My name is Lodi Roberts.
I'm going to be leading you through a loving-kindness practice.
This practice is about cultivating compassion,
Love,
Kindness,
Friendliness that's within us all.
It's about bringing it to mind and seeing what arises.
So taking a comfortable seat or maybe you'd like to lie down.
A position where you're comfortable and your spine is long.
Starting to close down the eyes and drop into your body.
Get a sense of the ground beneath you,
Supporting you.
And start to gently scan through the body.
Maybe noticing any points of tension that might be present.
And seeing if you can just soften them,
Maybe using the breath to do so.
Start to get a sense of the whole body right here in this moment.
And then shifting your attention to your breath for a few moments.
Just taking a few deep breaths to start with,
So breathing in deeply.
And then exhaling fully.
Get a sense of the body as it breathes in.
And then as it breathes out.
And then returning the breath back to normal,
Just noticing the sensations again as you breathe in.
And as you breathe out.
So inviting you to bring to mind somebody that you have gratefulness and love for.
It may be a child,
A family member,
A partner,
A friend.
Or it may even be a pet,
A dog,
A cat.
Just a being that you have an expansive warmth of feeling towards.
And noticing as you bring that being to mind what happens in the body,
What sensations you might notice.
Maybe a warmth.
Maybe you notice a smile starts to happen.
As you visualize this person,
This being.
Just noticing the sensations that arise when you bring this being to mind.
And then starting to send them your good intentions.
So maybe repeating in your mind.
May you be loved.
May you be happy.
May you find peace and a sense of ease.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be healthy and strong.
And just noticing what it feels like to send these intentions.
Continuing to visualize this person that you have deep affection,
Fondness,
Love towards.
And then maybe exploring what it feels like for them to return those intentions towards you.
Receiving love.
Receiving intentions of happiness.
Safety.
Protection.
Seeing what arises.
And knowing if at any time that you find it difficult to identify and notice these sensations.
That's all information too.
Or maybe if you notice your mind wandering elsewhere.
Seeing if you can gently guide it back,
Either to the breath.
Or bringing that loved one to mind.
And now starting to bring those warm intentions towards yourself.
Visualizing yourself as you are in this moment.
And sending intentions of loving kindness towards yourself.
By saying,
May I be loved.
May I be happy.
May I be safe and protected.
May I live with peace and ease.
May I accept myself as I am.
And noticing what comes up when you turn these intentions towards yourself.
How do they land?
What do you notice?
Difficulty.
Ease.
All information.
Now maybe bringing to mind someone that you have some difficulty with.
Maybe some challenge with in your relationship with them.
Nothing too big,
Abrupt,
But just something where there's some underlying challenge.
And starting to cultivate feelings of warmth and compassion,
Kindness towards them.
By saying,
May you be happy.
May you be loved.
May you be safe and protected.
May you live with peace and ease.
May you be healthy and strong.
Noticing what it's like to send those loving and kind intentions towards them.
And now picturing a group of people that you may know and have varying relationships.
Maybe you know them well.
Maybe you're just acquaintances.
Just a large group of people sending that warmth and love out to them.
May you be happy.
May you be loved.
May you live with peace and ease.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be healthy and strong.
And starting to expand that feeling of warmth,
Compassion,
Kindness.
Letting it radiate out further.
Maybe as far and wide as the town you live in.
Maybe farther than that.
Just expanding it out as far as you can imagine.
And all the beings within that.
And sending your intentions of loving kindness to them.
May they be happy.
May they be loved.
May they live with peace and ease.
May they be safe and protected.
May they be healthy and strong.
Now tuning back into the body.
Noting a sense of the sensations that I hear for you right now.
Seeing what you notice.
Noticing what may or may not have changed.
Starting to become aware of yourself sitting or lying here right now.
The body breathing.
The bell.
