To begin the practice of loving kindness,
Settle into a soft and easy spot where you can relax deeply.
Just rest.
Inhale fully,
Exhale deeply,
And let everything go.
Feel the earth beneath you and let yourself grow quiet and heavy as you surrender to gravity's embrace.
Soften your shoulders,
Your throat,
Your belly.
Relax all the muscles of your back from the nape of your neck right down to the base of your tail.
Really sink down onto the support beneath you so that you can feel very,
Very grounded and present.
Let go of everything that can be let go of.
For these next few moments,
Release your fierce clutch on the particulars of your own life and turn your gaze inward.
Just notice what is,
What you hear,
What you feel,
What you sense.
Notice the breath as it flows beautifully through you,
Mysteriously,
Miraculously,
Without you having to do anything at all.
Notice your heart beating and the pulse of that heartbeat resonating all throughout your body.
Perhaps you even sense a deeper sense of life percolating through your whole being.
Minute by minute,
Let the stillness of the body lure the mind into an easier and quieter place.
Just let everything be.
Listen,
Rest and be present.
When you're ready,
Gently gather your awareness toward the center of your chest,
Toward your heart.
Just let your inner gaze rest there.
Let your heart be like a magnet drawing all of your energies inward toward the depths of your being and feel into this beautiful and tender part of who you are.
Let's begin by offering loving kindness toward yourself.
Offer up a little tenderness and care toward your own beautiful being.
Give yourself a break,
A little acknowledgement of reassurance and support.
You might even not like to offer loving kindness phrases toward yourself.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
Just as a best friend would offer you a warm smile and a supportive hand,
Offer yourself tender mercy and gentle love.
Rest in that beautiful oasis of love and peace that you've offered up for yourself.
Let it hold you,
Carry you,
Nourish you.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
When you're ready,
Offer that same spirit of support and loving kindness outward toward the world around you.
You may hear a knock on the door of your awareness perhaps and when you open that door,
Someone you know is standing at the threshold.
Invite this person in into the circle of your loving kindness.
Wish this person well.
Offer them kindness and tender mercy.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
Let a feeling of community and good heart settle in between you and your guest.
And then at some point,
You'll hear another knock on the door of your awareness and you'll open the door and find another person standing there on the threshold.
Welcome this person in.
Invite them to have a seat at the table.
Wish that person well as well.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
Just hold that person in your loving awareness and wish them well.
There's surely room for another in your circle of love so you might welcome a soul.
Regardless of who knocks,
Your job is to be a gracious host,
To welcome your guest with care and goodwill.
May you be filled with loving kindness and may you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
And before you finish,
You might just take a gaze around the circle of creatures you've pulled into your awareness and smile.
Enjoy this makeshift and perhaps surprising community you've created just by welcoming into your field of view whoever has found their way to the door of your awareness.
May all of you be filled with loving kindness.
May all of you be well.
May all of you be peaceful and at ease.
And may all of you be happy.
Just rest in those feelings of kindness and care and offer them up to those you're holding in your heart.
And then finally extend your feelings of kindness and love to everyone everywhere.
To your family,
Your friends,
Your community,
The whole world.
May we all be well.
May we all be peaceful and at ease.
May we all be happy.
May all beings everywhere be filled with loving kindness.
May we all be well.
May we all be peaceful and at ease.
May we all be happy.
And when you're ready just let go of all that.
Just quietly breathe and be.
Notice the sensations you feel within and around you.
Let any tenderness and warmth and love you feel settle deep into your being,
Nourishing and sustaining you.
Invite those feelings too to flow outward from your core in all directions,
Offering up a little more love and support to the whole wide world.
Just for a few last breaths,
Savoring any well-being you may have found.
And when you're ready,
Gather yourself back up and head back out into the world with a mind that is clear and with a heart filled with love.
