Loving kindness invites us to embrace the full,
Complicated,
And complex human experience through the practice of caring.
Ruth King once shared that the practice of loving kindness creates a lightness in the mind by inviting both mind and body to rest in the heart of kindness.
It calms the parts of ourselves that feel shaky when we're learning to embrace the truth of how things are and that it reminds us of our innate capacity to love and care.
Begin by finding a comfortable posture.
You can choose to close your eyes or cast your gaze downward.
I invite you to turn your attention inward to the spine and soften.
Imagine slowly moving through the body,
Your head to the tip of your toes.
To soften in the body is actually an offering of self-love,
Often from the head,
The facial muscles,
Perhaps even softening the muscles,
Throat area by taking a swallow.
Connecting to the breath as you continue to move slowly through the body,
Shoulders,
And fingers.
Feeling the aliveness in the palm of your hand,
Fingertips.
Take a moment to bring your awareness to your chest.
Notice the aliveness inside the torso,
Muscle here as much as possible,
A sense of openness,
Even spaciousness in this region.
Slowly guiding your awareness through the pelvic region,
Hiding softness here.
Next,
Feeling the weight of the legs and the aliveness inside the legs.
Bringing a kind awareness to the entire body as it connects with the earth,
The entire body to breathe and expand.
Taking your time now,
Savor this moment,
Time of easing into presence,
Into this moment,
Into this,
Into this stillness.
This is loving kindness.
Pausing,
Dropping your awareness into the body,
Taking the time to feel your aliveness.
As you continue,
Settle and soften.
Silently offer the following phrases to yourself.
Consider these as from your mind,
The joy of peace and love.
Be free of greed,
Hatred.
Be free of attachment,
Confusion.
Be free of the problems that arise from the distractions of the mind,
Fears.
Breathing in ease,
Breathing out ease.
Take a moment to notice how it feels in your body.
Offer the energy of love to yourself.
Take a couple more breaths here to sit and to savor this moment,
Resting in stillness.
Feeling the sense of ease and stability.
Bring to mind someone you're habitually critical of,
Disappointed by.
For this practice,
I suggest starting with someone where there is mild irritation,
The person who has hurt you most in your life.
Serve this person at a safe distance in your mind.
Your ignorance and innocence,
They too just want to be happy.
Mistakes.
See if you can extend the energy of this towards them.
Imagine the many ways they have been challenged just like you.
To send loving kindness doesn't mean that we approve or condone.
It means that we can see clearly actions that are incorrect,
Skillful,
And still not lose the connection.
Looking through the eyes of your heart now.
Breathing in ease,
Breathing out ease.
When you're ready,
Only when you're ready,
You may silently offer loving kindness phrases.
May you find the joy of peace and love in your heart.
May you be free of greed,
Hatred,
And delusion.
May you be free of attachment,
Free of confusion.
May you be free from the problems that arise,
From the distractions of the mind.
May your own fears,
Worries,
And sorrows fall away.
May you be healthy and well in ease.
Continue to breathe in ease.
Staying connected with the body,
The stillness of the body.
Begin to release the image of this person.
Staying with stillness,
Solace,
Ease that you might be experiencing in this moment.
Soften and surrendering.
Now extend the practice of loving kindness to all people for shared home.
All beings find the joy of peace and love in their heart.
All beings be free of greed,
Hatred,
And delusion.
All beings be free of attachment,
Free of confusion,
Free of pride.
All beings be free of the problems that arise from the distractions of the mind.
May their fears,
Worries,
And sorrows.
All beings be healthy and well in mind.
May all beings live breathing in ease,
Breathing out ease.
On your next inhale gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Slowly flickering the eyes open.
Your attention move in sight,
Sound,
Sensation.
How are you feeling?
Did you find it difficult to extend loving kindness to yourself or did it come naturally?
Was it challenging to extend loving kindness to a difficult person?
See if you can experiment with the practice of sending loving kindness to yourself and the people that you encounter this week.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
Send yourself some gratitude for taking the time to open your heart.
