Begin by taking a comfortable posture.
One of the aims in this meditation is to feel good.
So allow your posture to be relaxed and comfortable.
And when you're ready,
Close your eyes and begin to focus your awareness at the center of your being,
Your chest area,
Your heart center.
Breathe in and out from that area as if you are breathing from the heart center.
And as if all experience is happening from there.
Anchor your mindfulness only on the sensations at your heart center.
As you breathe in and out from your heart center,
Begin to generate kindness feelings towards yourself.
Feel any areas of mental blockage or numbness,
Self-judgment,
Self-hatred,
And drop beneath that to the place inside where you care for yourself,
Where you want strength and health and safety for yourself.
Continue to breathe in and out and the quietness of your mind as if it's your voice.
Repeat these phrases or ones you choose yourself,
But say or think them several times.
May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be free of mental suffering or distress.
May I be happy.
May I be free of physical pain and suffering.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be able to live in this world happily,
Peacefully,
Joyfully,
And with ease.
Now next,
Move your awareness.
Bring to mind a person who most invites the feeling of pure,
Unconditional loving kindness,
The love that doesn't depend on getting anything back.
The first person is usually someone we consider a mentor,
An elder.
It might be a parent,
Grandparent,
Teacher,
Someone toward whom it takes no effort to feel respect and reverence,
Someone who immediately elicits the feeling of care.
And as you bring their image to mind,
As if you're speaking to them,
Repeat the phrases for this person.
May you be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be free of mental suffering or distress.
May you be happy.
May you be free of physical pain and suffering.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be able to live in this world happily,
Peacefully,
Joyfully,
With ease.
You're feeling strong,
Unconditional love for this person.
Bring to mind the image of a person you regard as a dear friend and repeat the phrases again,
Breathing in and out from your heart center.
May you be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be free of mental suffering or distress.
May you be happy.
May you be free of physical pain and suffering.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be able to live in this world happily,
Peacefully,
Joyfully,
And with ease.
Now,
Bring to mind a neutral person,
Someone for whom you feel neither strong like nor dislike.
And as you repeat the phrases,
Allow yourself to feel tenderness,
Loving care for their welfare.
May you be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be free of mental suffering or distress.
May you be happy.
May you be free of physical pain and suffering.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be able to live in this world happily,
Peacefully,
Joyfully,
And with ease.
And now,
Bring to mind the image of someone that you have difficulty with,
Hostile feelings or resentments.
Repeat the phrases for this person.
If you have difficulty doing this,
You can say before the phrases,
To the best of my ability,
I wish that you be.
If you begin to feel ill will toward this person,
Return to the one that you feel unconditional love with in your mind and let the loving kindness rise again.
Then return to this difficult person and let the phrases spread through your whole body,
Mind and heart.
To the best of my ability,
I wish that you be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
To the best of my ability,
I wish that you may be safe and protected.
May you be free of mental suffering or distress.
May you be happy.
May you be free of physical pain and suffering.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be able to live in this world happily,
Peacefully,
Joyfully,
And with ease.
After the difficult person,
Radiate loving kindness out to all beings.
Stay in touch with the ember of warm,
Tender loving kindness at the center of your being and begin to visualize or engender a sense all living beings.
May all beings be safe,
Happy,
Healthy.
Live joyously.
May all living beings be safe,
Happy,
Healthy.
Live joyously.
May all breathing beings be safe,
Happy,
Healthy.
Live joyously.
May all individuals be safe,
Happy,
Healthy.
Live joyously.
May all beings in existence be safe,
Happy,
Healthy.
Live joyously.
Allow the phrases to be simply a conduit for the force of loving kindness.
Empower your imagination through the five phrases to touch the hearts of all forms of life in the universe unconditionally and inclusively.
Stay with all beings until you feel a personal sense of the profound interconnectedness of all creatures,
All life,
All awakened ones,
All seekers,
All humans.
Expand your loving kindness until you're able to visualize earth spinning within the vast mysterious universe and send the loving kindness energy to all planes of existence known and unknown to be happy,
Be peaceful,
And be free from suffering.
When you're ready,
Bring your hands to your heart center to seal in the loving kindness.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes,
Allow yourself a few moments before coming back.
