Loving kindness or meta meditation.
Find a stable and comfortable position and sit in a way that feels as if you're honoring yourself and the practice.
Allow your hands to just rest naturally in your lap.
Gently close your eyes and then just as you have done with the body scan or the breath meditation,
Use your out-breath to allow yourself to just let go of any physical and emotional tension that you might be holding on to.
And once you feel settled,
Gently bring your awareness to the present and notice how you're feeling in your heart and see if you can use your breath to really soften into this place.
Even imagining that you're breathing in and out of this place.
And we'll use the concept of the inner smile.
So allow yourself to just gently lift the corners of your lips,
Allowing your face to soften and lift the corners of your eyes and then just see if you can imagine the corners of your heart and lift these as well.
And this is the inner smile.
And just resting in this sense of ease,
Use your breath as an anchor.
And if any thoughts come into your awareness,
Just gently let them go and come back to your breath.
Now bring to mind yourself and visualize yourself and how you are in this moment.
And in your mind,
Say to yourself,
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May my heart be open and filled with lovingkind.
And may I enjoy true peace in my life.
And stay with your breath and just direct this breath into your heart,
Into your smiling heart.
And fill your heart with lovingkindness on the in-breath.
And send lovingkindness to every part of your being on the out-breath.
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Now bring to mind someone you love.
It might be a friend or a family member.
It might be someone living or dead.
Just choose the first person that comes to mind and see if you can really feel the love that you hold for this person.
And visualize them as if they were sitting or standing in front of you.
And then in your mind,
Say to this person,
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May your heart be open and filled with lovingkindness.
And may you enjoy true peace in your life.
And staying with your breath,
Fill your smiling heart with lovingkindness on the in-breath.
And on the out-breath,
Send lovingkindness to every part of the person you love's being.
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Now bring to mind a stranger or a neutral person.
It might be someone in your street you see but don't know.
Or a shopkeeper.
Or just someone in your community.
Just choose the first person that comes to mind and then reflect on the contact that you've had with this person.
And visualize them as if they were sitting or standing in front of you.
And in your mind,
Say to this person,
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May your heart be open and filled with lovingkindness.
May you enjoy true peace in your life.
And once again,
With your breath,
Fill your heart with lovingkindness on the in-breath.
And send lovingkindness to every part of that person's being on the out-breath.
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Now bring to mind someone with whom you have difficulty.
It might be someone living or dead.
Perhaps someone who has hurt you or who has disappointed you or with whom you struggle.
Just choose the first person that comes to mind and visualize them as if they were sitting or standing in front of you.
And feel any unpleasant feelings that might arise when you bring this person to mind.
Then in your mind,
Say to this person,
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May your heart be open and filled with lovingkindness.
And may you enjoy true peace in your life.
And staying with your breath awareness,
Once again direct your breath towards your heart and fill your heart with lovingkindness on the in-breath.
And send lovingkindness to every part of this person's being on the out-breath.
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And now let your feelings of lovingkindness spread from your heart to all beings and to all of life,
Saying to yourself,
May all beings be well.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings have open hearts and may their hearts be filled with lovingkindness.
And may all beings enjoy true peace in this life.
And fill your smiling heart with lovingkindness on the in-breath.
And send lovingkindness to every part of all beings on the out-breath.
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And just rest in this feeling of lovingkindness as it spreads to all beings and to all of life.
And before you open your eyes,
You might just like to rest your hands where you feel like your smiling heart is,
Either in prayer position or just gently resting your hands in that place.
And just acknowledge that you've been in meditation and acknowledge the experience of being with lovingkindness.
And when you're ready,
Just gently open your eyes.
