I'm Kate James and this is the loving kindness meditation.
Fall into a comfortable position either sitting or lying down.
Close your eyes now and you may like to rest one or both hands over your heart area.
Scan across your body and bring some softness into any of the areas that feel tight.
On your next exhale breathe away any worries or concerns from your day and allow yourself to be fully present to the experience of cultivating loving kindness.
As we go through the meditation you might like to imagine that each in-breath expands your capacity for compassion.
Not just for others but for yourself too.
Imagine by bringing to your mind the image of yourself as a five year old.
Imagine this tiny version of you standing in front of you and imagine that the adult version of you extends your hands out to this child and takes their hands in yours.
Look into that child's eyes and extend the love and compassion you know that they're worthy of.
Repeating these words under your breath.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
You might like to imagine that you hold that child in your arms or bring them down to a tiny figure that you can place inside your adult heart.
Next bring to mind the image of a person you find easy to love.
This person will be someone close to you.
A friend or a family member.
Imagine them standing in front of you now and let the corners of your mouth turn up as you smile at them.
Notice how your heart opens a little more as you become aware of the expanding feelings of love.
Breathe in the sensation of loving compassion and take it into every cell in your body.
With this person still in your mind,
Feel a sense of deep gratitude for the gift of their love.
And repeat these words softly as you extend these wishes.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
May you have peace in your life.
Savour the feelings of love that arise and imagine these words being warmly received.
Now bring to your mind all of the people who are close to you.
And imagine that you extend the same love and compassion to them too.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
May you be well.
And may you have love and may you have peace in your life.
Become aware of the shifting energy in your body as you connect with the feeling of compassion.
Be aware of your heart opening as you sense that this loving kindness is received by others.
Next,
Bring to mind all of the people you come into contact with every day.
Maybe the colleagues you work with,
Your neighbours,
The people who serve you in your cafe or your local store.
Think of anyone you interact with during your day.
And keep these people in your awareness as you extend these good wishes.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
If it feels safe to do so,
You might even want to extend the same wish to someone you find a little more difficult to deal with.
Maybe it's someone you've had a misunderstanding with.
As you do this,
It might help to remember that just like you,
They want to be loved.
And just like you,
They're hoping to live a peaceful life.
May you be well and may you have love and may you have peace in your life.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
Now let's imagine that we can extend this to all of the beings on our planet.
To those whose lives are in danger.
To those who are hungry or suffering in some way.
To those who live in different cultures and may have different beliefs to our own.
With an open heart,
Notice how easy it is to let judgement fall away and wish for an end to all suffering.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
May you be well.
May you have love and may you have peace in your life.
Feeling an abundance of loving energy around you now.
Remind yourself that you too are worthy of this same compassion and kindness.
The more easily you can welcome this loving kindness into your heart,
The more you'll have to share with others.
May I be well.
May I have love.
And may I have peace in my life.
May I be well.
May I have love.
And may I have peace in my life.
Take a moment to appreciate the feelings of warmth that have been generated through this practice.
Feel a sense of gratitude for the connection and belonging that comes about when we keep our hearts open.
Take a deep breath in now and breathe out.
Notice how you feel after this meditation.
And imagine you can take these feelings into your day.
And when you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes.
And pay no attention to what hind legs you're pulling by.
You
