Welcome to this meditation cultivating loving-kindness.
I feel that we have this inner power under the disguise of loving-kindness.
It can change any situation.
Have you ever been in a grocery store and there's some people lying behind you who are impatient and you've let them go ahead of you?
You create a deep sense of peace just by being nice.
Tapping in to that infinite source of loving-kindness and the more that you practice it,
The more that you have to give.
It is like creating inner alchemy.
So let's get started to cultivate our own inner alchemy.
We'll start by just finding comfort in your position and just feel the whole body relax.
You can either sit up or lie down.
Gently close your eyes and invite the breath to anchor you into this moment.
Anything that feels tight or unwanted in the physical body,
Breathe into it and melt it out with an audible sigh.
And then just notice if there's some mental tension occupying space and invite that to also melt out on your next exhalation.
And with each out breath,
Just notice how the body is relaxing and letting go.
And begin to scan your body from the crown all the way down to the tips of your toes and notice whatever you notice without judgment.
And each time that you notice that there is tension,
Just take a deep breath into that area,
Relaxing the head,
The face muscles,
The shoulders,
The arm,
The abdomen,
The top of the back,
The middle of the back,
The lower back,
The buttocks,
The hips,
The thighs,
The knees.
Notice the whole body relax.
Just scan through the body one last time and just know if there's any place you want to relax.
You could let go a little bit more.
Softening with your breath and shifting your awareness into the center of your heart.
Imagine there's a sphere of light in the center of your heart and more warmth.
You feel this illumination growing in this sphere and this is your natural capacity for love and kindness that's always within you.
If you feel to,
You can place one or both hands on your heart and feel its gentle rhythm,
Either silently or out loud.
Invite these words to echo.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
May I live with ease.
Now I invite you to extend this loving kindness to any neutral person as you bring your awareness to someone you've encountered regularly but you don't really know.
Maybe a neighbor or a shopkeeper,
Someone you pass in your day-to-day.
As they too have hopes and fears and joy and sorrow,
This helps the practice and cultivation of loving kindness.
See them in your heart and say,
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe and breathe that in and notice how your heart expands to include them.
Now I invite you to think of somebody who's more challenging,
A difficult person.
Now if you're not ready for this,
Then go back to giving loving kindness to yourself or someone you love.
Imagine them in your mind's eye and feel them in your heart as they too have pain and seek happiness.
Repeat after me.
May you be happy.
And may you live with ease.
And just notice how that felt.
Now I invite you to expand your kindness out into the universe,
To include all beings everywhere,
In your community,
Country,
The entire planet and beyond.
All humans,
Animals,
And living beings.
Imagine the golden light from your heart radiating out in all directions,
Touching everything in its path.
Repeating after me and feel these words rippling out on that golden light to all beings.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings live with ease.
And just breathe that into your heart.
Noticing the shifts of how you felt upon first starting this exploration of loving kindness.
And before we close this meditation,
I invite you to choose anyone in the world to extend this loving kindness to.
Bringing that person in your heart or your mind's eye.
And if you cannot think of anybody,
It could be a pet or it could be yourself again.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings live with ease.
May the power of loving kindness infuse in your words,
Actions,
And speech.
Today and every day you move forward in life as you become a beacon of loving kindness.
And light in this world.
Thank you for joining me.
Namaste.
