So hello and welcome to this loving kindness practice.
In this practice I will be offering traditional phrases as well as some alternate phrases.
What I suggest is choosing three to five that feel really good for you in your heart today.
The phrases do remain applicable to everyone.
We want to use phrases that are universal,
But feel free to further customize the phrasing into your own words,
Into phrases that feel right for you,
Ones that meet the needs of your own heart.
I would simply advise keeping them short so they can be easily remembered.
So let's practice together.
If it's safe where you are and comfortable for you,
I invite you to gently close your eyes.
And if that's not comfortable for you or if it's not safe for any reason,
You can simply lower your gaze and allow the eyes to soften and relax and go gently out of focus.
And let's begin by taking a long slow deep breath in through the nose and out through the nose.
So just beginning to allow yourself to soften and let go of tightness and constriction.
Because it's often difficult to extend loving wishes to ourselves,
Let's begin by offering loving kindness to someone that is very easy for you to love.
So this might be your child,
It could be a parent,
A partner,
A spouse,
A good friend,
A mentor.
I usually begin my own loving kindness practices by sending loving wishes to my dogs.
So you can begin with a pet if that's easier and it often is because the relationship is so pure and uncomplicated.
So just allow the image of this being to become clear to you.
You can imagine them nearby,
Perhaps sitting across from you as you gaze at them lovingly,
If you find it helpful.
Or you can simply connect with the feelings of love that flows so freely and easily from your heart to this being.
There's no wrong way to do this,
Do whatever feels right for you.
And when you feel ready,
Begin extending the phrases of loving kindness toward this being.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be loved and know that you are loved.
May you be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be loved and know that you are loved.
May you be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
And so if at any time you find that you've become distracted,
That the mind has wandered,
Simply bring this being to mind and heart and begin again.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy.
May you live with ease.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be loved and know that you are loved.
May you be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
And now I invite you to allow your own inner brilliance and goodness to come to mind,
Knowing that you deserve these loving wishes just as much as the being you just sent them to.
So it can be helpful to consider a time when you've been very generous or kind or compassionate to another.
Or you might try envisioning yourself as a small child and offering the phrases to the young,
Innocent,
Vulnerable,
Little you within.
All children deserve love,
Kindness,
Compassion,
And care,
And that includes your inner child.
And so when you're ready,
Begin to offer the same loving wishes to yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer danger.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
May I be loved and know that I am loved.
May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
And just continue repeating the phrases silently to yourself over and over.
And keep in mind that it's okay if they feel mechanical or insincere.
Just do the best you can.
I promise you it's working even if it doesn't feel like it.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer danger.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
May I be loved and know that I am loved.
May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer danger.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
May I be loved and know that I am loved.
May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be happy.
May I live with ease.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer danger.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
May I be loved and know that I am loved.
May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
So now I invite you to take a slightly deeper breath if you'd like.
Just taking a moment to let the effects of the practice sink in and settle deeply into your heart.
And you can open your eyes or raise your gaze when it feels comfortable for you.
Thank you so much for meditating with me and I hope you have a really wonderful day or evening wherever you are.
