Hi,
This is Meg Rinaldi of Body Centered Inquiry and welcome to this embodied practice of loving kindness.
Loving kindness practice has been around for thousands of years.
It's described as a practice that nourishes our heart and the hearts of others.
This human body is sometimes referred to as the chalice of the heart.
We are creatures ultimately of the heart and practices that nourish our hearts invite resilience on all levels.
Please find a comfortable way to sit or you may lay down for this practice.
Remove your glasses if you wear them and allow your body to come into a relaxed and restful pose.
Take your time to find comfort.
Finding comfort is in itself an act of loving kindness toward ourselves.
Allow your eyes to close or remain in a soft gaze and let yourself begin to settle in.
If it's possible allow your body to be met by the ground beneath you.
Experiment with imagining the ground is dynamic and moves toward you as you settle into it and let that simple idea evoke a bit more letting go.
Gradually allow your awareness to shift to your breathing.
No need to change anything.
Simply notice your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
Notice what shape your breath takes as it moves through your body.
Meanwhile your body is ever supported by the ground whether you be sitting or lying down.
Gradually let your breath become more even.
The out breath and the in breath become more even.
And let's begin with some of the traditional loving kindness phrases.
Please repeat after me.
May I be at ease.
May I be healed.
May I be safe.
May I be held in love.
Allow your breath to flow as you repeat these phrases two more times.
May I be at ease.
May I be healed.
May I be safe.
May I be held in love.
Be aware of whatever body sensations are present.
And notice that loving kindness practice always begins with ourself.
May I be at ease.
May I be healed.
May I be safe.
May I be held in love.
You could pause the audio right there and spend the whole time offering yourself loving kindness.
It's a transformative practice.
And if you choose to continue,
Just rest.
Allow your breath to come and go.
Listen for any echoes of those phrases moving through you.
And let yourself feel the support of the ground beneath you.
Now choose someone who is close to you.
A friend,
Family member,
A beloved animal companion.
And say their name.
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Breathing in and out,
Allowing your breath to come and go,
And two more times for your chosen friend,
Family,
Or beloved animal companion.
Say their name and then say,
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Notice how breath moves through you.
Your body sensations are present.
And one more time for your chosen close person.
Say their name and then say,
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
And then just rest.
Allow yourself to be held by the awareness of breath and ground.
Now choose someone toward whom you feel neutral.
That's a curious practice in itself.
Someone you've passed on the street.
The person who delivers the mail.
A cashier at the grocery store.
And bring that person to mind and then say,
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Allowing breath to come and go.
And the ground holding you all the while.
And again,
This neutral person.
Bring them to mind and then say,
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
And one more time,
This neutral person.
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
And rest.
Now consider your ancestors,
Known and unknown.
And think about offering loving kindness to them.
We carry their legacies.
And we can offer them healing and release them and ourselves from unnecessary burdens.
You could simply say,
May you,
My ancestors,
Be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Allowing your body to be held by the ground beneath you.
May you,
My ancestors,
Be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
May you,
My ancestors,
Be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
And rest once again.
Now bring to mind someone you have difficulty with.
It could be someone you know personally or a public figure.
Go gently here.
Bring that person to mind.
Say their name.
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
May you,
Whomever this challenging person is,
Be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Once again,
For the challenging person.
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Breathing,
Feeling the support of the ground that's always there beneath you.
And rest.
Now quietly open your attention to all beings everywhere with no exceptions.
May all beings be at ease.
May all beings be healed.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be held in love.
May all beings be at ease.
May all beings be healed.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be held in love.
May all beings be at ease.
May all beings be healed.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be held in love.
And rest.
And as you're resting scan through your body.
Notice your breathing and your quality of mind.
Take your time to open your eyes and be present to whatever is there.
Come back to this practice and practices like it often.
The world needs us to do this.
May you be at ease.
May you be healed.
May you be safe.
May you be held in love.
Thank you.
This is the end of this session.
