Hey it's Doug.
Welcome to this love and kindness meditation.
It's one of my favorite things to do.
Today we're gonna take it a little bit further though.
I'm not just gonna cultivate love.
We're gonna use love to banish anger.
Now as we go throughout our day we can come across many people who,
How can I say,
Can be challenging.
Now this is nothing new.
The Stoic philosopher and Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius mentions this in his book Meditations.
A diary that he wrote 2,
000 years ago.
It's one of the first things he says in his book actually.
Let me read it to you.
When you wake up in the morning tell yourself the people I deal with today will be meddling,
Ungrateful,
Arrogant,
Dishonest,
Jealous and surly.
He goes on to explain that even these actions should not get to us.
As we cannot be implicated in their ugliness.
He goes even further to say that to hate these people or turn our backs on them would be against nature because they are our brothers and our sisters.
He describes humankind as the left and right foot of a body.
Meaning that we have to work with one another.
No matter how meddling the other person is.
So how do we do that?
Well I'm glad you asked.
We're gonna get into that right now.
Get yourself into a comfortable seat if you're not already.
Begin to breathe in and out through those nostrils.
Just enjoying that rhythm of breath.
Arriving in this place right here and right now.
Eyes closed so you can take that attention and intention internally.
And then I want you to place your hand over your heart.
It can be your left or right one.
I personally find the right hand a little bit easier.
See if you can imagine breathing in and out of this heart space now.
As you're doing that can you notice the warmth underneath your hand?
Can you notice this heat you generate without even trying?
It's worth noting that when someone acts lovingly we often say they are warm-hearted.
The truth is we are all warm-hearted.
We just don't always pass that warmth on to others.
But that's gonna end today.
As you breathe in and out of this heart space feeling that warmth behind the hand.
Imagine in your heart space there are embers of a fire that has gone out.
Just the red coals.
Each breath that you breathe in and out breathe directly on to these embers.
Each breath increases the warmth that comes off these coals.
Getting hotter and hotter with every breath.
Love much like charity starts at home.
So let's begin by offering love and kindness to ourselves.
Keep that imagery of the coals behind the heart though.
You'll see how they work in a second.
You're gonna offer yourself the following mantra.
May I be safe.
May I be loved.
May I be free from harm.
Join me now in repeating that.
May I be safe.
May I be loved.
May I be free from harm.
May I be safe.
May I be loved.
May I be free from harm.
Carry on with this mantra.
Just saying it silently in the background.
And as you do I want you not only to say these words but to feel them.
Imagine yourself extending this idea of safety to yourself.
This idea of love to yourself.
This idea of being free from harm to yourself.
Wanting the best for you just as you want the best for others.
Each round of saying this mantra you can imagine it's putting logs on that fire behind your hand.
Each word is like another bit of fuel to the fire.
You're generating that love.
Increasing that capacity to care for others.
And now that that fire is nice and toasty.
I want you to bring someone else to your mind.
A family member,
A partner,
A pet.
Someone you have a very good relationship with.
Get a nice sharp image of them.
How they look.
How they smell.
Maybe even how they smile.
Hold them in your mind and extend your heart to them.
You can do this by saying the exact same words but directing them to them.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
Again repeating these words on your own now.
The same mantra.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
Imagine now that with each recital of these words that warmth that you built up behind your hand is getting transferred to them.
Imagine them receiving this love via the mantra.
Via the love that you feel for them.
This extension of love that you send their way.
Great job.
Now your fire is so warm you've got even more to spare.
So think of someone in the periphery of your life.
Maybe your barista.
The one that serves you coffee every morning.
Or maybe it's the old man that sells you your train ticket.
Whoever it is,
Imagine them.
See them.
Bring them into your mind.
Now hold them in your mind and repeat the words once again.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
As you say these words once again imagine them receiving this from you.
This gift of love.
Imagine the words and what they mean.
And imagine the appreciation on their faces.
Okay I think you're adequately loved up now.
So let's move on to the hardest one.
The one we've been building up to.
You're gonna think of someone now who recently or even in the past you've had a complicated relationship with.
Someone that may be challenging to be around.
Imagine them in all their glory.
Now I'm not asking you to forgive them or make them your best friend.
I'm not even asking you to make contact with them.
All I'm asking you to do is while imagining this person,
Imagine saying these words to them.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
Carry on repeating these words.
Resist the urge not to mean the words you say.
Resist the urge to hold back love.
Let it flow like a river.
Just like it did for your loved one and the acquaintance.
Hold them in your mind and extend your heart to them.
One more time imagine them as you say.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
May you be free from harm.
Okay,
Back to normal breathing now.
Enjoying the love that you cultivated and the love that you shared to yourself,
To your loved one and even to that person that meddles.
As Buddha says,
Holding a grudge is like holding on to a hot coal,
Waiting to throw it at someone you dislike.
It will always hurt you more in the end.
Slowly blink the eyes open.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Now go take this real love into the world.
God knows it needs it.
Namaste.
