So today I want to share with you a nice meditation to warm our hearts,
A metta meditation,
A loving-kindness meditation.
So let's arrange ourselves to begin.
Maybe you'd like to sit on a pillow or in a chair.
Or maybe you'd like to lie down.
Please make yourself comfortable.
And as you make yourself comfortable,
Please be sure that you're warm,
You're in a space that's nice and quiet.
And so let's begin.
Thank you for being here.
It's always such a gift when any of us choose to practice loving-kindness.
And so let's acknowledge as we begin how special our hearts are to bring us here.
Thank you,
Dear heart.
So now that you're comfortable and you've thanked your dear heart,
Let's bring our awareness to the breath.
And just become very aware of the breath moving in.
And become very aware of the breath moving out.
And perhaps you do this by just simply thanking each side of the breath.
Thank you for this in-breath.
Thank you for this out-breath.
Breathing in,
Thank you.
Breathing out,
Thank you.
And isn't it wonderful that there's a reason to be grateful for every in-breath and every out-breath?
And so now,
My dear friend,
Deepen your in-breath so that it arrives into the space of your heart center.
And then lengthen gently your out-breath to move from the heart center back up towards the nostrils and out of the body.
And so breathing in a thankful breath all the way to the heart.
And breathing out a grateful breath,
Relieving the heart of anything that may presently burden it.
Breathing in,
Thankful for this nourishing in-breath to the heart.
And breathing out,
Thankful for this relieving out-breath to unburden the heart.
Do a couple more breaths like that,
Please.
And now,
My dear friend,
Please allow your attention to rest in the space of your dear heart.
And let's call to mind the face of someone we really love.
And let's bring just the tiniest hint of a smile to our lips,
Because isn't it so wonderful to encounter the face of this person we love so much,
Even in our imagination?
Every smile.
See this person and notice that this wonderful person also has a small smile,
So happy they are to be with you.
So as you see this wonderful friend,
Let's offer them this prayer.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel my love.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel well-loved.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be loved.
And just send this prayer to your wonderful loved one,
And feel in your heart its response.
And now we can be grateful for this friend,
And now we can call to mind another friend.
This time,
Let's call to mind a stranger.
Someone we may have seen today for the first time,
And just fleeting.
Maybe it was someone at the store or on the road.
You pass this person on the sidewalk,
And somehow they caught your eye.
And let's remember that small smile and bring it to our lips.
And we might notice the small smile on stranger's face.
Maybe they're surprised to be seen,
But happy.
And let's see what it's like to offer this prayer to this new friend.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel my love.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel well-loved.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be loved.
And just check in once again with your dear heart as you send this prayer to your new friend.
And now let's call to mind,
Please,
Someone who perhaps is challenging us lately.
Maybe our relationship is a little bit strained.
Maybe this person is upset with us,
Or maybe we feel upset.
And let's bring this small smile to our face.
And as we bring this friend into view,
Let's see that they too reflect our small smile.
And let's offer them our prayer.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel my love.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel well-loved.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be loved.
And just feel once again the effect on your heart sharing this prayer.
And now,
My dear friend,
Let's call to mind someone very close to you.
Let's call you to mind.
And so let's put that small smile on our lips and notice it reflected in our own face.
And we may be happy to be here seen by ourselves.
We may also be slightly surprised or uncertain.
And that's okay.
Let's still offer ourselves this prayer.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we feel our love.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we feel well-loved.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be loved.
And let's just feel what it's like to pray for ourselves as we pray for others.
And now,
My dear friends,
We're all in this together.
And so let's expand our perspective now.
And let's take in as much of the world as we're willing,
Maybe your whole household or your whole neighborhood,
The community where you live,
The city,
Your whole nation or every living creature on earth,
Every creature that has been born and gone,
And see what it's like to expand our perspective and reach as broadly as we will.
And let's pray together.
May we all be well.
May we all be happy.
May we all be at peace.
May we all feel our love.
May we all be well.
May we all be happy.
May we all be at peace.
May we all feel well-loved.
May we all be well.
May we all be happy.
May we all be at peace.
May we all be loved.
Let's sit quietly for a moment together as love.
Thank you,
My dear friend,
For taking the time,
For making the space to share your love and kindness with everyone,
With the whole world.
Please feel my love for you,
Too.
