Before starting this meditation,
Take a few moments to find a comfortable posture.
You might want to lie down,
Or you might want to come to seated.
If you're coming to a seated position,
Then take a few moments to find a comfortable position where you feel like you can sit up tall,
The spine is lengthened,
The shoulders relaxed and the chest open.
Then when you're ready,
Start to close your eyes.
Tuning your attention inwards.
Starting to notice how you're feeling today.
We're going to go through a few different layers of experience,
And each time maintaining an attitude of openness,
Kindness and non-judgment to our own experience.
So first noticing how we're feeling within the body.
Any sense of openness,
Tension.
Noticing where our body touches the surface supporting us.
Where the fabric of our clothes might touch our skin.
Then moving to the layer of emotions.
Notice any emotions you may have come into this practice with.
Once again,
Without any judgment of anything that might be there,
Just noticing.
And how these emotions might manifest in the body.
Then moving to the layer of thought.
Notice any thoughts,
Any stories that may be present for you right now.
Maybe the mind feels particularly busy today,
Or maybe particularly calm.
Whichever it is,
Just notice it.
Now take a few moments just to notice our root.
The base of the hips,
The feet.
Our root which connects us into the earth,
Into the material.
Take a moment to tune into that center.
You might want to imagine roots going down from you into the earth.
Then moving up through the spine,
All the way up to the crown of the head.
To our crown center,
Connecting us up to the heavens.
And you might want to imagine a center of energy moving upwards.
Then from the crown,
We're going to move into the heart center.
The connector between these two,
Between the earth and the heavens.
And the seat of love and compassion for all beings.
And this is where we'll be spending the rest of this meditation.
Moving our attention into the heart space.
You might want to imagine it as a physical space.
Maybe it has a particular color.
Green,
Like the color of the heart chakra.
Maybe pink or red.
Or anything else that comes to you.
And in this heart space,
First start to see images of yourself.
Invite yourself completely into your own heart center.
These can be both images that you do like of yourself and ones that you don't.
Invite them both into your center,
Your heart space.
Then keeping these images of yourself in this heart space still,
We're going to move a little further outwards.
And start to invite the people closest to you into this space.
Maybe you see their faces.
Or you just feel their presence.
This could be your family.
Your best friends.
A partner.
Imagine all these people residing in your heart space.
And filled with the love that lives there.
Then expanding further outwards.
You might start to see more friends in this space.
Maybe friends you're not quite as close to.
Friends or family.
Those you may have drifted apart from.
See them in this heart space.
And filled with the love that resides there.
Then expanding further outwards still.
You might start to see colleagues from your workplace.
Your neighbors.
Then expanding further still.
Maybe you see acquaintances.
Maybe someone that you see on the train,
On your way to work,
But you've never spoken to.
Maybe people you've only met briefly.
At various events,
While traveling.
Or anywhere else.
Expanding even further outwards.
Start to invite in to your heart space people you've never met before.
Maybe people from other countries,
From different parts of this country.
Maybe family members you've never met.
And imagine this as inviting every person in the world into your heart space.
Then expanding even further still.
Inviting all living beings on earth into this heart space.
Inviting every animal on land.
In the sky.
In the ocean.
Into your heart space.
And holding every living being on earth in that space.
Then expanding even further to see the whole earth.
The whole earth in your heart space filled with the love that resides in there.
Knowing that you have that capacity to hold the whole earth within that space.
And to be able to act from this knowing.
Hold this image for as long as you'd like.
You can carry this image with you throughout your day.
Then when you're ready,
We're going to slowly start to come back.
Taking this attitude,
This awareness back with us.
Start to bring your awareness back into the room.
And the space around you.
Slowly start to deepen your breath.
Maybe you want to go through a few slow stretches.
Reaching the arms up overhead.
Leaning to each side.
Or twisting through the spine.
Then whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
And start to make your transition back into the rest of your day.
Thank you.
