Cultivating Loving Kindness With Teresa Johnson

Loving-kindness practice uses imagination and imagery to evoke our natural inclination toward kindness by inviting us to visualize people we are in a relationship with and focusing that kindness with phrases of loving kindness. Join Teresa in exploring this profound orientation toward others and yourself.

Transcript

The meditation practice that we'll be exploring today is the loving kindness meditation.

This is called a cultivation practice because we're cultivating as we would a garden by creating conditions that are just right for the growth of the seeds of kindness and loving open hearted living,

These seeds that are innate in us but may be waiting for further growth and can be encouraged by this practice.

We do this by repeating certain phrases that are wishes for the well-being of others and also for the well-being of ourselves.

And so we'll begin with recognizing that others just like us want to be happy.

And we begin with considering a person with whom we have a very close relationship,

Someone who is easy to feel connected to,

Someone with whom you have a close and warm relationship,

Someone who easily brings a smile to you.

And so beginning this practice by closing your eyes or lowering the gaze.

Feeling your seat in the chair or on the cushion.

Gathering awareness into the breath before we begin the practice.

Feeling the breath as it comes and goes.

Starting by bringing to mind the image of this person with whom we feel close,

With whom we share an easy uncomplicated relationship.

Imagining as if they are sitting right with you or standing next to you or in front of you.

Bringing to mind the details of this person's face.

This could be a pet also.

So seeing in your memory,

Calling forth from your memory the details of what this loved one looks like.

And perhaps thinking of their specific features,

Hair color,

Eyes,

And sound of the voice.

The qualities that you find endearing,

Really opening your heart to this person.

And knowing that this loved one like you wants to be happy,

Wants to experience joy.

This is something that you can offer them.

And saying these words inside your heart,

May you be happy.

May be happy and joyful.

Really feeling that wish going to the person.

May be happy.

Realizing too that this person would want to walk through the world feeling safe,

Feeling secure.

So offering this wish,

May you feel safe.

May you be safe.

May you feel safe.

May you feel safe and secure.

And may you be healthy and strong.

May you be healthy and strong.

Realizing too that this loved one will experience and has experienced difficult times and challenges.

So we would wish for them to have access to their resources with some ease in their life.

Some sense of being able to meet life as it comes.

And so we offer this wish in the words,

May you live with ease.

May you find ease in your life.

May you live with ease.

Now letting that person go and their image fade.

And bringing to mind a friend.

A friend with whom you have shared time,

Experiences.

Maybe not as close as the first person but still a friend.

Someone with whom you would share happiness and joy.

And someone for whom you would wish that.

And so bringing to mind this person,

The image of their face.

Perhaps the sound of their voice.

The smile on their face.

And as you look at this person and sense their presence in front of you,

Wishing them these same wishes.

May you be happy.

May you truly be happy.

I really want that for you.

May you find joy.

Joy in life.

Happiness in life.

And may you feel safe and secure.

May you feel safe.

May you be safe.

May you be healthy and strong.

May you be healthy and strong.

Knowing this person will encounter challenges in life,

We wish for them to find the resources they need to meet whatever comes their way.

So we say,

May you live with ease.

May you find ease in life.

May you live with ease.

And feeling all of these wishes from our heart,

Offering them to this person and sending them on their way.

The next person that we'll wish these wishes for is someone with whom you don't have a close relationship with,

Someone who comes into your life.

Might be the person who works at the grocery store,

Could be the person who paints your house,

Who lives in your neighborhood or your building.

Someone you see but you don't have a close relationship with.

This person too,

Like you and like all the others,

Wishes to be happy,

Wants happiness and safety,

Health and ease,

Just like all the rest of us.

Bringing this person's image to mind.

Seeing them in the clearest detail you can.

Looking at them and wishing them,

May you be happy.

May you be truly happy.

May you find joy.

May you be happy and joyful.

May you feel safe and secure.

May you feel safe and may be safe.

Wish that for you.

May you feel safe and secure.

May you be healthy and strong.

May you find health and strength.

May you be healthy and strong.

May you live with ease.

Life brings you challenges and it will.

May you live with ease.

May you find ease.

Find the resources you need.

Sense that there's a way.

May you find ease.

And letting this person go,

Letting their image fade.

And now calling to mind the image of a person with whom you have a somewhat strained relationship.

Maybe there has been a fallout or some difficulty between you,

Some distance.

But this person like you wants to be happy too.

And in spite of any differences you may have,

It's still possible to wish the best for this person.

Still possible to cultivate a space in the heart.

Still possible to make a difference in their life.

So wishing for this person,

May you be happy and joyful.

May you be happy and may you feel joy.

May you feel safe and secure.

You find safety,

The feeling of safety and security.

May you be safe and secure.

May you be healthy and strong.

I wish that for you.

May you feel healthy.

May you be healthy.

May you be strong.

And knowing that this person like you has had heartache,

Challenge,

Discouragement,

Loss,

Rejection and suffering in all these ways.

So we would wish for them the way to find ease when life brings challenges.

Let not everything be a burden.

May you live with ease and may you find ease.

May you live with ease.

Wishing this person well and sending them on their way,

Letting their image fade.

Bringing to mind either an image of yourself as a child or as you are now.

Bringing yourself out in front of you to offer these wishes to yourself.

We all want to be happy and to feel joy.

And bringing kindness to ourselves.

Wishing yourself the same wishes that you gave to all these others.

May I be happy.

May I truly be happy.

May I find joy in life.

May I find a way to live in joy.

To see the joyful side of life.

To be happier.

To be happy.

May I be happy.

Bringing that in.

And offering yourself this next wish,

May I feel safe and secure.

We all deserve to be safe.

May I feel safe and secure.

And may I be safe.

Realizing how important health is,

A feeling of strength.

And offering yourself this wish,

May I be healthy and strong.

May I feel healthy and may I feel strong.

Knowing the difficulties that can come and have come in life.

Wishing for yourself that you'll be able to meet those difficulties.

Offering this wish from the heart for yourself.

May I live with ease.

May I find ease in life.

May I live with ease.

And considering that all living beings wish to be happy,

Healthy,

Safe.

And to live with ease.

We can offer these wishes for all beings.

May we be happy.

May we feel safe.

May we be healthy and strong.

And may we live with ease.

May I feel safe and secure.