A Short Loving-Kindness Meditation: Sharing Joy

.

So taking a posture that is perhaps a familiar posture for you,

The posture that you either sit in or stand in or walk in or lie down in for meditation.

And just settling in,

Taking a few minutes to settle in.

Bringing the attention to whatever anchor,

Whatever object of awareness most supports you,

Whether that's the breath or sound or sensations of the body,

Doing the body scan,

Whatever is most supportive for you.

And then I want to invite you to call to mind someone who you know is happy right now.

And let's take,

Let's make it an easy person,

Right?

So not someone whose happiness results from something that maybe you would never do or don't necessarily approve of.

But someone who you know is just having some happiness around something that you can really get behind.

Call that person to mind.

And see if you can see them almost right in front of you or in your mind's eye,

However you call up their image and see the happiness that they're experiencing.

You can visually see it.

It's helpful to pick someone who you already have a lot of happiness for.

So someone you care about.

Maybe a small child.

If you want,

You can even choose a pet.

You know that visual of your,

If you have a dog and they're just,

They're wagging their tails so hard that their whole back end of their body is wiggling.

And just let those mirror neurons flash.

In other words,

Let that happiness kind of soak in to you.

Take it in and if there's some resistance,

You can just notice that it's not a problem.

Just be happy that you're aware of the resistance that's perfect to just know that that's what's happening.

And then just say to this person or this being who's really happy and whose happiness you can pick up just by imagining or seeing them in your mind's eye,

In your own heart.

Just say to them silently,

May your happiness continue.

May your happiness increase.

May your happiness continue and may it increase.

And it's very helpful in this practice to add to your power the turning up of the ends of the mouth.

In other words,

Bring a smile.

So the practice.

You can almost laugh because it's so silly,

But at the same time,

It's so powerful.

To say,

May your happiness continue.

May it increase.

And now right before I ring the bell,

I'm just going to say,

Don't let this go and feel very free to take this with you into your day.

And to practice it on screen,

At home with the people you're at home with,

Out on the road if you're driving,

In your office if you're going in.