Welcome to a loving kindness meditation.
For this meditation ensure that you're feeling particularly comfortable and warm.
And almost like the physical feeling of safety and warmth so you can cultivate the emotional quality of compassion.
As always you can be seated comfortably.
Or you can lie down if you wish.
So let's start.
Let's start.
Take a few deep slow mindful breaths.
And now let your body find its own natural flow of breath.
See if you can feel your breathing in the area near your heart if you can.
Notice whether your chest is rising and falling.
And whether you notice the chest on the rise or on the fall.
Be aware of the warmth of your body.
And try placing your hand representing your self kindness and care softly on the heart area.
That's the energetic heart area.
And notice what effect that has for you.
With the intention of that self kindness and care.
See if you can notice the warmth of your hand on your heart.
And you can either leave it there or if you prefer to place your hand on your belly or your lap that's fine too.
So when you're ready bring to mind someone that makes you really smile.
Someone that you have a really easy and positive relationship with.
And I suggest at this stage maybe not your partner as such deep relationships tend to be quite complex and it's easy to get lost in different thoughts.
So maybe a relative that's a little bit more removed or a young son daughter spiritual figure or any other person that you hold great respect for.
And that can be whether that person is still alive or not.
And just hold that person in your vision and wish this person well with words like may you be happy,
May you be healthy and may you be free from suffering.
If you can allow those words to sound in your heart area rather than your head.
See if you can really tune in to both the words and the meaning behind the words.
And if other words resonate with you more than obviously use those.
Use the words that represent kindness and compassion for you and just continually repeat those words.
And one point to remember with mindfulness we don't force so you don't need to force any feelings at all you can just wish wellness and make a space for any feelings that do arise.
So in that same spirit bring yourself to mind and wish yourself well you're just as worthy as any other being on this planet and you do deserve equal amount of kindness and care.
So maybe use words such as may I be happy,
May I be healthy,
May I be filled with compassion and kindness towards myself and may I be free from suffering.
Interestingly that's often quite the most difficult stage for people.
Often people can feel feelings of guilt for sending kindness to themselves or think that you're overindulging yourself.
If this is anything that you are feeling then this loving kindness meditation is going to be a really useful exercise for you to relieve that stress and stress can often be heightened by being too hard on yourself.
So if you feel a resistance to self kindness that's okay just practice this and given time you'll find that it's not both nourishing and healing meditation for you.
Try to be as patient as you can and persevere gently and just notice what happens with interest.
Next bring to mind a neutral person someone you neither like nor dislike someone you hardly know might be someone you always say hello to at your local supermarket or your post postee might have a chit chat with them when they come to the door.
And remember that they like you also have a role outside of their life role sorry they have a life outside of their work role.
So consider what friends and families their hopes fears dreams desires wish them well.
And again use your own words or use may you be happy and healthy may you be filled with love and peace and may be free from all pain and suffering.
Next up is someone who you find more difficult a person that again can be dead or alive.
This is one of your first times doing this maybe choose someone who's quite difficult but not the most difficult person that you know.
And it may be someone who's caused you problems or suffering in the past.
And just consider them be it him or her as a whole person kind of go beyond the hurt that person has caused you.
As human being this person also experiences pain anxiety stress and all the other host of difficulties and challenges that life presents.
See if you can forgive their actions which they may not have done knowingly.
And if the pain was inflicted on you deliberately perhaps there was a reason the person's emotional state their vulnerability their pain their needs being unfulfilled.
If you can ask the person to forgive you for any hurt that you and you're not assuming that what they did was right.
All actually doing here is letting go of the pain and the suffering that's caused being caused by their actions.
And if you're able to step towards this this warms your heart instead of heartening hardening it.
So wish them well may you be well and happy and healthy.
May you be free of stress anxiety pain and suffering.
And may your heart be filled with self kindness and compassion.
And bring to mind now all four of you yourself your friend your neutral person and your more challenging person.
And as you imagine all of you together see if you can offer a sense of well-wishing and compassion to each of you equally.
May you be well may you be happy may you be healthy.
May you be free of stress sufferings fears anxieties.
And may your hearts be filled with compassion and self kindness.
May all beings be well may all beings be happy.
And now come back to yourself center your attention on your breathing.
Just feeling its natural pace and depth.
Bring a sense of warmth affection and gratitude to your breath.
And before we end just appreciate your efforts to cultivate one of life's most nourishing qualities compassion.
You can practice this loving kindness meditation at any time.
And you can just do one stage or two stages.
You don't have to do all of the stages at every single time.
Just do whichever stage you need to do at that very precise moment.
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