion to yourself.
May I be free from pain and sorrow.
May I be at peace.
Next,
Look for people to observe that are enjoying themselves.
Perhaps it is a child playing with her father or a teenager talking to a friend.
Perhaps it is someone eating a delicious meal.
While thinking of them,
Allow yourself to feel sympathetic joy for them by silently repeating.
May your happiness continue to grow and expand.
Keep looking for other people who are joyful and repeat silently.
May your happiness continue to grow and expand.
When irritations arise,
They can be an invitation to practice equanimity.
Without emotional attachment to the distractions around you,
Simply repeat silently.
May I observe things as they are without judgment.
You can practice this at any time while traveling,
Repeating the phrase every time an inconvenience occurs.
May I observe things as they are without judgment.
Finally,
Close your eyes and breathe naturally as you silently repeat with me.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I live free from fear and with ease.
May I be free from pain and sorrow.
May I be at peace.
May my happiness continue to grow and expand.
And may I observe things as they are without judgment.
