Hi,
I'm Laura Hayes.
We're here together for a brief loving-kindness meditation.
This is a simple practice to help you strengthen compassion,
Starting with yourself and also extending outward.
If you're not familiar with this,
Loving-kindness meditation has been shown to help reduce stress,
Increase feelings of connection,
And gently shift the way we relate to ourselves and to others.
So begin by finding a comfortable position and gently close your eyes if that feels right for you.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and a long,
Smooth exhale out through your mouth.
Do that again.
Slow breath in and an easy exhale out.
Let your shoulders soften,
Unclench your jaw,
And allow your body to arrive right here,
Right now.
Now bring your attention to the steady rhythm of your breath,
Not changing it at all,
Just noticing it,
The natural rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.
Now bring awareness to your heart space.
You can even bring your hand to your heart or just imagine breathing in and out through the center of your chest.
You don't need to feel anything special.
We'll begin by offering kindness to yourself right here as you are.
As you breathe,
Silently repeat these phrases and just let them land in whatever words feel most natural.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be at ease.
May I feel supported and whole.
Now as you say these words,
Notice if there's any resistance,
And if there is,
That's okay.
Kindness doesn't require you to be perfect.
And if your mind wanders,
Gently guide it back again and again to these intentions of care towards yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be at ease.
May I feel supported and whole.
Now bring to mind someone who feels easy to love.
Maybe that's a close friend,
A partner,
A child,
A mentor,
And picture them in your mind as clearly as you can.
Imagine their face,
Their presence,
Bring them to the front of your mind,
And then silently offer them the same wishes.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be at ease.
May you feel supported and whole.
Imagine these words reaching that person like a quiet warmth,
Without needing anything in return.
Now think of someone you don't know very well.
Maybe that's a colleague or a neighbor,
Someone you pass by but don't really interact with too often.
And offer them these same intentions.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be at ease.
May you feel supported and whole.
Notice how kindness doesn't need a story,
It can just simply exist.
Now if your mind has wandered,
Which is completely natural,
Just go ahead and bring it back to this moment,
To this space,
To your breath.
Now let's offer some kindness to someone challenging.
So bring to mind someone you've been struggling with.
Maybe not the hardest person in your life,
But someone you find challenging.
And holding them gently in awareness,
Repeat the phrases.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be at ease.
May you feel supported and whole.
And this isn't about agreement or approval.
It's about freeing yourself from carrying extra weight.
Bring your attention back to your heart space.
Now let these wishes expand beyond individuals.
To your family.
To your community.
And outward even further,
Perhaps to those across our country and beyond.
May we be safe.
May we be healthy.
May we be at ease.
May we feel supported and whole.
Feel the sense of shared humanity.
That we're all navigating something.
We all deserve a bit of love and kindness.
Now begin to bring your attention back to your breath.
Feel the surface beneath you.
Notice the space around you.
Letting your mind take in any sounds or scents.
Or stimulation that's happening around you.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
And I invite you to carry this intention of kindness with you,
Not as something you have to do,
But as something you can return to whenever you need it.
Thank you for sharing your time and your energy with me today.
Until next time.
