Welcome to this five-minute loving kindness meditation.
Finding a comfortable position,
Relax the gaze or close the eyes down,
Whichever feels right for you.
Allow yourself to settle into your body and become present in this moment.
Breathing at your own pace,
In through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
And as you do,
Releasing any tension in the body on the out-breath.
As you breathe,
Think of someone that you care about deeply,
Repeating the following phrases in your mind.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
And as you breathe,
Allow feelings of warmth and kindness to grow within you as you repeat the phrases and continue the breath.
If the mind wanders,
Don't worry about it,
Just simply return to the phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
The mind may wander,
This happens for all of us,
Release the need to judge yourself for this and just notice.
If you've wandered off,
Use it as a reminder to come back to the phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Imagine sending these phrases to others that you may know,
Or people you may not know,
Extending these phrases to people that you encounter in your day-to-day life.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Now shifting the focus to send these phrases toward yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
You might find that feelings of awkwardness and anxiety can be a source of comfort.
You might find that feelings of awkwardness or other feelings arise for you if you're not used to sending compassion and kindness toward yourself,
And that's okay.
You don't need to fight these feelings or push them away,
Just notice them,
Allow them to be,
And bring the focus back to the phrases.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
The more you practice this meditation,
The easier it will be to cultivate patience and kindness toward yourself and others.
You may even find yourself repeating the phrases throughout the day.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
Deepen the breath.
Continue to send these loving kindness phrases toward yourself,
And imagine yourself accepting these phrases into your heart or into your body.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
May I live with ease.
Filling the heart with gentle compassion and kindness towards yourself,
Take a deep breath in,
And exhale slowly,
Maybe even letting out a sigh and releasing any remaining tension in the body.
Relaxing the shoulders,
The neck,
The jaw,
And taking one final deep breath in,
Bring your attention back to the present moment,
Releasing the breath and wiggling your fingers and toes.
Allow your senses to become aware of your external environment,
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes,
Carrying this loving kindness with you throughout your day.
