Welcome to the practice of Metta,
Loving kindness meditation.
Take a few moments to find your preferred meditation posture.
Settle into your seat,
Your reclining or standing position.
Feel the sensations in your body,
Relaxing any areas of tension that you may find,
And then spending a moment connecting with your breath.
Perhaps place your hands on your belly or on your chest or both.
Begin to breathe in and out through the nose as comfortably and fully as you can,
Noticing where the breath goes and how it feels.
And surrendering those tensions once more,
Relax your jaw,
Your neck and your shoulders.
Soften your belly.
And if you'd like,
And when you're ready,
Maybe move your hands into your lap to rest on your knees or wherever is most comfortable for you.
We begin this practice offering the Metta phrases towards ourself,
Saying aloud or silently,
May I feel love,
May I know peace,
May I be joyful.
Continuing with deep breaths,
May I feel love.
May I know peace.
May I be joyful.
What do these offerings bring up for you?
How do you imagine yourself fully embodying a sense of love,
Peace and joy?
For another few breaths,
Continue to offer the phrases to yourself.
May I feel love,
May I know peace,
May I be joyful.
When you're ready,
We'll shift our focus,
Turning our attention and the offering of the Metta phrases to someone close to you.
Bring that person into your mind's eye and add their name as you offer the phrases.
May they feel love.
May they know peace.
May they be joyful.
What comes up for you as you imagine this special person receiving the gift of love,
Peace and joy?
How does it make them feel?
How does it make you feel?
May they feel love.
May they know peace.
May they be joyful.
When you're ready,
Imagine widening the circle as you offer the phrases to those around you and in your life who are acquaintances,
Friends,
Perhaps even those that you have seen drawing from deep within you and beginning to acknowledge a desire that all beings experience these gifts of love,
Peace and joy.
Imagine yourself surrounded by these faces and offer the phrases.
May they feel love.
May they know peace.
May they be joyful.
As you repeat the phrases silently or aloud,
Imagine that the phrases come forth from you like a light.
And as those faces surround you,
Your light is cast upon them and they are touched.
How does it make them feel?
How does it make you feel?
May they feel love.
May they know peace.
May they be joyful.
When you're ready,
If you're ready in this practice,
We have an opportunity to draw the circle even wider.
As we acknowledge the interconnectedness,
The interdependence of all living beings,
We realize that ultimately every living thing,
Including those people who have harmed us,
Who have caused us pain,
With whom we disagree,
Those people that we have never met and will never meet,
We are all part of the same human family.
If this acknowledgement is too difficult for you right now,
Keep your circle right where it is.
When you're ready,
Whenever that may be,
Perhaps consider drawing your circle even wider,
Beginning to realize that in that circle of faces surrounding you,
There are all sorts of people.
You realize that the entire earth surrounds you and is part of you.
And to whatever degree your practice allows in this moment,
Offer the phrases,
May all feel love.
May all know peace.
May all be joyful.
What does it mean for you to truly offer well-being,
Loving,
Kindness to all of creation?
It may not be easy.
Sit with that feeling.
It is okay.
May all feel love.
May all know peace.
May all be joyful.
May all feel love.
May all know peace.
May all be joyful.
When you're ready,
Bring the phrases to a close in your mind.
And simply sit with the sensations in your mind,
Your body,
And in your heart after this practice of loving kindness.
Gently place your hands on your belly.
Take a deep breath in through the nose.
And exhale through the mouth,
Sighing and releasing tensions,
Stress.
Let's take one more breath like that together.
Inhale through the nose.
Exhale a big sigh.
Release the breath.
And then a neutral breath in through the nose,
Bring your palms together to touch at your heart.
Exhale through the nose,
A gentle exhale.
As the wind carries our prayers for earth and all life,
May respect and love light our way.
May our hearts be filled with compassion for others and for ourselves.
May peace increase on earth.
And may it begin with me.
Thank you for your practice.
