Welcome to this loving-kindness meditation.
Begin by settling into stillness,
Letting your body soften into the support beneath you.
Allow your breath to arrive in its own time,
Not rushed,
Just present.
Take a slow inhale and a soft,
Steady exhale.
You may wish to gently place a hand over your heart and one in your belly,
Just to say,
I'm here.
With this meditation we are tuning into the truth that compassion already lives within us.
Sometimes buried,
Other times blooming,
But always there.
Let's begin with self.
Visualise yourself as you are in this moment.
You may see an image of yourself,
Or you may just sense your presence.
The you who has known joy,
Pain,
Beauty,
Confusion.
The you who has always kept going.
Hold yourself in your own awareness,
Like you would hold a sleeping child,
With tenderness and non-demanding love.
And now repeat gently,
Inwardly.
I live with ease.
Let the words fall like petals.
If they feel distant or uncomfortable,
That's okay.
This is a planting.
You may wish to whisper,
I am learning to care for myself.
Now bring to mind someone you love.
Someone easy to love.
It could be a family member,
A friend,
Or even a cherished pet.
Visualise them clearly,
Or a sense of their presence near you.
Seeing them happy,
Well and peaceful.
And repeat these phrases for them.
May you be safe.
May you be surrounded by love.
May you be free from pain.
May you live with ease.
Feel the warmth of your care flowing toward them,
Like a gentle light.
Notice how this warmth feels in your own body.
Now bring to mind someone neutral.
Perhaps a person you see in daily life but don't know well.
A neighbour,
A delivery driver,
A shop assistant.
Let their humanity land in your awareness.
Just like you,
They have joys and struggles.
And repeat,
May you be safe.
May you feel connected.
May you find peace in your life.
May you be well.
Let compassion extend without needing a reason,
No story,
Just shared humanness.
Now only if it feels safe and right for you,
Bring to mind someone you find difficult or challenging.
Someone you've struggled with.
This part of the practice is not about condoning or forgetting.
It's about freeing your heart from the tightness of resentment.
Picture them in your mind's eye.
Noticing whatever feelings arise.
And offer these words.
May you be safe.
May you be free from the pain that causes harm.
May you know peace.
May you grow in compassion.
If this is hard,
That's okay.
You can add to the extent I'm able to do.
Kindness for ourself also includes kindness that recognizes our limits.
Now gently allow the boundaries to dissolve.
Let your feelings of warmth and compassion ripple outward beyond your body,
Beyond your room,
To your neighbors,
Community,
Country,
The world.
Those in war zones,
In grief,
In celebration,
To the animals,
The trees and oceans and skies,
To all beings everywhere.
Be offer these words.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be loved.
May all beings live with ease.
And whisper to yourself once more,
May I be one of them.
Now returning to your own breath,
To your body held by the earth.
Feel what arises from the warmth of caring.
Notice how the heart feels now,
Whether open or tender or neutral,
It is enough.
Taking a soft breath in and a long breath out.
And recognizing you have just offered yourself and the world a gift that travels farther than you'll ever know.
And when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes.
