Heart Opening Meditation

Enjoy this heart-opening meditation that will bring loving kindness to yourself, to others, and to the world. If you are feeling stuck in negative energy this meditation will help bring you more peace and love

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this loving kindness meditation.

Loving kindness encourages awareness of our ability to care for ourselves,

As well as for others.

We practice extending our benevolent thoughts,

As well as acknowledging our own humanity and how that humanity connects us all.

This practice will allow us to cultivate a deeper appreciation of ourselves and the world around us by attending to feelings of universal acceptance.

So go ahead and find a nice comfortable position,

Maybe that's laying down and allowing yourself to get nice and comfortable and cozy.

Or if you're choosing to sit up,

You can just gently straighten your back and rest your hands on your lap.

Once you've settled in,

Gently close your eyes.

Let's shift your attention first to your breath.

So focus your mind on the rising and the falling of your breath,

Allowing yourself to settle into a comfortable pace of breathing and beginning to allow any distractions to flow away.

Begin to deepen your breath,

So extend your inhales and extend your exhales.

Breathing in a little deeper,

Breathing out a little slower.

Breathing in a little deeper,

Breathing out a little slower.

If any distracting thoughts arise,

Simply acknowledge that your mind has strayed and gently return your attention back to your breath.

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

Now allow the breath to settle back into its natural soothing rhythm.

Let this be soft and easy.

There's no need to control the breath in any way.

Allow your breath to guide you into a place of total inner stillness.

And as it does,

Consciously set an intention for this practice to open your heart and to cultivate loving kindness.

For with a loving heart,

We are more compassionate,

Understanding,

And brave.

As you begin to develop a state of unconditional kindness,

As well as an appreciation for our oneness with others,

We recognize that all beings,

Including ourselves,

Have a natural desire for happiness and for peace.

And now we begin to extend some loving kindness to ourselves,

Repeating the following phrases out loud to yourself or in your mind.

May I be safe.

May I be well.

May I be happy.

May I be peaceful and at ease.

Notice the feelings and sensations that are arising.

You may feel difficult to offer loving kindness to yourself.

You may even experience thoughts that are not loving or kind.

And if this happens,

Just acknowledge these thoughts from a distance and be patient with yourself and allow whatever arises to be released from a place of curiosity and acceptance.

Continue to offer yourself these phrases of loving kindness,

And if this is a challenging experience for you,

It may be helpful for you to imagine yourself in a happy moment or imagining yourself as a child and extending loving kindness to that mental image of yourself experiencing joy.

Take a nice deep breath in and out.

May I be safe.

May I be healthy.

May I be happy.

May I be peaceful and at ease.

Now bring to mind someone who has helped you or has been kind to you.

So maybe a family member,

A good friend,

An inspirational figure,

A teacher.

Whoever it is,

Bring that person to your mind and imagine them standing before you and smiling.

Let's extend some loving kindness to this person,

Wishing them well.

May you be safe.

May you be healthy.

May you be happy.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

You may experience a smile spreading across your face,

Thinking about these people you care for and that care for you.

You may experience some warmth in your body.

Whatever it is,

Allow it to be felt.

Reflect on their positive qualities or on the acts of kindness that they've done.

And just notice how it feels to be extending your love and gratitude for these people and for them being a part of your journey through life.

Now as the feelings of your loved ones flow easily,

Let's bring to mind someone who you do not know very well.

So maybe this is a neighbor,

Postman,

Shopkeeper.

We're going to extend some loving kindness to this person and we're going to wish them well.

Picture them in front of you,

Smiling.

May you be safe.

May you be healthy.

May you be happy.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

Notice any feelings or sensations that arise.

Feel your connection to a neutral person in your life and how it feels to wish them loving kindness.

Now let's bring someone to mind who has brought you some difficulty in life.

Maybe this is someone who brings up feelings of irritation or annoyance.

Maybe this is a person who has caused you pain.

And as you keep this person in your mind without any judgment,

Set an intention to soften your heart here just for a little more.

And although this may be difficult,

Try your best to extend your loving kindness to this person.

Acknowledging how they,

Just like you,

Wish to be peaceful and well.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

And now I want you to gather up your image of yourself and the loved ones,

Maybe even this difficult person,

Acquaintances.

And I want you to picture yourself on a cloud and seeing how every single person on the planet.

And I want you to send wishes to all beings,

All animals,

All trees and plants,

All people.

Allow a smile to come across your face as you see them all smiling,

Feeling your blessings you're about to give to them.

Take a deep breath in.

Let it all go.

May they be safe.

May they be healthy.

May they be healthy and happy.

May they be peaceful and at ease.

Take a few deep breaths here,

Appreciating the loving feelings that you've cultivated during your practice.

Even if you experience some challenging moments,

Know that this practice has the potential to increase your connection and belonging.

This practice of loving kindness can be incorporated into your everyday life.

And as we go through each day,

We can find moments in which we mindfully and thoughtfully contribute,

Even in small ways,

To the well-being and to the ease of ourselves and others.

We can do this by adopting a friendly attitude and having openness towards everyone we encounter without any judgment.

So as this practice comes to an end,

Slowly begin to come back to your body and your surroundings,

Noticing how you feel,

Noticing the contact points between your body and the surface that you're sitting on.

Noticing any sounds around you,

Wiggling your toes and your fingers,

Shrugging your shoulders gently and maybe doing a few stretches.

And when you're ready,

You can open your eyes.

Thank you for being here in this practice with me,

Sending you so much love and kindness.