Mindfulness & Loving Kindness
by Shalyni Paul
This meditation invites one to cultivate mindfulness and loving kindness towards oneself and others.
Transcript
Namaste.
Welcome to this mindfulness and loving kindness meditation.
Let's begin our practice by getting into a comfortable seated position.
Gently close your eyes or you may keep a soft gaze.
You may have your hands on your knees,
Either palms up or down.
Keep your spine tall like a tree rising up to the sky.
Feel into the groundedness of your seat.
Let's take a nice cleansing breath in together now.
Breathing in slowly and exhaling slowly.
Let's do that one more time.
Breathing in slowly and exhaling slowly.
As we go through this practice today,
Thoughts may arise and that's okay.
Just simply witness those thoughts as if they're like clouds in the sky.
They are simply coming and going.
There is nothing to think about.
There is nothing to do.
There is just simply breathing happening now.
Take notice of any tension or constriction that is happening in your body right now.
Breathe in relaxation to those areas of your body.
Allow your head to relax.
Allow your neck to relax.
Allow your shoulders to relax.
Allow your arms to relax.
Allow your hands to relax.
Allow your chest to relax.
Allow your stomach to relax.
Allow your thighs to relax.
Allow your legs to relax.
Allow your feet to relax.
To help us get even more anchored into this present moment,
I'd like for us to count each inhale and count each exhale.
We will quietly count up to the number 10.
Breathing in 1 and breathing out 1.
Breathing in 2 and breathing out 2.
Breathing in 3 and breathing out 3.
Breathing in 4 and breathing out 4.
Breathing in 5 and breathing out 5.
Breathing in 6 and breathing out 6.
Breathing in 7 and breathing out 7.
Breathing in 8 and breathing out 8.
Breathing in 9 and breathing out 9.
Breathing in 10 and breathing out 10.
As we continue forward,
Observe each inhale and exhale.
You are more than welcome to continue counting on your own.
Continue to let go to this present moment.
Breathe in full acceptance of the now.
Don't try to change anything at all.
Just keep breathing.
Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is.
Allow yourself to be exactly as you are.
As each inhale comes and as each exhale goes,
Keep your mind open and free just for this moment.
Allow yourself to dwell in your stillness.
Let this present moment naturally unfold without adding any thought.
Just be with what is.
Again,
If any thoughts arise,
Always come back to your breathing.
Now that we are fully relaxed into this moment,
I'd like to invite you to give yourself loving kindness.
Throughout our lives,
There's this tendency to take care of other people's needs and we tend to forget about our own self-care,
Expressing a loving word to ourselves.
So in this moment,
Let's bring loving kindness to ourselves.
We will do this by expressing kind and loving words.
You are welcome to use phrases that have meaning to you or you may say the following phrases silently to yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
If you get distracted,
That's okay.
Just come back to your breathing and come back to these words of loving kindness.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
Continue on in the next few moments of silence.
Now I'd like to bring your attention to a beloved person.
This is someone who you naturally feel loving kindness towards already.
Imagine that this person is sitting right next to you.
They're sitting on the right side of you.
Extend the same words of loving kindness to them.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Again if your mind drips,
Just come back to the image of your beloved person sitting right next to you.
Come back to your breathing.
Come back to the words of loving kindness.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
As you keep repeating these phrases,
Feel the expansion of loving kindness growing within you.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Let's transition into extending loving kindness to a benefactor or a mentor.
This person may be someone of great spiritual significance to you or of great inspiration or this is someone who has been there for you in a great moment of need.
Imagine that this mentor is sitting on the left side of you now.
Bring forth loving kindness to them using the same phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Visualize any feelings that may arise within you.
Any feelings that you may have for this great mentor.
Reflect on how they have been a positive influence in your life.
Again repeat the phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Your mind wanders.
It's okay.
Just start again.
Coming back to your breath.
Coming back to visualizing your mentor.
Coming back to phrases of loving kindness.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
The individuals that you called into this practice are made up of the same elements.
Same elements that are also within you.
Just like you suffer from time to time.
They suffer from time to time.
People of this world suffer from time to time.
And we are all deserving of a life filled with ease,
Happiness,
Safety,
And good health.
May everyone be happy.
May everyone be safe.
May everyone be healthy.
May everyone live with ease.
As we near the end of this meditation,
I welcome you to reflect on how you felt in extending loving kindness.
How it felt to be fully anchored in the now with your breath.
See how you can bring forth loving kindness into your daily life.
At any moment of your day,
You can extend these words of loving kindness and feel the groundedness of each moment by observing your breath.
Let's seal in today's practice by chanting Aum three times.
Aum.
Aum.
Aum.
Aum.
Bring your awareness slowly back to this room.
The smells,
The sounds.
Come back to your normal breathing pattern.
At the sound of the bell,
You may open your eyes.
Loka samasta sukinu bhavantu.
May all beings be filled with love and light.
Namaste.
4.6 (117)
Recent Reviews
Martin
November 5, 2022
You are amazing, Shalyni. Can you please post another meditation. Namaste. Update 6 Nov 22 - looking forward to your new goodness.
Nick
March 5, 2019
Wonderful thank you🙏
Peter
September 1, 2018
Just what I needed this morning, as I continue to move through the fallout of a very challenging and complex romantic relationship—this meditation brought me back to center and is helping me start my day realigned. Thank you for this wonderful gift.
Chris
August 15, 2018
This was at a devastating time for me. Truly excellent and helped me feel there could be a future for me. Thank you.
Siren
June 2, 2018
Thanks for great medition
Emilse
May 20, 2018
Beautiful meditation ❤!
Christine
May 18, 2018
Perfectly beautiful 💜
Chamikera
May 14, 2018
Thanks for a great guidance through both mindfulness and loving kindness meditation
Mary
May 13, 2018
Thank you for that meditation of love and kindness. It is certainly what the world needs more of.
Alle
May 13, 2018
1 of the greatest loving kindness meditations I have yet 2 engage in
Deborah
May 13, 2018
Just right pace, gentle and soft.
Bobby
May 13, 2018
A very active and centering meditation. Grateful to come across this to send safety, happiness, health and ease to people.
Joshua
May 13, 2018
Exactly what I needed