Loving kindness,
Also known as metta,
Is one of the most powerful practices that help you embody self-love.
It comes from the Buddhist tradition and the practice consists of sending loving thoughts toward ourselves and others.
It cultivates loving awareness and compassion and beautifully opens your heart.
The idea is to be able one day to enclose all beings in your loving kindness.
However,
Metta starts with ourselves.
It is because self-love is necessary for happiness and for growing unconditional love toward others.
Buddhist teachings say,
You can search the whole universe and you will not find any being more worthy of your love than yourself.
In this loving kindness meditation you will focus just on yourself.
Self-love is the foundation for a happy,
Fulfilled life and healthy relationships with other people.
The practice is to repeat the phrases of loving kindness until you can feel the love in your heart and start embodying it.
It nurtures you with the most powerful energy in the universe,
Love.
Please find a comfortable sitting position.
Close your eyes and allow your breath to deepen.
Breathe smoothly and evenly in and out through both nostrils.
As you deepen your breath,
Notice that with inhalation your abdomen and chest are gently rising,
Filling you up.
As you exhale,
Belly and chest sink back toward the spine.
Inhalation is rising,
Exhalation is falling.
As you follow your breath in this way,
Have the intention to refine your breath.
Your breath is deep,
Smooth and silent.
Inhalations are the same as the exhalations and there are no gaps or pauses in the breath.
Notice that when you breathe this way,
You turn your attention inwards.
Your breath connects you to the present moment.
This will gradually allow the mind to calm down and to drop into a state of relaxation.
Even if you have thoughts appearing on the surface,
Do not worry.
Just keep on focusing on your calm,
Deep breath.
Please take a few more deep breaths like this for a few more moments.
Gradually let go of the conscious control of the breath but keep your awareness inwards.
When the mind is internalized,
We can easier connect with the loving kindness and send it toward ourself and others.
If at any time during this meditation you lose your focus,
Use your breath as an anchor that brings you back to the present moment.
Please bring your awareness to the heart center.
Repeat silently the loving kindness phrases and direct that words and energy toward yourself.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be healthy in body and mind.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be happy and free.
Please repeat those phrases.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be healthy in body and mind.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be happy and free.
Feel the loving kindness opening your heart.
Feel it in your heart center and in your whole body.
You are the person that needs your love the most in the entire universe.
Self-love is the foundation of all love.
May I be at ease.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I accept things as they are.
May I be happy and free.
Keep your breath nice and smooth.
Remember every time you notice drifting away with your thoughts,
Bring yourself back to the present moment via the breath.
And keep on repeating the phrases of loving kindness toward yourself.
Use the phrases that appeal to you the most.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be healthy in body and mind.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be happy and free.
Please feel free to find your own words and variations of these phrases.
May I be at ease.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be held,
Supported and protected.
May I recognize my inherent value and worth.
May I feel appreciated,
Loved.
May I be happy and free.
Feel the loving kindness entering your heart,
Opening your heart,
Bringing you to this beautiful state of open heartedness.
Loving kindness,
Feeling peaceful,
Feeling love from the inside out.
For the final stage of this meditation,
Simply rest in these vibrations of loving kindness.
Feel the love,
The self love radiating from the inside out.
And rest your awareness in the center of your heart.
You can rest in this space of your open heart for as long as you want.
And to go out of this meditation,
Start deepening the breath.
As you remain in that space of openness,
Wishing well to yourself,
Feeling the love in your heart,
Bring your hands to prayer.
Gently lower your chin and when you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
