Embodying Lovingkindness (Meditation Only)

Ram Dass says, “I love everything, love everything I can be aware of. I just love, just love, just love.” Lovingkindness is the ability to see all beings and all of life, including yourself, with kind, friendly eyes. This less guided, 35-minute long meditation on lovingkindness aims to cultivate this ability further.
This meditation was originally offered to Mudita Mindfulness Community on March 17, 2021.

Transcript

So I will invite you to find a posture that will feel supportive for you during this meditation.

We're going to be practicing for about half an hour.

So when you feel you have your posture you can notice if it's helpful for you to close your eyes or to lower your gaze.

How might you turn your attention inward?

So as you begin you might bring a gentle and caring attention to the anchor or anchors of your choice.

These anchor points might be your breath,

Your hands or your feet,

The sense of gravity or the center line of your body,

Or the sounds you're hearing.

When you find your anchor that works for you today,

You might set an intention to keep your attention on this anchor point for a few minutes here.

And if the attention wanders away,

Which it likely will,

You might set an intention to continuously and gently bring it back to your anchor point.

So you might find that you do this dance between your anchor and going away and coming back to your anchor many many times.

That's okay,

You might remind yourself that this coming back is the practice.

When you feel ready,

You might this time bring the attention into the middle of your chest or the heart area.

And as you focus the loving attention here,

You might also care for yourself.

You might investigate how does the heart feel today.

And you might begin to connect yourself to a sense of loving,

A sense of kindness and friendliness that resides in this area of your body.

And if this is not the area of your body that carries these emotions for you,

That's okay,

You might focus the attention somewhere else,

Maybe the body as a whole or your hands and arms.

Finding that place in your body that helps you connect to a sense of love and care.

When we practice loving kindness,

We sometimes get identified with the self,

The self that is being kind or loving.

So instead of that in this practice you might see if it's possible to embody this love and kindness that you might be finding in your body that resides in your body.

You might whisper to yourself the following words,

I am loving awareness a few times.

I am loving awareness.

I am loving awareness.

I am loving awareness.

And you might imagine that you are breathing in love and breathing out love.

And you might explore what other imagery or which other words help you connect to this embodiment of loving awareness.

And you might see what arises for you as you sit like this.

What does your mind create?

What comes up in your heart?

And what calls your attention in your body?

For example,

There might be a river of thoughts in the mind and you might see if it's possible to witness this river of thinking and to notice how you are not this river of thoughts.

You are you witnessing this river of thoughts.

And then you might whisper again,

I am loving awareness or any other images or words that help you connect to the sense of embodying love and kindness.

And you might become aware of this river of thoughts as loving awareness itself.

Similarly,

There might be a sense of loneliness or worry in the heart.

And so you might again witness these emotions and whisper,

I am loving awareness and be lovingly aware of these emotions.

And whatever is there in the body,

Maybe a sense of fatigue or discomfort somewhere.

Again,

Whispering,

I am loving awareness that is becoming aware of these sensations in my body.

And so you might explore how might you cultivate this awareness of everything that comes up in your heart,

Mind and body.

And this practice of loving all of it.

Of embodying this love and kindness.

Of being this love and kindness that is becoming aware of all of these experiences.

This is a practice and so it might not feel a particular way,

Might not feel really loving or comfortable or happy.

And so you might see if it's possible to take it on as a practice with curiosity and openness,

Allowing the practice to unfold as it will.

And so for a few more minutes here,

Imagining this loving awareness or kindness and friendliness is radiating outward from your heart and chest area or from your body.

And touching all of the objects and experiences and beings around you.

Ram Dass says,

I love everything,

Love everything I can be aware of.

I just love,

Just love,

Just love.

So you might explore for yourself,

Is it possible to just love?

To approach with kindness and friendliness.

Allowing all experiences to be there and letting them belong,

Letting them be a part of this moment.

Sure.

And now in the next portion of this practice,

You might see if you would like to stay with your current practice of embodying this loving kindness.

And if so,

You might just tune out my voice and continue on this practice and this exploration.

Or if you would like to bring this loving kindness,

Attitude and energy toward some beings in your life.

And if yes,

Then you might maybe begin with yourself.

You might take a moment here to remember the good within you.

You might remember something good and kind that you did recently.

Maybe you gave something up,

Maybe you helped someone,

Maybe you cared for something.

You might notice your desire and aspiration for a happy and honorable life.

Or you might just notice how this loving awareness resides in your body.

It's something you feel in your heart and chest area or your body as a whole.

And then to add an active element to this practice,

You might make some good and kind wishes for yourself.

Maybe you might put a hand on your heart if that feels good.

And you might just whisper,

May I be at ease,

May I feel safe,

May I feel strong,

May I be held in love.

And you might add any other wishes.

Just taking a moment to actively care for yourself and actively make good wishes for your own being.

And when you feel ready,

You might let go of yourself and this time bring to mind a benefactor,

A teacher,

A mentor,

A parent who helped you,

Who took care of you.

And you might become lovingly aware of them and the goodness and the kindness in them.

You might remember how they helped you or their aspirations for a happy and balanced life.

And you might again maybe picture how this loving awareness resides in their body as well.

And again,

You might say the same wishes for them.

May you feel at ease,

May you feel safe,

May you feel strong,

May you be held in love.

You might repeat these wishes for them or add any other that you would like.

Again,

Noticing how this feels in your body,

What's coming up for you when you actively send these good wishes for this being.

So when you feel ready,

You might let go of this benefactor.

And this time you might see if you'd like to bring to mind a beloved,

A dear friend.

And again here,

You might connect to what is good in this being.

Their inherent goodness,

Their aspiration for a happy and balanced life.

Or maybe how they cared for you or how you care for them.

And how this loving kindness,

This loving awareness resides in their body as well.

And then you might make the same active wishes for them.

May you be at ease,

May you feel safe,

May you feel strong,

May you be held in love.

Repeating these wishes again or adding new ones that resonate with your heart in this moment.

And as you do so,

Paying attention again to your body and noticing what comes up for you.

So so When you feel ready,

You might let go of this friend and come back again to this sense of loving kindness and loving awareness in your own body,

In your own being.

And you might open up your awareness to include yourself,

This benefactor and this friend,

As well as all beings everywhere.

Beings you are neutral about,

Beings you have difficulties with,

Beings you don't even know about,

You have never seen or met.

All humans,

All animals and plants and minerals,

In every direction,

In every direction,

Expanding into the universe.

And so you might again imagine yourself as loving awareness,

As love.

And you might visualize if it helps you,

This energy emanating from you,

In every direction and reaching all beings everywhere.

And you might actively wish for them,

May all beings be at ease,

May all beings be safe,

May all beings be strong,

May all beings be held in love.

You might repeat these phrases or any other you would like to add.

As always,

Keeping a part of your attention on your body and noticing what does it feel like for you to send these good wishes.

What are the qualities of your presence right now?

What feels challenging,

If anything?

And is it possible to hold those challenges in the same spirit of friendliness and love as well?

So so so as Ram Dass says,

Loving everything you can be aware of,

Just loving,

Just loving,

Just loving.

So in the final moments of this practice,

You might now simply let go of the practice.

You might relax,

Bring your attention to a gentle place like your anchor,

And just noticing what's present for you right now and relaxing until you hear a bell.

So