This is Michaela Conley and I will be leading an open heart loving kindness style meditation.
It'll be approximately 15 minutes long.
And let's begin.
So please find a comfortable seated position.
Sitting comfortably,
But alert with your spine upright,
Allowing your lungs and belly to expand fully.
I invite you to imagine a string holding you upright,
Beginning at the tip of your tailbone and extending up and up through the top of your head.
So let's begin by simply focusing on the breath.
You may choose to close your eyes or simply soften your gaze downward.
So as you bring your attention to your breath,
Breathing easily and naturally,
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
You might begin to notice the sense of coolness,
The cool air entering your nostrils.
And as you exhale,
The warm air warmed by your body.
With each inhale,
You might imagine the path the air takes through your nose,
Down into your chest,
Your lungs,
And your heart,
All doing their part.
As you continue to breathe,
You might begin to imagine your breath flowing in and out of your heart.
And as many have said,
Where your attention goes,
The energy flows.
So let's send your heart some extra energy now.
As you continue to breathe comfortably in and out through your nose,
You might imagine the breath filling up your heart area,
Your chest,
And even expanding down into your belly and even into your hips,
Sort of filling up your torso with the wonderful fresh air that gives us life.
And as you continue to expand this feeling,
This sense of using your breath to fill up your body,
You may begin to think about someone you hold dear in your life.
It could be a parent or a child,
Might be a friend,
Or maybe a beloved pet.
Can you see them in your mind's eye?
Maybe sitting or standing before you?
Consider the feelings that may come up just by seeing them.
I wonder how those feelings might manifest in your body.
Take a few moments if you like to be with that physical sensation.
And at any time,
If you experience strong emotions or sensations,
Please do take care of yourself by altering this meditation to meet your needs.
You can open your eyes,
Get up,
Move around.
Of course,
Everyone is unique,
And it's really important to honor your uniqueness.
And as you continue to notice the feelings you've cultivated by seeing your loved one in your mind's eye,
Imagine if you might be able to send those feelings out to them.
How might that feel?
Maybe like a golden beam of loving light or gentle warm breeze emanating from your heart,
Enriching,
Expanding,
And deepening the experience within you.
And as you imagine that warm light or breeze,
I wonder if you can tune into any sound,
Any sound that might go along with that light or that breeze,
Like the rustling of leaves from the breeze or birds calling to one another in the distance.
What might you hear right now?
And there might even be a scent,
A faint scent in the air.
Depending on where you are and your loved one is in your mind's eye,
It could be like the ocean or fragrant flowers in the summertime,
Or maybe the smell in the air after a refreshing spring rain.
I wonder what you might experience.
You might allow yourself to rest in this place for a while,
Or if need be,
Alter this guidance to support whatever you're wanting for yourself right now.
No rules,
Just gentle guidance or suggestions.
If you've chosen to remain here with this love,
Appreciation,
And gratitude you've cultivated for your loved one,
I'm wondering if you might begin to notice a slight smile,
Maybe beginning on the inside and slowly,
Very,
Very slowly beginning to appear on your face.
So slight,
No one might ever notice it.
Your smile like Buddha or maybe Mona Lisa or perhaps the Cheshire cat.
I wonder if this ever so slight smile might bring up new feelings or insights you may be just beginning to notice.
If you like,
Stay here with the sights,
The smells,
And the sounds we've appreciated,
All based on the love,
Gratitude,
And appreciation we're experiencing and sending out to our loved ones still here in our mind's eye.
And perhaps there may be others you choose to add to your group of recipients,
Your loving kindness practice.
You can do that if you like.
It's totally up to you.
It might be other people you know well and love and appreciate.
It might be people you don't know personally,
But want to share your gift of loving kindness with.
I think we can all use more love,
Gratitude,
And appreciation in our lives.
Such a powerful and profound gift.
We both give and receive simultaneously giving back to the giver,
Which is you.
Like a gentle wave on the beach,
Ebbing and flowing.
Reminds me that we're all a part of something far bigger beyond ourselves,
Even if we're not aware of it.
Please continue to bask in this rich environment you've created.
Sight,
Seeing the people you love,
Sound,
Whatever you may hear,
And smell.
Senses making the experience so much more.
As we begin to slowly close our practice for today,
Note all that you found here.
Gifts of gratitude,
Appreciation,
And love both given and received.
Your attention to and intention to contribute to our collective consciousness and perpetuate waves in our universe,
Making now a wonderful time to just be.
Please take a few more breaths,
Complete breath cycles in and out,
And lock this experience into yourself.
Just inhaling and exhaling.
And when you're ready,
You can begin to flutter your eyes,
Move around a little,
Stretch,
And return to this place together.
