Hi everyone.
So often it is hard to keep our hearts open and loving to others and even to ourselves.
This is a gentle loving kindness meditation to help with that.
To find a comfortable position,
You can lay down or take a seated meditation position.
Just feel where your body makes contact with the floor.
You may wish to close your eyes or simply let them go out of focus.
Take a moment and notice your breath.
You do not need to change your breath in any way.
Just simply notice it.
Now I would like you to focus on your heartbeat.
You may wish to place a hand over your heart.
Just breathe into your heart and notice how it feels.
I'd like you to picture a person or an animal that you love unconditionally.
Imagine how it is to see them smile or to stroke their fur.
Notice how your heart feels more open,
Expanded and relaxed.
You may even feel a smile playing at your lips when you think of them.
I want you to say these words to them.
May you be content,
Joyful and well.
May you feel serene,
Peaceful and calm.
May you feel sheltered,
Valued and loved.
Now I want you to try and send that love and unconditional acceptance to yourself.
If you feel your heart close a bit,
Try bringing back the first image of the person or animal that you love so much.
And then try to bring that love and acceptance back to yourself again.
Often it is ourselves that we love conditionally,
So it is important to try and give this gentle love to ourselves.
If your heart closes again,
It's okay.
Just be aware of when your heart feels open or closed.
When we can bring awareness,
We can bring change.
Now say the words to yourself.
May I be content,
Joyful and well.
May I feel serene,
Peaceful and calm.
May I feel sheltered,
Valued and loved.
Now I want you to try and expand this to a neutral person.
Someone you have really no feelings about.
It could be a person you saw walking their dog this morning,
Or a bus driver,
Or a cashier at a shop.
Now say the words to them.
May you be content,
Joyful and well.
May you feel serene,
Peaceful and calm.
May you feel sheltered,
Valued and loved.
Now I want you to try and expand the feeling of unconditional love and acceptance to someone that has been more difficult to love.
Do not pick someone really difficult.
Just someone that sometimes maybe you like,
And maybe sometimes they get under your skin.
Try to see them for the person that they are.
Just a person that struggles like you.
That wants to be loved and accepted like you.
Now say the words to them.
May you be content,
Joyful and well.
May you feel serene,
Peaceful and calm.
May you feel sheltered,
Valued and loved.
Now I want you to focus on your heart.
Imagine that it's glowing,
There's a beautiful warmth emanating from it.
It expands and grows to fill your whole chest.
It expands further and it fills your whole body.
Imagine the beautiful light and warmth emanating from your loving,
Kind heart.
Pushing out further.
Filling the entire room.
And growing outside the room.
Maybe to the street outside.
And that others can feel your love and light as you send out loving kindness to everyone in the world.
Feel how good it is to love.
How powerful it is.
That it can change the world.
Now slowly bring your attention back to your breath,
To your heartbeat.
Slowly bring your attention back to the room.
The temperature of the air on your skin.
Any sounds that you may hear.
You can wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and open your eyes if you haven't already.
I'm sending you love and light.
Namaste.
