This loving kindness meditation is essentially about cultivating unconditional love within yourself and extending this love out to include all living beings.
Get yourself into a comfortable position.
You may choose to sit or lie down,
Close your eyes,
Relax your whole body,
Bring your awareness inward.
Without straining or concentrating,
Just relax and gently follow the instructions.
Take a deep breath in and breathe out.
As you feel yourself relaxing,
Count down silently from 7 to 1 as I count out loud.
Relax further with each count.
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Begin this loving kindness meditation by wishing yourself well.
Now,
Repeat each phrase in your mind and connect with the meaning of each phrase.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
Again,
Repeat these phrases silently.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
If your mind wanders,
Simply bring it back to these phrases.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
Next,
Bring up a person you care about deeply,
A family member or a friend.
Send loving kindness their way by repeating these phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Repeat the phrases with full intention.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
And if your mind wanders,
Gently bring it back and repeat these phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Now,
Expand your circle of loving kindness to everyone,
Those you know and those you don't.
Send the following words their way.
May all be safe.
May all be peaceful.
May all be healthy.
May all live with ease.
And as you repeat the phrases over and over,
Put your heart and mind behind each word.
May all be safe.
May all be peaceful.
May all be healthy.
May all live with ease.
And again,
May all be safe.
May all be peaceful.
May all be healthy.
May all live with ease.
Now,
Take a deep breath in and breathe out.
And another deep breath in and let it go.
Notice the state of your mind and how you feel after this meditation.
When you are ready,
You may open your eyes to end the meditation.
