To begin this practice,
Let yourself be in a relaxed and comfortable position.
We're going to do the practice of cultivating positive emotion.
In this case,
Loving kindness,
Which is the desire for someone to be happy or yourself to be happy.
It's not dependent on something.
It's not conditional.
It's just a natural opening of the heart to someone else or to yourself.
So you can check into your body and notice how you're feeling right now,
Letting whatever is here be here.
Now let yourself bring to mind someone whom the moment you think of them,
You feel happy.
See if you can bring to mind,
It could be a relative,
A close friend,
Someone with not too complicated a relationship,
But just a general sense that when you think of them,
You feel happy.
You can pick a child or you can always choose a pet,
A dog or cat,
A creature it's fairly easy to feel love for.
So let them come to mind,
Have a sense of them being in front of you.
You can feel them,
Sense them,
See them.
And as you imagine them,
Notice how you're feeling inside.
Maybe you feel some warmth or there's some heat to your face,
A smile,
A sense of expansiveness.
This is the loving kindness.
This is this natural feeling that's accessible to all of us at any moment.
So now having this loved one in front of you,
Begin to wish them well.
May you be safe and protected from danger.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you have ease and well-being.
And as I say these words,
You can use my words or your own words,
But have a sense of letting this loving kindness come from you and begin to touch this loved one reaching out.
You might think in images,
You might have a sense of color or light.
You might just have a feeling.
The words may continue to bring on more of this feeling and I encourage you to say whatever feels meaningful to you.
May you be free from stress and anxiety.
May you be free from all fear.
And so as you're sending out these words and these feelings of loving kindness,
Also check into yourself and see how you're feeling inside.
And now imagine that this loved one turns around and begins to send it back to you.
So see if you can receive the loving kindness,
Take it in,
And they're wishing you well.
May you be happy,
Meaning you.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be safe and protected from all danger.
May you have joy,
Well-being.
Letting yourself take it in.
Now if you're not feeling anything at this point or before in the meditation,
It's not a problem.
This is a practice that plants seeds.
And if you're feeling something else other than loving kindness,
Just check into that.
What is it I'm feeling?
There may be something to learn here.
Now if it's possible and it's not always easy to do this,
But see if you can send loving kindness to yourself.
You can imagine it coming down your body from your heart.
Or you can just have a sense of it.
May I be safe and protected from danger.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be happy and peaceful.
May I accept myself just as I am.
And as you ask yourself the question,
What do I need to be happy?
See what arises and offer that to yourself.
May I have meaningful work,
A joyful life,
Close friends and family.
And now checking into yourself and noticing what it is you feel as you do this.
And now let yourself bring to mind one person or a group of people that you wish to send the loving kindness to.
Imagine them in front of you.
Sense them,
Feel them.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be free from all stress and anxiety and fear,
Worry,
Grief.
May you have joy and happiness,
Well-being.
And now let this loving kindness expand out.
Spreading.
Touching anyone that you want to touch right now.
In all directions.
People you know,
People you don't know.
People you have difficulty with,
People you love.
Just imagine expanding and touching in each person or animal,
Whoever is touched by this loving kindness.
Each person is changed.
You can imagine that.
So may everyone everywhere be happy and peaceful and at ease.
May we all experience great joy.
