So let's begin.
I just invite you to get really settled in your place.
Maybe uncross your arms or your legs and find a comfortable seat.
Just settling back in.
You're welcome to close your eyes if you'd like.
Or just find a soft gaze.
Begin to tune your attention inward to your breath.
Taking a nice deep breath in.
And a deep breath out.
If you're comfortable,
Breathe in and out of your nose.
Allowing your mind to relax.
Allow your body to settle.
Allow yourself to be open at the top as we move into this meditation.
So let's begin by focusing on ourselves.
So silently in your mind,
Repeat after me.
May I be happy and peaceful.
May I be happy and peaceful.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be safe and protected.
May I live with ease.
May I live with ease.
So begin to see yourself.
As happy and peaceful.
Healthy and strong.
Safe and protected.
Living with ease.
Imagine sending.
The energy of these qualities to yourself.
Thinking of one positive thing about yourself that allows you to embody these qualities.
And now begin to think of a loved one.
Someone you care about deeply,
It could be friend,
Family.
Co-worker.
Someone that's important to you in your life.
And you can say their name or you can say you.
May you be happy and peaceful.
See this quality with them.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be safe and protected.
May you live with ease.
Imagine sending.
Happiness,
Peace.
Health and strength to them.
Seeing them safe.
Protected and living with ease.
And now we move to finding someone in our life that's neutral.
This could be a grocery clerk.
Someone in your neighborhood who walks by that you don't know.
Someone driving by or even a member at the congregation,
Someone you just see,
A very neutral person to you.
Repeating silently in your mind after me.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be safe and protected.
May you live with ease.
Imagine sending.
Happiness,
Peace.
Health and strength to them.
And now begin to think of somebody that you dislike or that challenges you.
Someone that really gets under your skin.
This could be someone you know personally.
It could even be an institution or situation.
It could be a political figure.
Could be someone who is no longer on this planet.
This practice is for you.
So just as we've done before,
You can say you or their name.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be safe and protected.
May you live with ease.
Despite your dislike for this person,
Imagine that you're sending these powerful qualities to them.
Of peace.
Strength.
Safety.
Protection.
For they are humans just like you and I.
And to close,
We'll close with we.
We are all one.
So as we say these words,
We encompass ourselves.
Our loved ones.
Those neutral people in our life,
And especially those that we dislike.
We are all one.
So silently in your mind.
Repeat after me May we be happy and peaceful.
May we be happy and peaceful.
May we be healthy and strong.
May we be healthy and strong.
May we be safe and protected.
May we be safe and protected.
May we live with ease.
May we live with ease.
So bringing these beautiful qualities of loving kindness into your mind.
And seeing the WE.
That we are.
I love to imagine the picture that you often see in children's material of the world.
With people all around it holding hands.
May we Have loving kindness.
And simply breathing that in.
And as you breathe out,
Release anything unlike that loving kindness.
And I encourage you to stay in this meditative state.
Just continually bringing forth these statements of happiness and peace.
Health and strength.
Safety and protection.
Living with ease for all beings everywhere.
