The body itself.
Finding a comfortable position adjusted to the needs of your body.
Allowing the body to be grounded and relaxed.
And supported by the breath.
Allowing a soothing breathing rhythm.
And reminding yourself of these helpers as we go through this practice.
Allowing yourself to be grounded and relaxed.
Allowing yourself to be grounded and relaxed.
And now connecting with the quality of kindness.
By remembering a situation where you felt life was kind to you.
And you were filled with joy and gratitude.
Allowing your heart to open while the experience comes to life again.
Connecting with a heart opening experience.
Allowing a gentle smile.
And whenever you wish,
Placing one or both hands on your heart.
Allowing this touch to support you during the practice.
And then acknowledging your deeper needs right now.
And beginning to offer kindness to yourself.
By softly repeating a kind wish to yourself.
This may be in your own words or using one of the traditional phrases.
May I feel safe.
May I feel healthy.
May I feel happy.
May I feel at ease.
Allowing the words to connect to the breath if this is helpful.
The first part of the wish to the in-breath.
The second part to the out-breath.
Allowing the wish to flow through you with each breath.
Allowing the words to flow through you with each breath.
And when you expand the practice to others,
Noticing how this affects you is part of the practice.
Remembering you can always return to offering kindness to yourself.
When you encounter physical discomfort.
Or when you find the practice stirs up worrying thoughts or painful emotions.
Working with what arises.
Offering kindness where it is needed moment by moment.
And also considering the possibility of a paradoxical wish.
May I experience this just as it is.
So first connecting with a benefactor.
Someone who has your best interest at heart.
And who embodies wisdom and compassion for you.
Imagining this person in front of you.
Looking into their face and the eyes.
And softly repeating one or more phrases of kindness.
May you feel safe.
May you feel healthy.
May you feel happy.
May you feel at ease.
May you feel safe.
May you feel safe.
May you feel safe.
And then including one or more dear persons,
Relatives or good friends.
Imagining someone of this category in front of you.
Connecting with them.
And gently repeating wishes.
May you feel safe.
Healthy.
Happy.
Or at ease.
These general kind wishes.
May be naturally connecting.
They can also become more specific.
If you know the person concerned is right now in favorable circumstances.
Kindness can take on the quality of sympathetic joy.
May you savor this fortune.
If you know the person encounters adversity.
Kindness can take on the quality of compassion.
Such as,
May you be relieved from this suffering.
If you know the person is facing frantic,
Uncontrollable and unpredictable circumstances.
Your wish may reflect equanimity.
May you feel calm in the midst of turmoil.
You can also change to the we form.
May we live in peace with ourselves and the world around us.
And now continuing the practice with one or more neutral persons.
People you do not have a special relationship with,
But whom you happen to meet.
Vulnerable human beings seeking happiness and freedom from suffering.
Just like you.
So visualizing a passer by in your life and wishing them safeness,
Health,
Happiness,
Peace.
Vulnerable human beings seeking happiness and freedom from suffering.
And perhaps here kindness may take on the atmosphere of equanimity.
May you keep your balance amidst the ups and downs of life.
May you come to terms with aging and loss.
And if you have met someone with a happy face,
May you enjoy the goodness of life.
If you like expanding to other neutral persons or creatures you happen to meet.
There is family and friends action about that.
And then if you feel the space,
Selecting a person you have a difficult relationship with,
Choosing someone whom it feels okay to practice with,
Visualising this person in front of you,
Perhaps meeting their face and eyes,
Realising this person has imperfections like you have yours.
We all had only very limited choice in the conditions that shaped us.
We do not have to condone harmful behaviour.
We can offer kindness to the person behind this behaviour.
Gently repeating.
May you feel safe.
May you be free from suffering.
And if you are feeling troubled by being envious,
Even as this person seems more fortunate than you,
You may even consider sympathetic joy.
May you enjoy the goodness in life,
Or a wish in the we form.
May we live in peace with ourselves and each other.
And now expanding the practice to groups,
Starting with groups of people you belong to,
Like your family,
A club you are a part of.
May we feel safe,
Healthy,
Happy,
At ease.
May we have courage amidst our difficulties.
May we share our fortune.
May we live in harmony.
Moving on to groups of human beings or animals you do not personally belong to,
But do you know about them through the news,
Or social media,
Or otherwise?
And if it's concerning a group celebrating good fortune,
May you enjoy your happiness.
If you know their circumstances are difficult,
May you be free from suffering.
May you feel healthy and strong.
Or a group suffering war or natural disaster.
May you have courage in the face of life's challenges.
May you find peace amidst chaos.
May you support each other as best you can.
And finally,
You can imagine holding all beings in your awareness and boundless hearts.
Humans,
Animals,
Plants,
Trees.
All creatures in all directions.
Near and far.
Before you and behind you.
To your right side.
And to your left side.
Above you and beneath you.
All beings past and present.
All beings still coming to birth.
Holding them in your awareness and boundless heart.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings find healing and happiness.
May all beings live peacefully with themselves and each other.
May there be peace.
May there be peace.
May all beings be free.
Thank you.
