Welcome friends,
I'm Luquan.
Today we will be practicing the loving kindness meditation.
In this meditation,
We begin with ourselves and then move on to someone we love,
Then to people who touches our lives.
Allow yourself to be comfortable and we'll get started.
As you begin,
I invite you to sit in a comfortable position with your feet flat on the ground.
Keep your spine nice and straight but without strain.
Tuck your chin slightly and guide your shoulders away from your ears.
You can also choose to lay down on your back.
Make sure your legs are unbend or uncrossed,
Your arms at your side.
Feel yourself centered and grounded.
And now close your eyes and bring up a joyful smile.
Take a few deep breaths to relax your body.
Notice the air flowing in through your nose and softly let it out through your mouth.
Feel the gentle rise and falls of your chest and your abdominals.
And feel your energy settling into your body in this moment.
Let's begin by bringing your attention to the center of your chest where your heart resides.
If you feel a tightness in that area,
Begin to soften the edges around it.
You might find it helpful to place one or both of your hands over your heart and extend that sincere smile from your face to your heart.
Allow the tenderness to wrap around your heart.
As you do so,
Say to yourself quietly and sincerely,
May I be healthy,
May I be happy,
May I be peaceful,
And may I be loved.
It might be difficult to say these words to yourself.
Let the feelings wash over you and continue to repeat these words.
May I be healthy,
May I be happy,
May I be peaceful,
May I be loved.
Allow yourself to begin to experience the feeling of warmth and confidence as you repeat these phrases.
May I be healthy,
May I be happy,
May I be peaceful,
May I be loved.
Feel the warmth and love being absorbed into your body and mind.
Now bring to mind someone who you love and care about deeply,
One or many.
It can be a friend,
A family member,
Or someone you have great respect for.
Say their names to yourself,
Feel their feelings,
Hold them in your mind's eye and in your heart.
Direct loving kindness towards them.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
As you repeat these words,
Feel your entire body immersing in wonderful joy as it reaches out from your heart to every cell in your body.
Visualize it radiating out of your body and wrapping around this person.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
With each wish,
Imagine them being filled with your love,
Kindness,
And joy.
Imagine them smiling at you and nodding their head.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
Think of someone you considered an acquaintance,
Someone you don't know very well,
A cashier,
Or someone who delivers your takeouts.
Your feeling towards this person is neutral.
Hold this person's image in your mind and direct your loving kindness towards this person.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
With each breath,
Like these words and feeling of warmth,
The love and care radiates out from your heart to every cell in your body.
Visualize it radiating out of your body,
Reaching towards this person.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
With each wish,
Imagine that this person is receiving your love,
Kindness,
And joy,
And it is wrapping around their body and mind.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
Be in this loving moment.
Think of someone who challenges you,
Or someone you have conflict with.
A family member,
A friend,
Or a colleague.
Someone you are experiencing difficulty with.
Say their names,
Picture this person in your mind's eye.
See if you can offer this person the same loving kindness.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
Sending this person loving and kind wishes might not be easy.
First,
Focus on using your exhalation to release yourself any frustration or hostility you might be holding onto.
Let these feelings wash over you and continue to wish this person loving and kindness.
Do not be self-critical if this is hard for you.
Be gentle and kind to yourself.
Just continue to say,
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
Notice how it feels when you liberate yourself from those uneasy feelings.
In turn,
Offering loving and kindness to this person you had conflict with.
Find peace in your mind as you repeat these words.
Begin to feel the joy in your heart.
Feel it as it radiates from your heart to every cell in your body.
Then visualize it radiating out of your body and touching this person.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
With each wish,
Imagine this person is receiving your love,
Joy,
And compassion.
And it encloses their body and spirit.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
Be in this loving moment.
Now visualize kindness,
Love,
Happiness,
Well-being,
And peace from your heart out to the person you have difficulties with,
The person you feel neutral about,
The person you love,
And yourself.
May you be healthy,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful,
May you be loved.
Take three gentle breaths here.
Return to the current space and time.
And bring with you the feelings of kindness,
Peace,
Well-being,
Love,
And happiness.
Carry it with you and share it with others.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes and stretch out your body.
