Hi,
It's Jordana here,
And welcome to your loving-kindness meditation.
I made this practice a little shorter than other loving-kindness meditations I have,
Because my hope is that with the length and potency of this meditation,
You'll want to do it every day.
This is the kind of meditation that can truly change your life when you do it with consistency.
So I'm glad you're here.
Find a comfortable position.
You can sit upright or lay down.
And close your eyes if that feels comfortable.
And just to land here,
Take a slow breath in through the nose,
And a long,
Unhurried breath out through the mouth.
Feel the ground beneath you supporting your weight.
And with each breath,
Let your shoulders soften,
Your jaw and your belly ease.
And perhaps the mind can even begin to soften and settle.
To arrive here,
I'd like you to bring someone to mind who easily warms your heart.
Perhaps this is a dear friend,
A loved one,
A baby,
Even a pet.
They can be alive or maybe they've passed.
Whoever comes to mind first,
Let yourself land there,
And picture them as vividly as you can,
Their face,
Their presence.
And sense a gentle warmth glowing in your chest as you silently offer them these wishes.
You can repeat them in your mind or out loud if you feel comfortable.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful in mind and body.
May you know that you are loved.
With each breath,
Imagine the warmth in your chest flowing outward towards them,
Like a soft light that surrounds them in kindness.
And now a difficult person.
I'd like you to invite into your awareness someone who you've had some conflict with or distance.
Notice any feelings that arise,
And know that there's no need to push any feelings away or judge those feelings.
And remember that just like you and those you really care for,
This person just wants to feel safe and loved.
So gently offer them these words.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace in mind and body.
May you be free from unnecessary suffering.
And really feel that the warmth and glow of light that you carry can envelope them and soften the load that they may carry.
Things you may not understand,
But that cause them to feel pain and to suffer.
And right here,
You're not excusing any harm that they may have done towards you.
You're simply wishing for the ease of their heart and your own.
So taking a long breath in,
Cleansing that energy,
And knowing that this person is better off and so are you for these kind wishes.
And now I'd like you to bring the focus back to you,
Back to your breath.
The breath flowing in and the breath flowing out,
And to your beating heart that has been quietly offering love in this practice.
I'd like you to imagine that the same warm light that you beamed out is coming down from the heavens and surrounding you,
Blanketing you,
And creating an aura of warm,
Kind,
Glowing light all around you.
And to yourself,
You share the words,
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be peaceful in mind and body,
May I accept myself as I am,
Worthy of love.
If this self-kindness feels challenging,
Just rest with the breath flowing in and out,
Maybe bringing a hand to your heart or your belly,
And know that even allowing a small spark of this gentle energy is a beautiful place to be today.
And here with all this good energy,
With this aura of warm light expanding around you,
Emanating from you,
I'd like you to imagine that it could expand outward as vast as possible to the people around you who you see each day or encounter,
To your neighborhood,
Your workplace,
To your whole city.
And as you breathe in and out,
Imagine this glow,
This light stretching as far as possible across rivers,
Oceans,
That it could reach every being on this planet,
All those who are suffering,
To feel the warmth of your loving intention.
And offer these words,
May all beings be safe,
May all beings be healthy,
May all beings be peaceful and have ease,
May all beings experience love and compassion.
Slowly return your attention to your breath.
Feel the ease of inhaling and exhaling.
Notice any softness in your heart,
And let's take one last slow breath together.
Breathing in and gently releasing out,
May you carry this spirit of loving kindness with you as you move into the rest of the day.
May your energy be uplifted,
And may you uplift others just by having practiced and by doing your best,
By being you.
Whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
