Hello and welcome to this loving kindness,
Metta meditation practice.
So please go ahead and find your comfortable seat.
We'll be here for a few moments.
So find a space that is quiet and comfortable,
And a position that you can sit in for 10,
15,
Maybe even 20 minutes.
So once you've found that comfortable spot,
Just let the eyes flutter closed,
Place the hands palm down on the thighs.
Feel the sit bones on the chair or the earth rooting down through the sit bones through the legs and stacking one vertebra upon the next,
Long through the back of the neck,
Tall through the crown of the head.
Relax the jaw,
Bringing your attention to the breath,
Washing in and washing out this easeful breath.
Feeling the expansiveness of the front,
The sides,
And the back of the heart on the inhale,
This easy contraction on the exhale.
Letting the aperture of the ears open,
Allowing any sounds to arise,
Not necessarily labeling them as good or bad,
But just allowing them to be there,
Part of the music of your life.
And so in metta practice and loving kindness practice,
We begin to cultivate love for ourself and for others,
So that we can live in equanimity and love.
So in your mind,
Repeat the phrases after me.
May I be happy?
May I be healthy?
May I be free from suffering?
And allow that to really sink in,
Allow your body to feel that well wishing for yourself.
May I be happy?
May I be healthy?
May I be free from suffering?
Like a warm rain melting across the skin,
Filling you up.
May I be happy?
May I be healthy?
May I be free from suffering?
Really allow these well wishes to permeate through your body,
To fill your heart.
May I be happy?
May I be healthy?
May I be free from suffering?
And then bring to mind someone who is easy to love,
Someone who just makes you smile when you think of them.
And imagine them sitting in front of you,
Looking into your eyes with just the sweetest,
Sweetest smile.
And for them too,
We wish these wishes of well being.
So repeat in your mind after me as you look into their eyes.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
Notice the smile on their faces as they receive your words.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
And again,
Just surrounding them in white light.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
And then bring to mind someone who is neutral.
Maybe it's someone who works at the grocery store,
Or a clerk at one of the stores,
Or someone you've passed by on the street,
Someone that you don't necessarily personally know.
Just choose one.
Choose the face of one person who you've passed.
And for this person too,
We wish well,
We wish them to be well.
So imagine them moving through their day.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
The silent wish for them may radiate out into their life.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
Notice how that pours out into the lives around them.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
Now we bring to mind someone that is more difficult to love,
Someone that's a bit more challenging.
It could be a political figure,
Or a family member,
Or someone in society that triggers you.
Yeah.
So we too bring this person to mind.
Now we leave no beings out,
Right?
So we include them too.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
And notice if you feel any tension or resistance in the body and let it go.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
I'm genuinely seeing this person happy too.
May you be happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be free from suffering?
Now we'll bring to mind all beings,
All beings everywhere,
Four-legged,
Two-legged,
No-legged,
All beings,
The trees,
The water,
The earth,
The animals,
The people.
May we be happy?
May we be healthy?
May we be free from suffering?
And we wish it for all beings everywhere,
For their health and well-being.
May we be happy?
May we be healthy?
May we be free from suffering?
May we be happy?
May we be healthy?
May we be free from suffering?
Placing your hands over your heart,
Just allowing this love to permeate,
To radiate out.
And I invite you to stay here in this feeling of bliss for as long as you'd like.
Or if you're ready to begin again,
Start pouring this out in the ways that you do.
Thank you.
