Welcome to our practice of loving-kindness under the full moon.
I'll invite you to get nice and comfortable.
Really building your nest and sinking into it.
Seeing just how comfortable you can get in this moment.
Really taking the time to get it right.
Allowing your body to be held.
And as you're ready,
You can close down your eyes or soften your gaze if you prefer that.
You might imagine the full moon above you,
Like a quiet,
Luminous friend.
It's light spilling gently over your shoulders,
Down your chest,
All the way into your heart.
Taking a slow breath in through your nose.
And a long,
Easy exhale out of your mouth or nose.
Let's take three more settling breaths together.
Inhaling into the belly and sighing it out.
Inhaling again into the belly.
Exhaling and softening your jaw and your shoulders.
Inhaling generously.
And as you exhale,
Letting the day melt just a little bit more.
Feeling the contact points of your body,
Your seat,
Your feet,
Your back,
Your hands.
Imagining a soft,
Silver thread of moonlight dropping from the full moon down through the crown of your head,
Down your spine,
Into your seat,
And all the way into the earth.
On each exhale,
Feel yourself gently anchored,
Supported by something bigger than you,
Yet also within you.
And if it feels okay,
Bringing one hand to your heart,
Or maybe one to your heart and one to your belly.
Just noticing your own presence,
The warmth of your hand,
The simple fact that you're here.
Do you might quietly ask,
What part of me is most in need of kindness at this time?
No need to figure it out.
Just listen and feel.
Loving kindness is a practice of offering good wishes,
First to ourselves and then outward,
Like ripples on a lake.
We're not trying to manufacture a feeling.
We're simply planting seeds,
Gently repeating words of care and letting them land where they can.
If the phrases don't feel true yet,
That's okay.
Think of them as invitations,
Not demands.
I'll offer some simple phrases.
You can use mine or quietly adjust them to fit your own language.
The phrases I will use are these ones.
May I be safe.
May I be held in compassion.
May I be at ease.
May I remember my own light.
We'll offer these to ourselves,
Someone we love,
A neutral person,
Someone we find challenging and all beings under the same full moon.
So allowing your awareness to rest gently at your heart.
If it feels okay,
Imagine that full moon rising inside your chest,
A soft silver glow,
Not harsh,
Not too bright,
Just enough to gently illuminate you from within.
Silently or softly repeating after me,
May I be safe.
May I be held in compassion.
May I be at ease.
May I remember my own light.
Take your time,
Phrase by phrase.
I'll leave some spacious pauses for you to repeat them in your own rhythm.
May I be safe.
May I be held in compassion.
May I be at ease.
May I remember my own light.
You might picture this kindness flowing specifically toward the part of you that feels most tender at this time,
The tired one,
The anxious one,
The overwhelmed one,
The one trying to hold so much.
As you breathe in,
Imagine drawing in moonlight.
As you breathe out,
Imagine that light settling into the cells of your body.
Again,
Repeating,
May I be safe.
May I be held in compassion.
May I be at ease.
May I remember my own light.
If it feels difficult to offer these wishes to yourself,
That's okay.
You can imagine the full moon whispering them for you until you're ready.
Now allowing someone you care about to come to mind.
This could be a friend,
A partner,
A child,
A mentor,
Or even an animal.
Someone who is relatively easy to feel warmth toward.
See them as if bathed in the same moonlight.
Notice their face,
Their presence,
Their energy.
And when you're ready,
Silently offering these phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be held in compassion.
May you be at ease.
May you remember your own light.
Imagine the words arriving at their heart like soft beams of light.
No pressure or fixing,
Just blessing.
Repeating the phrases again in your own rhythm.
May you be safe.
May you be held in compassion.
May you be at ease.
May you remember your own light.
If you notice your heart softening,
Or if tears come,
That is welcome.
If you feel numb or flapped,
That's welcome too.
The practice is in the offering,
Not in trying to feel a certain way.
And bringing to mind someone neutral.
Maybe a neighbor,
A barista,
A bus driver,
Someone you see online.
A face you pass in your daily life but don't know well.
We don't know their story,
Their joys,
Or their burdens.
We just know they are human under the same full moon.
Visualize that person in front of you,
Gently lit by that same silvery glow.
Then offer the phrases,
May you be safe.
May you be held in compassion.
May you be at ease.
May you remember your own light.
Allowing yourself to feel the tenderness of wishing well for someone you barely know.
May you be safe.
May you be held in compassion.
May you be at ease.
May you remember your own light.
Next,
If it feels safe enough,
Let a difficult person come to mind.
Someone who triggers irritation,
Hurt,
Or tension.
Please choose someone of moderate difficulty.
Not the person who has harmed you the most.
And not a severe trauma figure.
We're not bypassing or excusing harm here.
This is simply a gentle stretch of the heart.
See them at a distance that feels okay for you.
You can imagine them farther away or surrounded by a protective bubble.
Remember,
This is not about liking them or condoning their behavior.
It's just acknowledging that,
Like you,
They too experience pain,
Confusion,
And longing.
So if it feels okay,
You can offer the phrases.
Just like me,
May you be safe.
Just like me,
May you be held in compassion.
Just like me,
May you find moments of ease.
Just like me,
May you remember your own light.
If this feels too activating,
You can shift back to sending these wishes to yourself instead.
That is absolutely valid and a perfect way to practice.
Just like me,
May you feel safe.
Just like me,
May you be held in compassion.
Just like me,
May you find moments of ease.
Just like me,
May you remember your own light.
And now,
Allowing the boundaries to soften.
Feel yourself sitting wherever you are.
And imagine zooming out.
Your home,
Your street,
Your city,
Your country.
The earth beneath us.
Turning under the same night sky.
Seeing the full moon hanging above the planet.
Shining on oceans,
Forests,
Deserts,
Skyscrapers.
Tiny apartments and quiet bedrooms.
All around the world,
Beings are feeling joy,
Fear,
Grief,
Tenderness and hope.
From your heart to the heart of all beings,
Quietly offer,
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be held in compassion.
May all beings be at ease.
May all beings remember their own light.
Imagine this blessing circling the globe like a ring of moonlight.
And also looping back,
Returning gently to your own heart.
May all of us be safe.
May all of us be held in compassion.
May all of us be at ease.
May all of us remember our own light.
Bringing your awareness back to your chest.
Noticing what's here now.
No need to judge it or label it,
Just feel.
Maybe there's a sense of warmth,
Spaciousness,
Maybe not much at all.
Whatever you're noticing,
You might silently say,
Thank you,
Heart,
For showing up in this exact way.
Take a deeper breath in.
And a long breath out.
Beginning to notice the sounds around you.
The temperature of the air on your skin.
The support beneath you.
If your eyes are closed,
You might slowly let a little more light in.
Blinking gently.
You might roll your shoulders,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
And as we close,
You're welcome to place a hand on your heart once more and offer a final blessing to yourself.
May I carry this kindness forward.
First to me,
And then to others.
In my own imperfect human way.
Thank you for sharing this full moon moment together.
May the light you've touched tonight ripple out into your relationships,
Your choices,
And your rest.
I'm so honored to practice with all of you.
Thank you.
