Begin by finding a comfortable seated position,
Allowing your body to relax and your mind to settle.
Take a few deep breaths,
Inhaling peace,
And exhaling any tension or stress.
As you settle into this present moment,
Let's begin the Metta or loving kindness meditation.
Visualize yourself standing in a beautiful garden,
Surrounded by vibrant flowers.
Imagine that you are holding a delicate and exquisite flower in your hands.
This flower represents your own being,
Your heart and your inner essence.
Gently bring your attention to your heart center,
And with a sense of tenderness,
Offer yourself these words.
You may repeat them out loud after me,
Or say them in your head.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be happy and peaceful.
May I live with ease and grace.
Feel the warmth of these words spreading throughout your entire being,
Like sunlight nourishing the petals of a flower.
Allow the love and kindness to permeate every part of you.
Now visualize someone in your life for whom you feel a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation.
It could be a loved one,
A friend,
A teacher,
Or anyone who has touched your life in a positive way.
Picture their face in your mind's eye,
And let the image bring a smile to your face.
With genuine gentleness and gratitude,
Offer these words to that person.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you live with ease and grace.
Imagine the flower you hold in your hands,
Gently releasing its fragrance,
Carrying your well wishes to the person you have in mind.
Visualize them surrounded by love,
Happiness,
And tranquility.
Now let's extend this loving kindness and compassion to others in our lives,
Including those with whom we may have difficulties or conflicts.
Picture someone you may find challenging,
Someone you'd like to improve your relationship with or offer forgiveness to.
With deep understanding and empathy,
Offer them these words.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you live with ease and grace.
Imagine the flower in your hands,
Blooming with compassion and understanding,
Reaching out to touch the heart of that person.
Visualize the barriers dissolving,
Replaced by harmony and a deep connection.
Finally,
Expand your loving kindness to embrace all beings,
Near and far,
Known and unknown.
Imagine the flower in your hands growing larger,
Radiating its love and warmth to encompass the entire world.
Offer these words to all living beings.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May all beings be healthy and strong.
May all beings be happy and peaceful.
May all beings live with ease and grace.
Sit with this expansive feeling of metta,
This boundless love and kindness,
For a few moments.
Allow the gentle vibrations of gratitude and compassion to resonate within you,
Knowing that you can always return to this place of loving kindness whenever you wish.
The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not to twist them to fit our own image.
Otherwise,
We love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.
This is by Thomas Merton from No Man Is An Island.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes and carry the sense of metta with you throughout your day,
Sharing the beauty and warmth of the flower metaphor with all those that you encounter.
