Namaste.
Welcome to the loving kindness meditation derived from the word metta,
Buddha's ancient Pali language.
The idea is to allow ourself to connect with our heart center,
To tap into evocative and subtle emotions of consideration,
Kindness,
Generosity,
And good wishes towards others,
Treating ourself as well as others with compassion.
As we explore our compassion levels for all beings and observe the sensations that arise as a result of them,
We must remember to be without judgment.
Let everything rise to the surface,
Acknowledge,
And let it go with love.
And to remember that we all have amazing stories and surfaced from situations that have shaped us into the beautiful beings that we are.
By keeping our minds relaxed and grateful in these trying times rather than agitated and angry,
We must ask ourself,
Can we allow ourself a few minutes to recharge?
Take a break from the incessant chatter that goes on in our head.
So now as I pause in my speech,
Notice where your mind went for that duration of silence.
As it waiting with no thoughts,
Just for a few seconds.
On the next breath you take in,
Notice where your mind is focused.
Exhale deeply and exhale slowly.
Take another breath in and exhale.
For the next few breaths,
Focus on any sensations that arise in the body without judgment.
Allowing the sensations to rise and pass away,
Observe what they feel like.
Bring your awareness to your chest,
Heart center,
The Anahata chakra.
Think of a person or your pet that you have a deep connection with,
A feeling of pure love.
Realize them standing in front of you inside a circle of love.
Tap into your heart center,
The Anahata chakra,
And think of them as you repeat in your mind the following statements.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from hatred,
Ill will,
And animosity.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Imagine your loved one in front of you being bathed in a glow of love and light.
Think of a person who is a neutral figure in your life,
Someone who doesn't evoke any particularly strong positive or negative feeling within you.
This could be the person at the grocery store,
Someone you see regularly but don't really converse with or have a relationship with as such,
A stranger,
A neighbor who lives down the road.
Invite them to join your loved one in the circle.
Bring your awareness back to your heart center,
The Anahata chakra.
Repeat the statements while thinking of both them and your loved one.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from hatred,
Ill will,
And animosity.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Visualize your loved one and the neutral person being bathed in a glow of love and light.
Now think of someone who you have difficulties with,
A person with whom there has been friction,
Disagreement,
Someone who annoys you or triggers you.
Imagine them joining the circle.
Take a few seconds and really touch upon your heart and remember that they too have people who love them the way that you are loved and loved back.
And repeat the sentences with them,
The neutral person and your loved one in your heart center.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from hatred,
Ill will,
And animosity.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Visualize your loved one,
The neutral person,
And the difficult person being bathed in a glow of love and light.
Step into the circle and join your loved one,
The neutral person and the difficult person,
Becoming a bit of a picnic.
Imagine that you are holding hands,
Breathing in the same loving kindness.
You too deserve the same love and kindness.
Repeat the sentences whilst thinking of yourself,
The neutral person and your loved one in your heart center.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from hatred,
Ill will,
And animosity.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and healthy.
Visualize yourself,
Your loved one,
The neutral person,
And the difficult person being bathed in a glow of love and light.
Finally imagine the circle expanding to include all beings that reside in all directions,
From the ones in close proximity all the way out to the furthest reaches of the land,
No matter where they are or who they are,
Irrespective of their differences or conflicts that we may have.
At the end of the day,
We all want one thing,
To be free of suffering,
Be free from hatred,
Ill will,
And animosity,
To be happy,
Safe,
And healthy.
And now bring your awareness back to your chest,
The heart center,
The Anahata chakra,
And tap into the sensations that you might be feeling as a result of the matter,
Loving kindness that we have extended.
Namaste.
