Hi everybody,
Elaine here again.
I want to offer you another meditation.
I've heard from many of you that the last one I sent out was helpful.
So today I'm going to offer you a meditation on loving-kindness.
This is a well-known meditation.
I'm sure many of you have done it before.
It has its origins in the Buddhist tradition,
But you don't have to be Buddhist to practice it.
So find yourself a comfortable seat.
You can also practice lying down if that's better for your body,
But if you're able to find a place where you can let your spine be straight but relaxed,
Maybe sitting in a chair or with your back leaning against something,
We'll start there.
Finding your spot and then just taking three deep breaths to kind of clear our energy out a little bit before we start this practice.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and then open your mouth.
Let that whole breath go.
Take another deep breath in,
Fill up,
Exhale,
Let it go.
One more full deep breath in,
Exhale,
Let that whole breath go.
And then from your seat,
Letting your right hand rest in your lap,
Turning your palm to face up and taking your left hand and gently pressing it over your heart center.
Breathing normally here,
Letting your awareness and attention turn inward,
Noticing the rhythm of your own natural breath and noticing where you might feel it the most.
So maybe that's in your chest or in your belly or where the air moves in and out through your nose and mouth.
There's no right and no wrong.
Just notice and tune into that place where you feel your breathing.
So as we begin our loving kindness meditation,
We start with ourselves.
And by starting with ourselves,
The theory is that the benefits of this meditation practice help you and then you can help others.
It's like putting the oxygen mask on yourself first.
So with your left hand gently resting at your heart space,
I will repeat a phrase and you can repeat it either silently out or out loud,
Whatever makes the most sense to you.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer danger.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
Next calling to mind,
Someone that you love very much,
Someone in your life who is very important to you.
And we'll send this meditation out to that person.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
And lastly,
We'll send this loving kindness intention out to the people in our community who aren't able to stay at home,
To health care workers and public servants,
People who are hard at work in grocery stores and pharmacies,
People who are keeping our community going and offering support through their jobs,
People who are putting them their own lives in danger to help other people.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Resting your left hand down on your lap,
Palms facing up.
Take a moment to sit with this,
Allowing the energy of your own heart to pour out to people who need it.
I'll close this meditation with a beautiful poem by Lisa McCrowan.
So again,
Bringing your left hand to your heart center and connecting here.
This poem is called Love Starts Here by Lisa McCrowan.
Love starts here,
Gently placing your own hand on your heart,
Feeling this breath as it arises,
Full or shallow,
And loving what is,
However it is within you.
And then slowly,
From such radical acceptance,
Love begins to flow again within you and all around you.
An abundant blessing at the breakfast table,
The post office,
And the commuter train.
Love starts here in this moment,
This choice to soften,
Open,
And connect to your breath and your beloved.
Feeling yourself finally beginning to let go and let love in.
And then slowly,
From such radical compassion,
Kindness lights a path into the dark crevices of your inner landscape.
The stone walls around your heart begin to crumble,
Revealing a soft tender heart that pulses with the light of the stars and longs to breathe and shine its light into this hungry world.
Gently blinking,
Your eyes opened,
Stretching your arms up overhead.
Take a deep breath in,
Bring your palms to touch,
And draw your hands to your heart center.
From my heart to yours,
Yogi friends,
Be safe,
Be well,
And I hope to see you soon.
Namaste.
