So today the practice that we will do together is going to be a loving kindness meditation and you might have done something like this before.
It's a really powerful,
Powerful meditation that takes different shapes and forms.
So we'll share with you today a little bit so that we can practice this kindness within ourselves and we can feel what that feels like if it feels difficult,
If it feels easy,
If it feels yummy and nurturing.
So now's our time to practice.
I just want you to be comfortable.
So really feeling yourself in your chair,
Finding a nice tall spine,
Dropping the shoulders back,
Maybe even rolling out the shoulders a little bit.
Just an easy,
Relaxed posture,
Letting your eyes fall closed.
Maybe your hands just resting comfortably in your lap.
Settling into your awareness,
Into the witness that's here to see what is.
Feeling into the body,
Into the breath.
What is here right now for you?
Can you breathe a little bit of space into your heart?
And with each exhale,
Can you soften?
Just connecting with the breath,
Connecting with yourself,
Attuning to all there is to feel,
How you're arriving.
In this practice,
We'll be cultivating loving-kindness,
That natural capacity,
That natural opening of a compassionate heart.
It's gentle,
Supportive,
Accepting,
Open.
It's that part of ourselves that wishes other beings well,
That wishes that people could be happy,
Could be free.
And as we practice loving-kindness,
It's a practice that we first need to start with ourselves,
It's a practice that we first need to start with ourselves,
Because it's very difficult to love others,
To extend kindness to others,
If we cannot love ourselves,
Extend kindness to ourselves.
So just allowing our hearts to open with tenderness,
Just remembering and cluing in to your own basic goodness.
You might remember when you've been kind or generous,
Or just full of love and joy.
Or maybe you want to bring up an image of yourself as a little one,
As a little child,
Remembering that brightness,
That eagerness to learn,
To express,
To feel all there is to feel,
And to be exactly who you are.
Allow yourself to feel those tender,
Loving,
Kind feelings towards yourself.
And as you experience that love,
Maybe you can notice a buoyancy,
A little smile.
Maybe you can notice a buoyancy,
A little smile,
A softening of any hard edges.
It's just you with you.
So breathing in all that peace and acceptance,
We're going to practice this loving-kindness with ourselves.
So I invite you,
Inside your mind's eye,
To repeat some of the phrases that I'll be sharing.
If anything doesn't resonate,
Just change those words to ones that do speak to you.
So offering these words,
In your mind,
To yourself.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be held in loving-kindness.
May I feel connected and calm.
May I accept myself exactly as I am.
May I be free from suffering and safe from harm.
May I be happy and at ease.
And may I know the joy of being alive.
We'll do that one more time,
Directing all of that kindness and friendship to ourselves.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be held in loving-kindness.
May I feel connected and calm.
May I accept myself exactly as I am.
May I be free from suffering and safe from harm.
May I be happy and at ease.
And may I know the joy of being alive.
Just feeling that inside yourself,
Even if some parts felt hard to say.
We open the door of awareness with our practice.
So now we want to extend this circle of loving-kindness.
We want to broaden our field of awareness.
So just bringing up someone in your life that's dear to you.
That you love deeply,
That you care about.
Just bring them into your mind's eye.
See them,
Smile at them.
See their goodness.
Feeling that love,
That thanks for how they support you,
How they show up for you.
And then we offer to them these loving intentions.
May you be filled with loving-kindness.
May you be held in loving-kindness.
Really seeing them,
Really feeling their presence.
Say to them,
May you feel connected and calm.
May you accept yourself exactly as you are.
May you be free from suffering and safe from harm.
May you be happy and at ease.
May you know the joy of being alive.
Sharing that with them,
Saying that to them,
This person you love.
And then we extend that energy out further.
Bringing someone to mind now that is a bit neutral.
But maybe someone a bit different from you.
Someone you don't know a whole lot about.
And then we extend that energy out further.
The person that helps you at the grocery store.
The neighbor you only see occasionally,
You don't know much about them.
Bringing them to your awareness.
Repeat in your mind's eye,
May you be filled with loving-kindness.
May you be held in loving-kindness.
May you be held in loving-kindness.
May you feel connected and calm.
May you accept yourself exactly as you are.
Just like we want for ourselves,
This person we hardly know.
Say to them,
May you be free from suffering and safe from harm.
May you be happy and at ease.
With a big breath,
May you know the joy of being alive.
Whoever that person is,
Offer them a smile.
And now if it's possible,
If it's possible,
We want to bring to mind someone that we might have a more difficult relationship with.
In this case,
Someone from the other side of the political spectrum.
Someone you don't always feel sympathy for or compassion.
Maybe coming to mind as a leader.
Someone you really struggle with.
I ask you in this practice just to see if you can loosen a bit of the resentment or dislike that you might feel for this person.
Reminding ourselves,
They too are a whole being.
A person seeking for,
Hoping for,
And deserving of love and kindness.
Someone who also feels suffering.
Who wants to avoid hardship.
Who has had many life experiences that have led them to believe what they do.
We just want to see if it's possible to extend to this person these words of loving kindness.
So really bring them to your mind,
Be with them.
And we say,
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be held in loving kindness.
May you feel connected and calm.
May you accept yourself exactly as you are.
May you be free from suffering and safe from harm.
May you be happy and at ease.
And may you know the joy of being alive.
Taking a big,
Deep breath in through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
Deep breath in through the nose.
And exhaling.
The final step in this practice,
We want to broaden our awareness out in all directions.
To ourselves,
To our loved one,
To that neighbor,
To that person who we struggle with.
To all citizens of our country.
To all of humanity around the globe.
To the plants and animals and waters and earth.
To all that is,
That is life,
That brings life.
May all beings be filled with loving kindness.
May all beings be free from suffering and safe from harm.
May all beings awaken and be free.
May all beings be happy and at ease.
May we all be happy and feel peace.
And know that loving kindness is always available.
We have it to receive and we have it to give.
So maybe bringing a hand to your heart.
Just feeling the energy of the heart.
Bringing that awareness,
That loving kindness back into yourself.
It's extended out so far.
Just be with that.
Feel that.
Breathe into that.
And know that by practicing loving kindness,
We can truly change hearts.
We can change minds.
We can change the world.
Gently bringing your hand down to rest.
Taking a big inhale,
Exhale out through the mouth.
Just noticing the silence.
What message is,
What truth is here for you in this moment?
Maybe bring a gentle smile to your lips.
In gratitude.
And in anticipation of the day that is before you.
