And welcome to the session.
I invite you to lie down or take a seat.
And get yourself comfortable.
Close down the eyes if you wish.
And begin taking some slow,
Deep breaths in through the nose.
Today we're going to be practicing something called a meta-meditation.
Or lovingkindness.
Every tradition that offers mindfulness.
Every book.
Every teacher that I've come across.
They teach mindfulness practice.
The returning of focus back to the present moment.
Of the acceptance of reality.
But all of them.
Without exception.
End their book.
And their teachings with.
A loving-kindness practice.
Sometimes it's an afterthought.
Sometimes offered as a balm to heal the deep inner work we're doing.
So there's something there to explore.
At its core,
A loving-kindness meditation.
A Metta Meditation.
Involves us.
Ourselves.
Someone else?
The world all living beings in the heart space.
And offering them love.
Compassion.
Some people will believe that this is like a prayer.
This practice will help that person.
Other people will believe or hold that it's you working on softening your own heart.
Helping you to better act in the world.
I'm not sure.
I'm agnostic.
But what I do know is,
Is that the more that I practice metameditation,
The better my relationships are with myself.
And with the world.
There's a calming,
A soothing,
A releasing,
And a softening.
So we'll explore this practice today.
Traditionally,
You begin by working with yourself.
But I've found that Picturing someone or starting with someone that is easy to love.
Is a good first step.
Someone,
Or maybe a pet.
Picture that person.
Hold that person in your mind's eye.
Hold them in your heart space.
And just begin by sending them love.
Compassion.
Could come in the form of a feeling.
Of visualization.
But perhaps with the words.
Or the intention behind the words.
May you be free.
May be free of suffering.
May you be full of loving kindness.
May you be happy.
May you be free of ill will.
May you be free of suffering.
May you be full of loving kindness.
May you be happy.
May you be free of ill will.
May you be free of suffering.
May you be full of love and kindness.
May you be happy.
Now you can stay with that person if you like.
But I encourage you to consider moving on to holding yourself in this space.
You in this moment.
You over a lifespan.
Or you as the newborn baby.
Once again,
Offing the visualization.
Offering the feelings.
Offering the words or the intention behind the words.
May I be free of suffering.
May I be free of ill will.
May I be full of loving kindness.
May I be happy.
May I be free of ill will.
May I be free of suffering.
May I be full of lovingkindness.
May I be happy.
May I be free of ill will.
May I be free of suffering.
May I be full of lovingkindness.
May I be happy.
And then moving on.
If you like,
Or staying with yourself.
Moving on to the world.
Perhaps to all living beings.
Everyone.
You imagine a world in which or living beings.
We're full of love.
We're happy.
We're free of ill will,
Free of suffering.
Wouldn't that be a beautiful place?
Once again,
We're not aiming for a global transformation.
It might be ideal.
We're doing self-work.
We're softening our own heart.
Opening ourselves up.
Perhaps offering.
A prayer.
Or intention.
So either working with a person with yourself.
With the world.
With all living beings.
Even with the universe.
Once again offering the visualization.
The feeling.
The words,
Or the intention behind the words.
May all living beings.
Be free of ill will.
May they be free of suffering.
May they be full of lovingkindness.
May they be happy.
May all living beings be free of ill will.
May they be free of suffering.
May they be full of lovingkindness.
May they be happy.
My all living beings.
Be free of ill will.
May they be free of suffering.
May they be full of lovingkindness.
May they be happy.
This practice of metta meditation.
Loving-kindness meditation.
Can be practiced on its own.
This practice can be practiced on its own.
It can also be practiced.
A addendum.
As a finishing up from your mindfulness or from another practice you've been doing.
You do your practice.
Gone through the process,
Whatever that is.
And then you sit at the end.
Offering love to the self.
To another,
Or to the world.
I encourage you to explore it.
Over time.
It will deeply soften and release.
But it might feel a little bit forced or cliche at the start.
That's okay.
Like every practice we do here.
It is skills development.
It is practice.
And over time you will eventually realize that indeed you do wish.
For freedom of suffering,
Freedom of ill will,
Being full of loving kindness and being happy.
To everyone.
There is a suggestion to start this process by working on either yourself.
Or someone that is easy to love.
But then extending it.
Extending it to strangers.
Extending it to acquaintances.
Extending it even to people that have wronged you.
Or people that are wronging you.
And that can be the tricky one.
It's not necessarily about forgiveness.
But it is about the offering of them reducing their own internal suffering.
Because the chances are that if that person was free of ill will,
Was free of suffering,
Was full of love and kindness,
And was happy.
They'd be acting differently.
That's one to work on over time,
More of an advanced process.
Either way.
I want to thank you for joining in on this session.
May you be free of ill will.
May you be free of suffering.
May you be full of loving kindness.
May you be happy.
We'll see you in the next session.
