Let's start by offering loving kindness to ourselves.
Often we forget that we too deserve care,
Kindness,
And compassion.
To connect with this,
Silently repeat the following phrases,
Offering to yourself with sincerity and warmth.
As you say each phrase,
Really let it resonate in your heart.
Imagine these wishes coming to life within you.
We're going to speak these words and as we do so,
I want you to picture yourself resting in a place of kindness where you feel completely safe,
Cared for,
And at peace.
If it feels right,
Place your hand over your heart.
One hand on your heart,
One hand on your stomach as you offer these well wishes to yourself.
Let the words flow through you without judgment.
If any resistance arise,
Simply observe it.
Gently bring your attention back to the phrases.
We'll do these twice just to warm ourselves up.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
Might be really nice to say these out loud in your most loving tender voice.
Let's do that one again.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
As we go through these a second time,
Really think about what does it mean?
What does it mean to be free from inner dangers and outer dangers?
What does it mean when you feel well in your body and your mind?
What does it mean to be at ease?
What does happiness look like?
Let's take those one more time together out loud with intention and a kind of a really warm,
Warm,
Almost overdone compassion in your voice.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
May I be at ease and happy.
Beautiful.
Well done.
All right,
Let's go to the next one.
I always think of this as the easiest one.
This is offering loving kindness to someone that you love dearly.
Someone that's like really easy to love.
They've been kind and supportive.
Visualize this person in your mind's eye,
Standing before you.
See them smiling and at peace.
Imagine extending this luscious care and compassion to this person.
Feel the warmth of these wishes flowing from your heart towards them.
And see this person receiving your good intentions with openness.
You're planting seeds of love and compassion in them.
Just let that natural compassion arise in you as you wish for their happiness and well-being.
Are you ready?
Excellent.
Let's do this together for these lovely people.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Beautiful.
Thank you for doing that with me.
Okay,
Now we're going to go to the neutral person.
The neutral person is just a rando,
Like just some random person that you know somewhere in your life,
But you don't have any strong feelings about them.
This could be someone you see regularly,
But you don't know well.
Maybe it's someone you passed on the street.
I don't know.
Visualize this person in front of you and acknowledge that just like you,
Even though you don't know them,
You can pretty much count on that they want to be happy and free from suffering.
So as you offer these phrases,
Imagine a connection existing between you and this person,
Even though you don't know them well.
You share the same wish that we all have for safety,
Health,
And happiness.
Allow these wishes to flow naturally without expectations.
So imagine them here in front of you.
And here we go.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Well done.
Very good.
Well done.
Very good.
Okay.
So here's the toughie.
This is the one that most of us struggle with.
This is the offering of loving kindness to someone you have difficulty with.
Yeah.
You're going to think of the person that has caused you a lot of trouble.
Maybe you have very strong negative feelings towards them.
So this can be challenging,
But it also is one of the most transformative aspects of the loving kindness meditation.
So imagine them.
They've hurt you.
They've frustrated you.
Picture them in your mind,
Recognizing that they too have a deep inherent desire for peace and well-being,
Even if it doesn't look like it from the outside.
Without forcing it,
We're going to simply offer them these same loving kindness phrases as a way to release your own burdens of anger or resentment and develop compassion,
Even for people who have hurt you or wronged you.
If you feel any resistance or discomfort arise,
That is okay.
You do not have to agree with this person's actions or condone any harm at all.
This practice is simply about freeing your heart,
Opening your heart's capacity for compassion and softening the tension within you.
So here we go.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Just noticing what came up for you.
Where was the most resistance?
Just noticing you don't have to change anything.
All right,
Let's go big.
Let's go big hearted,
Big,
Big hearted.
We're going to offer loving kindness to all beings everywhere.
So we're expanding that circle of loving kindness to those you know and those you don't know,
All creatures,
All of humanity,
All living things,
Even plants.
Visualize the earth beneath you teeming with life.
Imagine your loving kindness extending out to every corner of the world.
And let's repeat.
May all beings everywhere be filled with loving kindness.
This is my favorite part.
Can you tell?
It fills me with this incredible sense of magnanimousness.
May all beings be safe from inner and outer dangers.
Feel the boundless nature of your heart as you send out these wishes.
May all beings be well in body and mind.
Let this sense of connection expand as far as it can.
Feeling your compassion embrace all of life as you say.
May all beings everywhere be at ease and happy.
Let's pause in the warmth and openness of your beautiful heart.
Do you feel that peace and connection that arises from offering loving kindness to yourself and others?
This is your heart,
And you can return to it whenever you wish to cultivate compassion.
When you feel ready,
Gently bring your awareness back to the breath.
Let's take a deep breath in.
As you exhale,
Open your eyes.
Let's carry this sense of loving kindness and connection with you as you move your body through the rest of the hours of this day.
See if you can rest in that benevolence,
That compassion,
And really enjoy that.
Thank you for practicing with me.
