I invite you to begin by coming to a comfortable seated position in your chair or cushion.
A seated position where your spine is lengthened and your body is at ease.
Close your eyes or lower your gaze if that's more comfortable to you.
Relax your shoulders and allow your hands to rest comfortably in your lap or at your sides.
The meditation for today is a meta meditation.
Meta meaning loving kindness.
Friendship without conditions.
Full of goodwill.
Bring your awareness inward.
Feel into this body.
Noticing immediately if there are sensations of discomfort,
Tension,
Pain,
And allow for whatever comes up to come up.
Notice what's here for this moment.
All is welcome.
Allow for whatever is to be experienced in the body at this moment to be experienced.
Without strain or forceful concentration.
Allow this time for yourself to relax and gently follow the instructions.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
And out through your mouth.
In through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
Continue breathing deeply.
I invite you to make the breath continuous.
Harmonious.
Like the breath never ends.
Or begins.
Just circles continuously.
A steady continuous circle.
Become aware of what this feels like.
This continuous circle between you and the outside world.
Continue breathing.
Bringing a sensation of harmony to your whole body.
I invite you to bring both hands over your chest so that the fingertips of one hand are touching the fingertips of the other.
Allow your breathing to return to normal.
Try to focus your attention on your heartbeat.
This personal rhythm can be felt beating through the fingertips.
This rhythm is what powers the movement of your blood.
And carries oxygen to every cell in your body.
Such as those that can be felt in the tip of the fingers.
Have your fingertips touching very gently together.
Draw your attention to your heart beating in the tips of your fingers.
Notice the sensations.
And gradually notice beating in your hands.
Moving up slowly to your wrists.
Arms.
Chest.
Legs.
Feet.
Maybe you don't notice anything at all.
All is welcome.
Create the sensation of the whole body beating.
Pulsating.
Throbbing.
Until you notice the heart itself.
Beating away as it follows every thought.
Don't try to control it.
Just take the time to listen to it.
You are this heart beating.
It's this pulsation that gives you life.
You are pulsation.
You are the uninterrupted rhythm that started when you did.
And will end when you die.
And yet we are so rarely conscious of it.
Right now,
You are becoming aware of your heart.
And your heart is becoming aware of itself.
The heartbeat is becoming conscious of itself.
You're connecting brain to heart.
You are this connection.
Harmonious.
Now shift your awareness to thinking of a being close to you.
Who loves you very much.
It could be an animal or someone from the past or the present.
Someone still in life or who has passed.
And imagine this being standing in front of you.
They are sending you their love.
No story,
Just love.
This being is sending you wishes for your safety,
For your well-being and happiness.
Sense the feeling of warm wishes and love coming from this being towards you.
Slowly expand your awareness.
Imagining that you are surrounded on all sides by all the beings who love you and have loved you.
No story,
Just love.
They are standing,
Sending you only wishes for your happiness,
Your well-being and your health.
Receive.
Notice what it feels like to have warm wishes and love coming from all sides.
Imagine what it would feel like to be surrounded by the sensation of love.
Feeling overflowing,
Warm love.
Now picture a being that is dear to you,
That you love.
Perhaps a relative,
Pets,
Friends.
Reflects on this being's goodness.
Begin to send the love that you feel to this being.
You can even smile if it feels right to you.
You and this being are similar.
Just like you,
This being wishes to be happy and have a good life.
Send all your love and warm wishes to that being.
Repeat the following phrase silently.
Just as I wish,
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Just as I wish,
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Just as I wish,
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Now bring to mind an acquaintance.
Someone you don't know very well.
Someone that you don't have any particular feeling.
It could be a neighbor or a grocery store clerk.
Someone that you see around but don't know very well.
You and this person are alike in your wish to have a good life.
Like you,
This person wishes to experience joy and happiness in their life.
Send all your wishes for well-being to this person.
Repeating the following phrase silently.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Now think of someone that you have a difficult relationship with.
It may be someone that you have long-standing tensions with.
Bring this person to mind.
And be honest about what you feel inside.
You may notice feelings of discomfort,
Tension,
Or a tendency to think badly of this person.
To picture conflict with them.
And just for today,
Let go of these tendencies.
Instead,
Wish them well.
And repeating the following phrase silently.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Now expand your consciousness.
And picture the whole globe in front of you.
As if it were a little ball.
Send warm wishes to all beings on the globe.
Humans.
Animals.
All living in peace.
In war.
In sickness.
In health.
Aware of all the dualities every being experiences in the harmony of life.
And who,
Just like you,
Want to be happy.
Repeat the following phrase silently.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
And healthy.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Just as I wish to.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Take a deep breath in.
And breathe out.
Deep breath in.
And breathe out.
Notice sensations in your body.
All is welcome.
Very gradually,
Whenever you're ready,
You may slowly begin to open your eyes and make your way out of this meditative practice.
Namaste,
Beautiful souls.
