Welcome to this guided meditation.
Today we're going to be doing a loving kindness practice.
And so I invite you to find a comfortable posture as we settle in.
If it's helpful to move the body a little bit gently as we find stillness,
I invite you to do that.
So if you need to get up and move the body,
Shake it out a little bit.
Take nice deep breath.
Sometimes letting out an audible sigh is helpful.
Paying attention to what the body needs in this moment and if it needs movement,
Taking a moment to do that.
And then allowing the body to begin to settle into a comfortable posture.
And that could be laying down or seated,
Whatever feels comfortable.
We start with this gesture of loving kindness towards ourselves by listening to what our bodies need.
Inviting the body into a position that's both awake and alert and also relaxed and at ease.
And if it feels comfortable to close the eyes,
I invite you to do that,
Otherwise just softening the gaze,
Looking a few feet in front of you.
We'll start with a quote from David Orr.
He says,
The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people,
But it does desperately need more peacemakers,
Healers,
Restorers,
Storytellers,
And lovers of every kind.
It needs people who live well in their places.
It needs people of moral courage,
Willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane.
And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.
Just becoming connected to that intention for your practice.
Allowing these words to come into our being.
We can become one of those people of moral courage that's willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane.
I'm beginning to become aware of the breath,
Noticing this next breath where it falls in the body.
Breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.
Noticing what it's like to be you in this moment,
Breathing this next breath.
And now this breath.
This breath.
What does the breath feel like in the body?
Where do we feel it most naturally?
Sometimes we feel it in the nose or the throat.
Sometimes it's the rise and fall of the chest or the belly.
Allowing our attention to connect with how the breath feels as we inhale,
As we exhale.
Allowing this next breath to take our attention down into our feet.
And bringing mindful attention.
We are intentionally present while letting go of any judgment of how things should be in our minds and instead opening to how they actually are.
Noticing the feet.
Noticing the legs,
The hips.
The pelvic floor.
We don't have to fix or change anything in this moment.
We're just creating space for things exactly as they are.
Noticing what it feels like into the belly and the back.
Up into the chest.
The heart.
The lungs.
Remembering that we don't have to fix or change anything and simply be present with these sensations in the body.
Noticing the hands and the arms up into the shoulders.
Noticing sensations in the throat,
The neck,
Up into the face and the head.
Bringing a gentle,
Mindful attention to this body in this moment just as it is.
In this moment just as it is.
And as we connect with our bodies,
We might begin to invite a smile.
Just a soft smile into the eyes.
In the corners of the eyes,
We can soften those muscles,
Relaxing the forehead.
Inviting a soft smile into the corners of the mouth.
And smiling into the heart.
Smiling into the lower belly.
Allowing a smile into ourselves.
Noticing the softness of a smile.
Receiving the smile.
In this moment,
Everything is okay.
Beginning to bring our attention to the heart center.
Imagining that we can breathe in through the heart and out through the heart.
Imagining that we can breathe in through the heart and out through the heart.
Drawing a breath into the heart space and exhaling through the center of the heart.
This heart that is kind,
This heart that is loving.
And Jack Kornfield reminds us you can trust your own wise heart because nothing and no one can take it from you.
Sensing this trust and loving kindness around the heart space.
And as we stay connected to this heart center,
I invite you to imagine a being or a person that's very easy for you to feel love and care for.
And imagining that you could invite this being to be with you now.
You can see them clearly in your mind's eye.
Just invite them close to be with you in this moment.
Feeling that sense of befriending.
Feeling the open heart,
The acceptance,
The love for this other being.
And offering this being well wishes.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be free from anxiety and fear.
May you experience joy and well-being.
Continuing to breathe in and out through the heart,
Sending these well wishes where they flow very naturally.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be free from anxiety and fear.
May you experience joy and well-being.
And offering this being a bow of gratitude as we mentally let them go.
And beginning to invite in a person or a being where you feel unconditional love from.
You sense their unconditional love for you.
And imagine that they can come close in this moment.
You might see their eyes of kindness.
You might feel their affection for you.
Invite them in.
And imagining that they can offer you these well wishes.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be free from anxiety and fear.
May you experience joy and well-being.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be free from anxiety and fear.
May you experience joy and well-being.
Opening and receiving these blessings to the extent that we're able.
Continuing to breathe in and out through the heart space one breath at a time.
And offering this being a bow of gratitude as we let them go in the mind's eye.
And we begin to turn our attention towards ourselves.
We can offer ourselves these same well wishes.
Connecting with our desire for self-love,
For understanding.
And repeating these words to ourselves.
May I be happy and peaceful.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be free from anxiety and fear.
May I experience joy and well-being.
Opening our hearts one breath at a time.
And if there's any resistance,
Opening to that with loving kindness.
May I be happy and peaceful.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be free from anxiety and fear.
May I experience joy and well-being.
Breathing in and out through the heart space.
Opening to these blessings for ourselves.
Very slowly and gently opening our hearts now to inner peace.
Include all beings everywhere.
We might offer these same well wishes.
May all beings everywhere be happy and peaceful.
May all beings everywhere be healthy and strong.
May all beings everywhere be free from anxiety and fear.
May all universal beings experience joy and well-being.
May all beings everywhere be happy and peaceful.
May all beings everywhere be healthy and strong.
May all beings everywhere be free from anxiety and fear.
May all beings everywhere experience joy and well-being.
We might take a few moments here just to make the practice your own.
Whatever well wishes you feel you need for yourself,
For others.
Staying connected to this heart-centered breath while we offer well wishes in whatever way feels authentic to you.
We'll close with these words from Martin Luther King Jr.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness.
Only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate.
Only love can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate.
Only love can do that.
Resting for a few moments,
Taking a couple of slow deep breaths.
And whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes if your eyes were closed.
Gently moving the body and taking your time.
Thank you so much for offering yourself this gift of loving-kindness and for offering the world this gift as well.
Many,
Many blessings.
