Welcome to this loving kindness meditation.
In this guided meditation you will cultivate loving kindness which is an expression of compassion towards yourself and to others.
Begin by placing yourself in a quiet place that is free from interruption.
Think in a chair,
Adjust yourself so the body is upright yet comfortable.
And now gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths,
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth.
And on the next breath out allow the body to soften and let go of any physical or emotional tension that you might be holding onto.
Please keep in mind that at any point in the meditation your mind may begin to wonder and that is perfectly fine.
If you catch yourself thinking about something else just do your best to bring yourself back into the meditation process.
And breathing normally now begin to acknowledge the body.
Scan the body for areas of comfort or discomfort.
Not stopping to address anything or worry about anything,
Just simply observe and create a picture of the body.
Now let's focus on the centre of the chest where the heart is.
Feel the presence of your heart in your body.
And as you breathe in imagine filling your heart with goodness.
And when you're ready bring to mind yourself.
It is important to focus inward first because without loving yourself it is almost impossible to love others.
So take a moment now to visualise yourself,
Perhaps as if you were looking directly into a mirror.
And in your mind say to yourself,
May I be truly happy?
May I be healthy?
May I be safe from inner and outer harm?
May I care for myself joyfully?
Slowly let those words sink in.
Pay attention to your body and your mood.
How does it feel to wish yourself well?
And remember you're not looking for any particular sensations or distinct emotions.
Just observe what you're experiencing right now.
Now bring to mind a good friend,
Someone you have a close connection with,
Someone whose wellbeing is important to you.
Now visualise this person as if they were standing right in front of you and imagine saying to them,
May you be truly happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be safe from inner and outer harm?
May you care for yourself joyfully?
As you go through this meditation really try to say these words with conviction and sincerity.
And as you do,
Notice the changes to your emotions,
Your mood.
The changes may be subtle or noticeable,
They may not be the changes you expect.
You may not notice any change at all.
And that is fine too.
Just observe without any judgement.
Now bring to mind someone you don't know very well at all.
This could be a stranger,
An acquaintance,
Perhaps someone you see on the street.
Focus on the first person that comes to mind.
Picture them in front of you and imagine saying to them,
May you be truly happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be safe from inner and outer harm?
May you care for yourself joyfully?
Remember that if your mind wonders or distracting thoughts enter your awareness,
Simply let them go and bring your attention back to the exercise.
And now bring to mind someone who has been difficult for you.
Think of a person who has frustrated you or disappointed you in some way.
Choose the first person that comes to mind and remember that just like you,
That person wants happiness,
Health,
Safety and peace.
Picture this person and imagine saying to them,
May you be truly happy?
May you be healthy?
May you be safe from inner and outer harm?
May you care for yourself joyfully?
This part may be difficult but recognise that you are not condoning their actions but seeing them as a human being with some of the same needs as you.
And now expand your focus and consider that all human beings have similar needs and wish to have happiness,
Health,
Safety and peace.
So bring to mind all those living on earth today,
Including all the people you love and all the people you don't have a fondness for and to all people everywhere say the following phrases.
May we all be truly happy?
May we all be healthy?
May we all be safe from inner and outer harm?
May we all care for ourselves joyfully?
And after extending loving kindness outwards in all directions,
Bring the focus back inward and send compassion to yourself once more.
Take a moment to feel the compassion in the body if you can.
Does your heart feel any different?
Does the body feel heavier or lighter?
Warmer or cooler?
If you don't notice these particular sensations,
That is fine too.
Just pay attention to the body as a whole.
And now take a few deep breaths,
Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
And now bring awareness to the points of contact between your body and the surfaces beneath you.
Your feet on the floor,
Your bottom on the chair and your hands and arms resting where they are.
And then when you are ready,
Gently open the eyes slowly,
Bringing yourself back into the space around you.
Before you move on with your day,
Take a moment to reflect on how it feels to take time for yourself.
