Welcome to this meditation,
My name is Oli and today we will be practicing loving-kindness meditation.
There is a saying,
You cannot give what you have not received,
You cannot share what you do not have.
The loving-kindness meditation is rooted in an ancient Buddhist practice called Kmeta.
It helps us cultivate self-compassion and compassion for others.
First,
We will practice awareness of the breath for a couple of minutes to center ourselves to our natural rhythm,
Then we will practice receiving loving-kindness for ourselves,
After that moving to give it to our loved ones,
People who may need loving-kindness at the moment,
Or perhaps some people that we have negative feelings about.
First,
Just get here,
Find a comfortable seated position that feels both relaxed and alert.
Keep your spine tall and straight,
Feet on the floor,
Ankles not crossed,
Palms on your knees or in the lap,
Facing up towards the sky or down towards the earth.
Take a few deep breaths,
Keep your eyes relaxed and closed or open,
Whichever feels more comfortable to you.
Allow yourself to disconnect from the outside world and turn your attention within.
Take a few breaths in and out at your own pace,
Gently and naturally.
I invite you to feel,
To sense how with each breath your body relaxes,
Beat by beat,
Part by part.
Releasing tension in the face,
Around the eyes,
In your shoulders,
In the back,
The whole body softens,
Relaxes,
While staying awake and alert,
Exhaling any tension your body may hold.
You are safe,
You are supported,
You are cared for.
Surround yourself with these beautiful feelings of gentle warmth and care for yourself and just simply sit with it for a few moments,
Like a warm and cozy cocoon.
Repeat these phrases to yourself a few times.
May I be free from all my negativity,
Ill will,
Fear,
Anger,
Worry and tension.
May I be free from all my negativity,
Ill will,
Fear,
Anger,
Worry and tension.
May I generate love and wisdom,
Peace and harmony.
May I generate love and wisdom,
Peace and harmony.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be safe.
May I be free.
May I live in harmony.
May I live in harmony.
May I live in harmony.
May I live in harmony.
May I live in harmony.
May I live in harmony.
Remember,
Or maybe your favorite animal can be anyone in whose presence mutual love flows freely.
Feel the goodness of this heart connection.
Repeat these phrases to yourself a few times.
And perhaps you would like to add anything else that person may need at the moment according to their personal situation.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be peaceful.
May you be well.
Now I invite you to think of someone in your life who might be struggling right now.
Sit them down in front of you and send them your well wishes with warmth and care.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be well.
Repeat your wishes two more times.
And now shift your attention to a person you have some negative feelings or memories about.
Perhaps someone you had a fight with,
An ex-partner,
Or someone who wasn't kind to you.
Try to sense any sensations in your body that may come up for you as you think of this person without judging or reacting,
Allowing things to be as they are.
And now with a balanced mind,
Try to include them in your well wishes and repeat.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be well.
Repeat a couple more times on your own.
Perhaps you will notice the feeling of liberation,
Lightness,
Or freedom as you send them your loving kindness.
Take that in.
Finally,
I invite you to include as many people as you can in your wishes.
It may be your close community,
Your city,
Or regions currently affected by war conflicts or natural disasters.
It can be anywhere in the world.
Simply maintain awareness of the presence of all of these living beings and send them your well wishes with a sincere and open heart.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be liberated.
Now,
I invite you to return to your breath as we close this practice.
Keep awareness of being present in your space.
Connected to all these beings through your wishes.
Become aware of your surroundings.
And wrap up your loving kindness meditation with a sense of gratitude for taking this time for the well-being of yourself and others.
In closing,
I would like to share a quote from Jung Cleopatra.
Peace makes you strong.
Hate reveals your emptiness.
Kindness feeds your happiness.
Anger reveals your fear.
Love makes you free.
Thank you for joining me for this meditation.
Let it support you through the rest of your day.
May you be well.
