Loving Kindness

This is a meditation of care, concern, tenderness, loving kindness, friendship–a feeling of warmth for oneself and others. The practice is the softening of the mind and heart, an opening to deeper levels of the feeling of kindness, of pure love. Loving kindness is without limits.

Transcript

This is the loving kindness meditation.

The heart,

Like the sun,

Is always shining,

Yet often the light becomes clouded for any number of reasons.

This meditation is not so much to open the heart,

But to open the mind so that the light within the heart can shine.

Many of us hold on to the emotions of fear or anger or shame,

Guilt or even judgment.

Here,

We encourage kindness and compassion and mercy and letting go of the things that close the heart,

Letting go to the things that limit us.

Kindness is the opposite of judgment.

It is the heartfelt opening rather than the mindless closing.

Kindness unites and judgment separates.

Kindness heals while judgment wounds.

Settle into a comfortable position and when you are ready,

You may close or cap your eyes and gently bring your awareness to the breath.

Allow the body to breathe normally and naturally through your nose and find your breath wherever it is most prominent to you.

It may be at your nostrils as you feel the cool air coming in with the in-breath and the warm air leaving with the out-breath.

Or it may be the rise and the fall of the chest or the expansion and contraction of the belly.

Simply follow the breath with complete awareness,

Breathing naturally and gently through the nose.

Welcome the sounds around you and make them part of your experience.

Sit straight in a dignified position with your feet on the floor and your hands comfortably in your lap.

And be aware of the breath coming and going all by itself,

Moment by moment.

Allow your attention to gather within.

Make note of the sensations in your body,

Your thoughts and your emotions.

Н н And move your attention now to the top of the head as we follow the body from the head to the feet,

Softening and loosening as we go.

Starting at the head,

Moving down through the eyes and the face,

Loosening the jaw,

The neck and the shoulders,

The arms from the shoulders down to the tips of the fingers.

Notice the chest movement with the breath and the abdomen,

The spine and the pelvis and your legs softening and loosening,

Relaxing as you go,

Allowing your body to relax from the head to the toes.

And breathe.

Now begin to look at yourself as though you were your only child.

See that in your mind's eye.

Have compassion and kindness for yourself.

Silently in the heart say,

May I be safe,

May I be happy and healthy,

May I be free from suffering,

May I be at peace.

Feel the breath breathing into the heart space as you relate to yourself with kindness and caring and compassion.

Allow the heart silently to whisper the words of compassion to that open heart.

May I be safe,

May I be happy and healthy,

May I be free from suffering,

May I be at peace.

Allow yourself to open,

Whisper to yourself,

Send yourself wishes for your own well-being.

May I be safe,

May I be healthy and happy,

May I be free from suffering,

May I be at peace.

Repeat gently with each in-breath into the heart.

May I be safe and with each out-breath,

May I be at peace.

And with the next in-breath,

May I be free and with the out-breath,

May I be at peace.

Repeat these words slowly and gently with each in-breath and with each out-breath.

Not as a prayer,

But as an extension of loving care to yourself.

May I be free from suffering,

May I be at peace.

Continue this rhythm,

This deepening of gracious joy and loving kindness drawn in with each in-breath and expanding with each out-breath.

May I be free from suffering,

May I be at peace.

Let the breath continue naturally with kindness for yourself,

For your only child,

For that spirit inside of you.

At first,

This may only feel like words echoing from the mind.

Gently continue.

There is nothing to do here.

Just simply allow the heart to receive.

May I be free from suffering,

May I be at peace.

Each breath deepens the warmth of relating to oneself with loving kindness and compassion.

Continue for a moment more drawing in,

Opening to loving kindness,

Relating to yourself with tenderness,

Sending kindness and compassion into your own mind and body.

Embrace yourself with these gentle words.

Allow yourself to receive.

Now,

Gently bring to mind someone for whom you have a feeling of warmth and kindness,

Perhaps a loved one,

A partner,

A teacher,

A friend,

Or a pet.

Picture them in your heart.

With each in-breath,

Whisper to them,

May you be free from suffering.

And with each out-breath,

May you be at peace.

With the next inhale,

Drawing their heart closer to yours,

May you be free from suffering.

And with the out-breath,

May you be at peace.

Continue to breathe this loved one into your heart,

Whispering silently,

May you be safe,

May you be happy and healthy,

May you be free from suffering,

And may you be at peace.

Continue the gentle breath of connection,

The gentle wish for their happiness and wholeness.

Breathe naturally,

Softly,

Lovingly into the heart,

Along with your words,

With your feelings of loving kindness and care.

May you be free from suffering.

May you know the deepest levels of peace.

Send them your love,

Your compassion,

Your caring,

Breathing in and through your heart.

May you be free from suffering.

May you know your deepest joy,

Your greatest peace.

And as you feel them in your heart,

Feel this whole world that wishes to be healed,

To be at peace.

And to yourself,

Say these words,

Just as I wish to be happy,

So do all others.

And in your heart,

With each in-breath,

Whisper,

May all beings be free of suffering.

May all beings be at peace.

Let your loving kindness reach out to all beings as it did to your loved one,

Feeling those in need of healing,

Those in need of peace.

May all others be at peace.

May they be free of suffering.

May all others,

To the most recently born,

Be free of fear,

Be free of pain.

May all others feel the absolute joy of being.

May all others everywhere be at peace.

May they all be free of suffering.

Each breath draws in the love that heals the world,

That deepens the peace we all seek.

Each breath feeds the world with kindness and compassion,

The warmth and patience that quiets the mind and opens the heart.

May all others be free from suffering.

May all others find peace.

Let the breath come softly.

Let the breath go gently.

Send wishes of kindness,

Of care,

And let it extend to this whole world that we share.

May all others be free of suffering.

May all others dwell in the heart of healing.

And may all others be at peace.

Allow these words to soak in for a moment,

A moment of peace and compassion and loving kindness to yourself and to all others around the world.

May we be safe.

May we be happy and healthy.

May we be free from suffering.

And may we find peace.

May all sentient beings find peace.

Namaste.

And when you are ready,

Bring yourself back into this room,

This space,

And this time.

Take your time.

Gently feel the energy coming back into your hands and your feet,

Your arms and your legs and your body.

Take a nice deep breath and feel the energy,

Feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Take all the time you need.

And when you are ready,

You may open your eyes.

Welcome back.

Reviews

Thank you for helping me feel at peace. And thank you for helping me share this piece with the whole world.

Thank U for a beautiful practice! The content was easy to follow & I appreciated how you brought me back into the now at the end.

Thank you. That was beautiful.

I have been doing this meditation for 2 years and it has absolutely transformed my mind for the better. I am a more compassionate, warm and patient person. thank you Virginia 💕❤️

Thank you for a gentle deep meditation. Bless Your Heart!

So very beautiful.
About to play this for my 8 year old son as well. Feeling grounded with high vibrations heading into my work day.

I really enjoyed the messages and this practice. Thank you!

Such a powerful meditation — I felt the love going out to all and love coming back to me...tingling all through my head and body. 🙏💖

Very soothing voice- calming. Thank you very much

such a beautiful gift of love and compassion to send to my friend who is sick in hospital.

Beautiful. A slightly different form of loving kindness practice than I’m used to but equally as effective for developing compassion for self and others. Namaste

Beautiful meditation and voice!
Thank you very much 🙏

Beautiful, simple and healing! Thank you!

A wonderful loving kindness meditation. I’m glad I found this. Definitely needed at these uncertain times. I will come back to this. Thank you.
Namaste 🙏🏼✨💕

Absolutely lovely. Thank you for this ♥️

Loved your voice, care and timely guiding! Many thanks.

Thank you!! Very helpful!

A beautifully simple and moving loving kindness meditation. Lovely wise voice Thank you so very much. Namaste

Simply lovely. 💕

A wonderful and peaceful way to start my day. Soft, beautiful presentation. Uplifting yet calming, soothing. Thank you 💜