So let's get ready for the practice.
So,
If you are practicing,
Sitting down,
Just allowing your back to be straight,
But not too rigid or stiff.
Allowing the hands to rest on the legs or by the side of the body.
And really noticing what the body may need here today to feel more comfortable,
To feel a little more at ease.
Noticing if you would like to practice with your eyes open or closed.
If you're allowing your eyes to stay open during the practice,
Simply choosing a focal point just a feet away from you,
Holding a soft case there throughout the practice.
And as we settle in here,
Bringing attention to any little adjustment that the body may need to find a little more ease.
As we allow the body to find that comfortable posture,
Even if it means to just move the neck side to side or roll the shoulders down,
Up and down.
Maybe allowing the feet to move a little bit.
As we do this,
As we honor what the body's asking for,
To feel a little more comfortable.
We're also allowing the energy to settle in.
And when the body feels at ease and calm,
The mind will be invited to do the same.
So if we find a little stability in the body,
It may be a bit easier to find stability in the mind.
And as we settle in and we allow the body to find that comfortable posture,
Noticing as the weight of the body is moving,
Or noticing as the weight of the body settles in,
Finds its balance.
Perhaps noticing that point of contact that the body is making with the object that we're sitting on,
Noticing that balance,
That support.
We may also bring our attention to the breath.
Notice its quality here today in this moment.
Noticing the length of the inhalation and the exhalation.
Perhaps noticing if the inhalation is longer or shorter than the exhalation.
And as we notice this,
As we notice the breath,
Its quality,
The invitation is to feel the breath,
To experience the breath.
We're not taking internal notes of how the breath feels,
Its quality,
Its length.
We're actually allowing the awareness to experience the breath.
And as we allow our awareness to follow the breath,
To experience it,
As usual,
Distractions and thoughts may arise.
As usual,
Distractions and thoughts may arise.
And we simply notice,
We become aware.
We realize that every time that we become aware of these distractions,
Of this thought,
We're actually practicing mindfulness.
We have become mindful of this distraction,
Of this thought.
And it is in this moment that we have an opportunity,
A choice to bring our awareness back to this present moment,
To the experience of the breath.
And as we start to practice with this branch of mindfulness,
Our loving-kindness practice,
I want to invite you to keep an open heart,
An open mind as we practice this,
The cultivation of loving-kindness.
Loving-kindness is also known as metta,
Traditionally.
It is known to be the wish for goodwill for all beings.
So with this practice,
We're really cultivating this quality to love all beings.
And as we practice with phrases in the next few moments,
To cultivate these qualities,
To love all beings.
Sometimes it may feel difficult.
Sometimes we may not understand what we're doing in this practice.
My reminder here is that I like to think of these qualities of the heart,
Like loving-kindness as a seed that has been planted in our heart.
Something that we are born with.
Perhaps we haven't had a chance to nurture,
To water this seed.
So as we begin this practice of loving-kindness,
It may find,
It may be difficult.
We may find it difficult because we may not see what it is that we're nurturing.
We may not feel it.
And I like to think about this as the seed that is really deep down the soil.
And as we practice with this loving-kindness meditation,
It serves as the watering,
As the nurturing,
As the care for this seed.
So the more we practice,
The more we water,
The more we nurture,
The more chances the seed is going to have to sprout and to eventually bloom.
There's an invitation here to trust,
Trust the practice.
Trust is a need.
Capacity that you have to wish goodwill to all beings.
I want to invite you to bring a loved one to mind.
Someone that you love,
A family member,
A friend,
A pet.
And as you hold them in your mind and heart,
Bringing the attention,
The awareness to the heart area,
Noticing how it feels,
Noticing if there's any sense of warmth,
If the sense of care and love for this person or pet is sensed in this area or anywhere else in the body.
Perhaps it may help to bring a specific memory to mind with this being.
And as you hold this being in mind and heart,
We will silently repeat these phrases.
As you send these phrases to them,
These wishes to them,
May you be happy.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be healthy.
May you be at ease.
Really allowing these phrases to be sent to this loved one.
We will silently repeat them for a couple moments.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be healthy.
May you be at ease.
Now,
As we hold this sense of warmth and love for this person or pet,
Can we bring this same feeling and sensation of care and love to ourselves?
So silently repeating these phrases.
May I be happy.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be healthy.
May I be at ease.
May I be happy.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be healthy.
May I be at ease.
Now,
Bringing these wishes to all beings.
Silently repeating.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be at ease.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be at ease.
And allowing these wishes to really settle in the heart.
Allowing this sense of care,
Of goodwill,
To permeate your heart and your body.
Thank you.
