Find yourself in a comfortable seated position.
Allow your spine to be straight yet relaxed.
Soften your shoulders.
Allow your hands to gently rest on your lap.
Close your eyes if that feels right for you.
We'll begin by settling in to the awareness of our body.
Notice how your body is feeling in this present moment.
Be open to noticing whatever you are experiencing.
Allow yourself to connect with your breath.
Notice your body expand on your breath and relax on your exhale.
In this practice,
We'll be cultivating loving-kindness.
Within us we all have the natural capacity for loving-kindness.
A relationship that is unconditional and open,
Gentle and supportive.
Loving-kindness is a natural opening of a compassionate heart.
To ourselves and to others,
It's a wish that everyone may be happy.
We begin with developing loving-kindness towards ourselves,
Allowing our hearts to open with tenderness.
Allow yourself now to remember and open up to your basic goodness.
You might remember times that you have been kind or generous.
If this is difficult,
You can imagine yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you.
What does that person love about you?
Or you may recall the unconditional love you felt from a beloved pet.
Allow the tender feelings of kindness to flow throughout you.
And as you experience this love,
Notice how you feel in your body.
Whether good or bad,
Notice the sensations.
Maybe you feel some warmth or heat in your face.
Or maybe a smile can bring about this feeling.
This is loving-kindness,
A natural feeling that is accessible to all of us,
Always.
Allow yourself to feel this open,
Unconditional love.
Letting yourself bask in the energy of loving-kindness,
Breathing it in and breathing it out.
Inviting feelings of peace and acceptance.
And now we'll begin to wish ourselves well by extending words of loving-kindness to ourselves.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be held in loving-kindness.
May I feel connected and calm.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May I be happy.
May I know the natural joy of being alive.
Now repeating the words,
Allow yourself to feel a warm glow.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be held in loving-kindness.
May I feel connected and calm.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May I be happy.
May I know the natural joy of being alive.
Now you can open the circle of loving-kindness by bringing someone to mind who is dear to you.
Someone whom you care about and who has always been supportive.
Reflect on this person's basic goodness,
Sensing what it is in particular that you love about them.
In your heart,
Feel your appreciation for this loved one and begin your symbol offering.
May you be filled with loving-kindness.
May you be held in loving-kindness.
May you feel my love now.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you know the natural joy of being alive.
Now bring to mind a neutral person.
This is someone you might see regularly but don't know well.
It might be a neighbour,
Someone from the store,
Someone you see in passing.
Bring this person to mind now and repeat the words of loving-kindness.
May you be filled with loving-kindness.
May you be held in loving-kindness.
May you feel my love now.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you know the natural joy of being alive.
And now,
If it's possible,
Bring to mind someone with whom you've had a difficult relationship.
Perhaps it's someone you don't like to feel so sincere compassion for.
Seeing if it's possible to let go of feelings of resentment and dislike for this person.
Reminding yourself to see this person as a whole being,
Deserving of love and kindness.
As someone who feels pain,
As someone who also suffers.
Seeing if it's possible to extend to this person the words of loving-kindness in your mind.
May you be filled with loving-kindness.
May you be held in loving-kindness.
May you feel my love now.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you be happy.
May you know the natural joy of being alive.
Now allow your awareness to open out in all directions.
Be yourself,
A dear one,
A neutral person and a difficult person.
And of all beings,
Humans and animals living everywhere.
Living in richness,
Poverty,
War,
Peace,
Hunger,
Abundance.
Aware of all the joys and sorrows that all beings experience.
May all beings be filled with loving-kindness.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings accept themselves just as they are.
May all beings awaken and be free.
May all beings be happy.
And now bringing this practice to a close,
Extend that love and kindness back to yourself.
And notice now how these feelings of love and kindness feel within you.
Sitting to feel the energy of love and kindness that you have created here.
Knowing that this feeling is natural and accessible to you always.
Wow.
You
