This is a modified loving kindness meditation.
Arrange to be in a comfortable,
Comforting place where you will not be interrupted.
Position yourself in a stable,
Open posture that will support you for the duration of the session.
Use the breath to anchor yourself in the present moment.
Allow your experience.
Follow the instructions to the best of your ability and be curious about moments of distraction.
As with the yoga,
Work with gentle rigor at your limits and remember that your limits may change from day to day and moment to moment.
Trust your experience.
Breathe into it.
Open your heart to yourself and allow the process to unfold.
Go back in your memory and find an occasion when you felt deeply loved by someone,
When you felt really moved by the kindness,
Openness,
And generosity of love.
The person who loved you,
Your beloved,
Could be a mentor,
A teacher,
A friend,
A relative,
A child,
A pet,
Or a stranger in a moment of need.
Trust and work with whatever memory comes.
Do your best not to judge or second-guess.
Breathe and remember feeling loved.
You may wish to visualize your beloved and bring this person near to you now,
Or you may wish to say your beloved's name softly to yourself and recall his or her good qualities.
Remember a particular instance when this person showed you love and you felt that love vividly.
Take your time doing this.
Shaders Now,
Allow that feeling of being loved to arise again in your heart,
Infusing you with love and gratitude.
Feel again the truth that this person allowed you to experience,
That you are worthy of love,
Truly lovable.
Even though you may feel at times you have not been loved,
Or loved enough,
You are worthy enough,
You were loved genuinely on this remembered occasion,
And you are feeling that love now,
Surrounding you,
Infusing your entire being.
Feel the sensations in your body,
Your abdomen,
Your chest,
Your face.
Feel the emotions in your body,
Your abdomen,
Your chest,
Your face.
Feel the sensations in your body,
Your abdomen,
Your chest,
Your face.
Allow your heart to open now and extend love and gratitude toward the person who loved you.
Let your warmth and love envelop and fill this person.
Feel love returning to you,
Filling your heart.
Breathe into your experience.
Open your heart as much as possible.
Let loving-kindness flow between the two of you,
Gently and simply.
You may express a wish or prayer on behalf of yourself and your beloved.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved be happy.
May she be peaceful and at ease.
May he be filled with joy.
May she experience love.
Perhaps the feelings of love or gratitude you are experiencing now seem very slight or even non-existent.
That is fine.
There is no need for it to be different.
Trust your experience.
Continue breathing.
Know that love is flowing,
However imperceptible it may seem.
Open,
Gently open.
Repeat the wishes with each out-breath,
Alternating ones for yourself and ones for your beloved.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved be happy.
May she be peaceful and at ease.
May he be filled with joy.
May she experience love.
Soften to your experience,
Weeping,
Smiling,
Numbness,
Joy,
Grief.
It's all okay.
Breathing,
Opening and repeating the phrases in your own time,
In your own way.
May I be happy.
Soften to your experience,
Weeping,
Smiling,
Numbness,
Joy,
Grief.
It's all okay.
Now,
Visualize yourself as a baby or small child.
Visualize this child's innocence and beauty,
Her bright eyes,
His sweet smile.
Allow your heart to open now and extend love and gratitude toward this beloved child.
Let your warmth and love envelop and fill the beloved child you were.
Feel love returning to you from this beloved child.
Let it fill your heart.
Breathe into your experience.
Open your heart as much as possible.
Let loving kindness flow between the two of you,
Gently and simply.
You may express a wish or prayer on behalf of yourself and the beloved child you were.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved child be happy.
May he be peaceful and at ease.
May she be filled with joy.
May he experience love.
Be satisfied with your experience as it is.
Simply giving your attention to this practice is enough.
Continue to breathe and receive.
Allow the love to flow.
Open,
Gently open,
And repeat the wishes with each out-breath.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved child be happy.
May he be peaceful and at ease.
May she be filled with joy.
May he experience love.
May she be filled with joy.
Breathe into the feelings that accompany the repetitions of the wishes.
May I be happy.
May I experience love.
Now anchoring yourself in loving kindness,
Bring your attention to a trait or characteristic of yours which you dislike.
Judgment,
Arrogance,
Greed,
Fear,
Anger.
Remember a time when this trait or characteristic was prominent.
Visualize yourself judging or angry.
Feel into that experience.
Be aware of the physical sensations.
Note the thoughts.
Explore the layers of feelings.
Listen.
Allow your heart to open now and extend love and gratitude toward this beloved trait.
Let your warmth and love envelop and fill this beloved characteristic.
Do your best to stay with the practice.
Simply allow feelings of doubt and foolishness if they have arisen.
Breathe into your experience.
Open your heart as much as possible.
Let loving-kindness flow between you and the trait.
You may express a wish or prayer on behalf of yourself and the characteristic you dislike.
Let the phrasing be awkward.
Allow the practice to be humorous.
Continue to repeat the phrases with each out-breath.
No need to resist anything that arises.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May judgment be happy.
May judgment be peaceful and at ease.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment experience love.
May judgment be filled with joy.
Remain present for your experience as you repeat the phrases to yourself.
May I be happy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
You may also offer loving-kindness to other traits or characteristics.
Experiment with the phrasing.
Discover the words which allow you to experience love.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
Remember the love you have touched here may be accessed at any time,
In any circumstance,
Simply by repeating the wishes or prayers.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
Do this loving-kindness meditation as often as you wish.
Let it nourish you.
It will become more natural as you practice it.
And the sweetness it offers will be more accessible.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be peaceful and at ease.
May all beings be filled with joy.
May all beings experience love.
May all beings be filled with joy.
