Metta,
Loving kindness meditation.
Find a comfortable and alert position in which to sit.
As you allow your eyes to gently close,
Pay attention to the body and see if there are any minor adjustments that will help you maintain the position for the duration of the meditation.
Rest your hands comfortably on your legs or in your lap.
We'll start with a few minutes of concentration practice to try and help our minds settle and arrive in our present time experience.
Allow your breathing to be natural,
Seeing where in the body you can feel the breath most naturally.
It may be in the stomach where you can feel the rising and falling as the body breathes.
It may be in the chest where you notice the expansion and contraction as the body inhales and exhales.
Or perhaps it's the nose where you can feel a slight tickle as the air comes in and the subtle warmth as the air goes out.
Breathing in,
Bring a gentle awareness to the breath.
Breathing out,
Be aware of the breath leaving the body.
Breathing in,
Be aware of the breath leaving the body.
You may notice the mind wandering from time to time.
This offers us an opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and concentration.
Each time we notice the mind wandering,
We're strengthening our ability to recognize our present experience.
Each time we bring the mind back to the breath,
We strengthen our ability to concentrate,
Treat it as an opportunity rather than a problem.
WähŽ Now,
Begin by offering meta,
Loving kindness to yourself.
Breathe gently and repeat silently to yourself the following phrases,
Or any phrases of your choosing that communicate a kind and friendly intention.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease and well-being.
Repeat these phrases silently to yourself,
Perhaps picturing yourself receiving them.
If that's difficult,
It can sometimes be helpful to picture ourselves as a child receiving this love.
Things contrary to loving kindness,
Like irritation,
Anger,
Or doubt,
May come up for you.
If this happens,
Be patient with yourself,
Allowing whatever arises to be received in a spirit of kindness,
And then simply return to the phrases.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease and well-being.
May I live with kindness.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease and well-being.
May I live with kindness.
May I live with kindness.
And if your mind wanders,
Simply bring your attention back to the breath and begin again repeating the phrases silently.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease and well-being.
Now,
Bring to mind someone who has benefited you or been especially kind.
This may be a loved one,
A friend,
A teacher.
As this person comes to mind,
Tune into your natural desire to see this person happy,
Free from suffering,
And at ease with life.
Begin to offer this person the same phrases of loving kindness and care.
May you feel safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease and well-being.
With this person in mind,
Continue repeating these phrases silently to yourself.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease and well-being.
May you be happy.
May you be happy.
May you be happy.
Letting this person go,
Bring to mind a neutral person.
This is someone you've seen,
Maybe regularly,
But don't know very well.
It may be somebody who works somewhere you go a lot,
A coworker,
A person you've seen at meetings,
Or the grocery store,
Or perhaps a neighbor.
Although you don't know this person well,
You can recognize that just as you wish to be happy,
This person wants to be happy as well.
You don't need to know what their happiness looks like.
Simply offer this person the phrases of loving kindness.
May you feel safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease and well-being.
May you be happy.
Now,
Letting this neutral person go,
Think of somebody whom you find difficult or toward whom you feel resentment,
Hurt,
Or jealousy.
You may not want to pick the most difficult person in your life.
Instead,
Choose someone who is currently agitating or annoying you.
Silently,
Begin offering these phrases of loving kindness to this person,
Being aware that just as you wish to be happy and free from harm,
So do even the most difficult or troublesome people.
May you feel safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease and well-being.
May you be happy.
May you be happy.
May you feel safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease and well-being.
Letting this difficult person go,
Try and expand your well-wishes as wide as you can imagine,
Expanding your well-wishes to your family and chosen family,
To your friends,
To your communities,
Expanding to your neighborhood,
To your city,
Expanding all across the country,
And then to all beings on earth.
See if you can notice the immense depth of your own heart as you offer these phrases of loving kindness to all beings everywhere.
May all beings feel safe.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be healthy.
And may all beings live with ease and well-being.
May all beings feel safe.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be healthy.
And may all beings live with ease and well-being.
May all beings be healthy.
Now letting go of all thoughts of others,
Return your focus to your own body,
Mind,
And heart.
Notice if there's any discomfort,
Tension,
Or difficulty you're experiencing.
Notice if you're experiencing any new lightness,
Warmth,
Relaxation,
Or joy.
Then whenever you're ready,
Allow your eyes to open and gently return your attention to the space around you.
