This is Paige Heenan with a compassion and loving kindness meditation.
As part of this session I'm going to ask you to recall three people in your life,
A friend,
A neutral acquaintance and a person with whom you've had some difficulties.
As we begin to get settled you should choose which people you'll put your attention on.
When you have warm feelings for someone you feel neutral about and someone with whom you feel difficult emotions,
It's often challenging for people to be compassionate and direct loving kindness toward themselves so this is where we'll start.
We'll start by directing love to the self and then move outward in our field of relationships,
Expanding our sphere of love and compassion.
So let's go ahead and sit comfortably.
You can sit in a chair,
On the floor,
On a cushion,
But sit comfortably both literally physically in your body with your spine upright,
Your jaw relaxed,
Your face,
Your shoulders relaxed,
Sink down into your seat,
Nothing too tense as much as you can,
Be at ease in your mind and body,
Not trying to force anything special to happen,
Just relaxing,
Being at ease and if you can close your eyes.
Let the body settle.
Notice the natural state of your body,
The natural state of your breath,
Not judging or changing anything,
Just noticing,
Allowing everything to be as it is.
Now picture yourself as though you're looking at yourself from an outside perspective.
Picture the form of your body and see your face clearly and as you see yourself start to direct some loving attention towards yourself.
We'll start by saying silently to ourselves,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy,
May I be free from pain,
May I live my life with ease.
Just letting the phrases come,
Not trying to make anything happen,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy,
May I be free from pain,
May I live my life with ease,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy,
May I be free from pain,
May I live my life with ease.
Now expand your breath and awareness to someone who's very close to you,
Someone who loves you,
Someone who cares for you,
Whether that person is still here or has gone out of your life,
Picture their face clearly.
Look into their eyes.
Imagine they're sitting with you right now,
Looking at you,
Sending love to you.
And imagine this person sending that same positive wish towards you.
Imagine they are saying to you,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
Now we'll direct that same intention of loving kindness back towards that person.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
Now picture an acquaintance in your life.
Someone who you know but you don't have a very deep relationship with,
A colleague at work,
A neighbor,
Someone that you've just met or someone that you see occasionally that you don't know very well.
Remember that person,
The outline of that person,
See their face clearly.
Remember that all beings everywhere just want to be happy and so does this person.
So we wish for this person the love,
Freedom,
Happiness,
Joy,
Health and well-being that we wish for ourselves.
And in our mind we repeat that same simple phrase,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be free from pain,
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your life with ease.
Now picture someone in your life that you've had some difficulty with.
Someone you've had an argument or disagreement with.
Someone you find irritating or annoying.
Picture their face.
And send them some compassion.
Not saying that we're excusing any behavior or feel anything different than what we truly feel.
But recognizing the feeling of oneness in our desires.
That all beings everywhere want to be happy and so does this person.
So visualize yourself with this person.
Put yourself at an equal footing with them.
And in your mind repeat the simple wish,
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your life with ease.
Now expanding ourselves just a little bit further.
Going out from the people that we know.
And expanding to all beings.
All beings everywhere without distinction,
Without exclusion.
Truly every living being will direct that same simple wish in our minds.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your life with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your lives with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your lives with ease.
Just sitting and letting that settle.
And maybe identifying an area in your life.
It could be some relationship,
Whether it's yourself,
With another,
With a group.
Somewhere that you have felt a strain.
See if you can direct that phrase towards that part of your life or that relationship.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from pain.
May you live your life with ease.
Sit quietly and feel that intention.
As you feel nourished by that intention,
Just start to let go of the intention.
Bringing your attention back to your body.
Let's take some time and let everything settle.
You may start to shift your body,
Feel comfortable,
Maybe add a little movement.
And in your own time,
Whenever you feel ready,
You can slowly open your eyes and return back into your day.
