We're going to sit and do a loving kindness meditation,
A metta meditation.
This meditation is done to habituate the mind towards this particular kind of love.
It's the kind of love that is getting to the heart of the matter where we wish beings to be well,
To be free from suffering,
And to be happy.
So it's beyond a personal kind of love which might have our likes and our dislikes,
Our preferences.
Those are all fine to have.
We have those for different people.
But this quality of heart,
Of metta,
Is one that we can send out universally whether or not we like people or dislike them,
Or approve or don't approve of them.
We can have the quality of heart of loving kindness for someone and not approve of maybe unskillful or unkind behaviors.
So we begin the practice by finding a seat that you can hold still and that feels sustainable for you,
Comfortable,
Where your mind can relax and feel a sense of ease and lightness.
And you can begin practice by finding ease and relaxing bodily.
Let your shoulders relax.
The upper chest can relax.
Your temples.
Take a moment just to make friends with your mind,
Your body,
As it is right now in the present moment.
Let yourself be as you are,
The sensations you're experiencing,
The thoughts and emotions that might be present for you.
And then bring to mind a being that is really easy for you to feel a tenderness towards,
For you to wish happiness and peace very easily.
It might be a little animal or it could be somebody that benefited you in your life,
A teacher or a sort of grandmother figure,
An uncomplicated ease in finding that of course we wish this being wellness,
Happiness and peace.
And then you feel that quality of heart,
Of love,
Of kindness.
And through our practice and the repetition of words and thoughts in the mind,
We'll continue to stoke that quality of heart,
Sending it to ourselves and to all beings.
So establishing it first,
This love,
This kindness.
And then begin to extend that to your own mind and body here in the present moment.
And the words you can use,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy and strong of body,
May I be peaceful,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy and strong,
May I be peaceful.
The words have to be meaningful for you,
So choose words that really resonate with your heart and this wish for happiness.
And then repeat,
Letting all other thoughts that will arise go,
Letting them be and just choosing these thoughts,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy and strong,
May I be peaceful.
The mind wanders to start again,
The same kind of gentleness towards the wandering mind,
It's normal.
And then think of your loved ones,
Everyone dear to you in your life.
Bringing an image of different dear people,
Animals into your mind,
Bring that image into your heart.
Letting go of the other thoughts of judgment or disliking in some ways that might be there,
Letting them go and letting your mind just wish well.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy and strong of body,
May you be peaceful.
We can hold images of the beings in our mind and seeing them well,
Seeing them happy.
We're uplifting the mind in each moment that we have the effort to do this practice.
We put forth the effort,
May they be happy,
Healthy and strong.
May they be peaceful.
And then bring to mind all beings that you've ever known,
Whether you liked them or not,
Throughout your life.
Wishing them happiness,
Health,
Freedom from suffering,
Peace of mind.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy and strong.
May they be peaceful.
May they be happy.
May they be happy.
And then sending that out to all beings everywhere,
All animals and insects and humans on our planet and beyond our planet,
Connecting with the quality of heart of unconditional loving kindness without reservation,
Extending out to all beings.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy and strong.
May all beings be peaceful.
Use visual imagery in this.
Let your mind just land at different beings in different parts of the world.
You can consider all squirrels or all people in prisons,
All people in hospitals,
All people celebrating,
All those being born,
All those dying.
May they be happy.
May they be healthy and strong.
May they be peaceful.
May they be happy.
May they be happy.
