This practice is about recognizing the shared desire in each and every one of us to be happy,
To be safe,
And to be at peace.
Let's get started.
Take a deep breath,
Settle into your space,
And we're going to jump into the practice.
So ideally you will sit in such a way that the heart is open,
The spine is gently lengthened,
But that you're also relaxed.
So you can relax against your chair.
Ideally the head should be free for meditation.
And we just want to start by allowing ourselves to switch from our usual mode of doing to non-doing,
To simply being.
And just begin to connect with your body,
Bring your attention to your breathing.
You might find it easier to focus if you close your eyes,
Or if you at least take a very soft downward gaze to limit the visual input.
And just begin to follow your breath as it comes in and out of your body,
Without trying to change it.
So we're not trying to control the breath,
But just being aware of it.
Also being aware of any feelings associated with the rising and falling of the breath.
And just begin to give your full attention to each in-breath,
And then to each out-breath.
Taking this moment to remind yourself that you are here,
You are alive,
And whole,
And safe.
In this moment.
And each time you notice your mind wandering off to think of other things,
As the mind will do,
Simply acknowledge it,
And then turn your attention back to the practice.
Noticing the rising and falling of the breath.
And I'd like you to start now by bringing to mind a person,
Or even a pet,
For whom you are happy to see,
And that you have deep feelings of love for.
So just imagine or sense this person,
Or this pet,
This family member perhaps,
This loved one,
And notice the feelings that you have for them,
How they arise in your body.
It might be that a little smile spreads across your face.
It may be a warmth that you feel in your body or around your heart when you bring them to mind.
Whatever it is,
Just allow that feeling to be felt as you call to your attention someone that you love,
Someone that's very dear to you.
And just imagine sending wishes of well-being to them by saying to yourself,
As you picture sending this to them,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease,
Picturing them receiving your wishes for them.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease.
And taking just a few minutes now to feel how it is to wish these things for your dear loved one.
Letting yourself have the sense of the wishes for well-being emanating from you to them,
Connecting you to them.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease.
Simply noticing how it feels inside you as you send these wishes of well-being to this person you love or you care about.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
And may you be at ease.
And again,
Just picturing them receiving your wishes of wellness.
And now when you're ready,
See if you can imagine this same person or this same being in your life wishing these very same things for you,
Knowing that they have your well-being in their heart.
Imagine them saying to you,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy.
Picturing that loved one,
Even if it's your pet,
Picturing them sending you these well wishes.
May you be safe,
May you be at ease.
And just letting those feelings wash over you,
Feeling their unconditional love and caring for you,
Just as you send your own love and caring to them.
And see if you can begin to connect a little,
To feel these feelings of love and safety growing in you,
Knowing that there is nothing you need to do to deserve these feelings and wishes,
That they are given freely,
Without condition.
Seeing if you can connect to the meaning of these phrases,
Even if you might not feel all the safety and warmth within yourself right now,
But just connecting to that intention,
Knowing that just as you wish these things for those that you love,
That they wish them on you,
That they wish them also for you.
And now seeing if you can have these wishes for yourself,
Hearing yourself say to yourself,
May I be happy,
May I be healthy,
May I be safe,
May I be at ease.
You may have loved ones for whom it's also easy to have these wishes for additional people,
Could be children,
Family members,
Dear friends,
Again your beloved pets.
So saying to them in your own way and in your own words,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease.
Taking it in to your own heart and to your own being and also extending it out to others.
And if it feels right,
Seeing if there are even others in your life that you can extend these good wishes to,
Friends,
Co-workers,
Perhaps your neighbors,
Saying to them,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease.
And it might even be possible to extend this out even further to acquaintances,
People you know,
But you don't have a personal relationship with,
Perhaps the people you see around your town,
Or your more distant neighbors.
Even people you don't have strong feelings about,
Like the salesperson who checks your groceries.
Saying to these people,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease.
Sending these well wishes out into your whole community,
Even the people that you don't know.
And now remember the circle that began with yourself and the persons you love the most,
Your closest family and friends.
And then extending that circle to include all the many people you don't know,
Who may live far away,
Throughout the world,
In other countries,
In other cultures,
Saying to them all,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease.
And you could even imagine extending these wishes to include all living beings on our planet,
All the animals,
All the plants,
All the people,
All life on this beautiful planet,
Perhaps even beyond,
Including yourself.
May all beings be happy and healthy.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May we all live together in peace,
In ease,
And happiness.
Recognizing that just as you wish to be happy and healthy,
So do all beings.
Sending wishes of loving kindness to all.
May all beings be happy and healthy.
May we all be safe and protected.
May we all live together in peace,
In ease,
In happiness.
Including yourself,
Including all beings,
Sending this unconditional loving kindness and compassion to all.
Notice how your own heart feels.
Take time to appreciate and feel what you have generated through this practice.
And even if it's been difficult in parts of the practice,
Know that this practice has the potential to increase your sense of aliveness,
Of connection,
Of belonging,
Of love and compassion.
Even if it's hard to do at times,
Or hard to stay focused,
Or even if you think,
Well,
I don't know.
I don't know about those who seem to be my enemy.
Can I still extend that towards them?
Can I still recognize that some part of all of us wants to be healthy and safe and to experience peace?
And when you're ready,
Come back to just feeling your own physical presence,
Noticing the sensations of your body,
Making contact with your chair,
Perhaps your feet,
Making contact with the floor,
Feeling the alignment of your upper torso,
Your neck,
Your head.
And once again,
Just beginning to notice the movement of your own breath as it comes in and out of the body,
The breath itself bringing this aliveness and nourishment to your body.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
