Loving Kindness, Intermediate

Transcription

Let’s begin by taking a moment to settle your body into a comfortable position. You may close your eyes or keep them slightly open with a soft focus looking downward a few feet in front of you (2 seconds). Allow your spine to lift and your shoulders to soften (5 seconds).

Today we will practice loving kindness.In this practice we generate a wish of well-being for ourselves and for others (2 seconds). Take a full breath in (2 seconds)and a long slow breath out (5 seconds).Feel yourself seated (2 seconds)and present in this moment (5 seconds).

Let’s begin by offering wishes of well-being to ourselves (2 seconds).Today we’ll use the following phrases,though in the future you may use whatever words are most meaningful to you (5 seconds). May I be well (2 seconds).

May I be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).May I be happy (10 seconds).Repeat these phrases and invite your heart to open to accept them (5 seconds).

May I be well (2 seconds).May I be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).May I be happy (10 seconds).And bring to mind someone close to you that you care about deeply (2 seconds).

Maybe a friend, or a family member,maybe a teacher or someone who’s helped you (2 seconds).Imagine that person sitting in front of you right now (2 seconds).Think of what you wish for them (2 seconds).May you be well (2 seconds).

May you be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).May you be happy (2 seconds)or any other words that express what you wish for them (2 seconds).Imagine them receiving your wishes for well-being (10 seconds).

Now bring to mind someone who’s having a difficult timewho perhaps has experienced loss, or is struggling with illness,

or maybe having a hard time at work (2 seconds). Imagine that person sitting in front of you.

May you be well (2 seconds).May you be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).

May you be happy (2 seconds)

or any other words that express what you wish for them (10 seconds).

Now bring to mind someone you see regularly in your life but for whom you haven’t had much interaction with. Maybe you’ve never spoken (2 seconds).Imagine that person sitting in front of you.

May you be well (2 seconds).

May you be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).May you be happy (5 seconds).If you’d like bring to mind someone with whom you’ve had some difficultyand offer them the words, “may you be well (2 seconds),may you be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds),may you be happy.” (10 seconds)

Now let’s extend your wishes to everyone near you right now.May they be well (2 seconds).May they be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).May they be happy (2 seconds).Think of your friends and your family (5 seconds).May they be well (2 seconds).

May they be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).May they be happy (10 seconds).Everyone you know, everyone who’s a part of your life, may they be well (2 seconds), may they be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds),may they be happy (10 seconds).

Extend your wishes beyond the place where you are,beyond the people you know, to extend over the entire earth,all people, all animals, all life (2 seconds).May all beings be well (2 seconds),may they be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds),may they be happy (10 seconds).

Feeling this sense of well wishing extending out from you in all directions (2 seconds). Notice how you feel in this moment, the sensations in your body,and the quality of your mind (5 seconds).And again wish for yourself (2 seconds).May I be well (2 seconds).

May I be safe and free from suffering (2 seconds).May I be happy (2 seconds).If you’d like place a hand on your heart as you say these words to yourself (10 seconds).

Breathing in fully (2 seconds)and breathing out fully (2 seconds).

Allow yourself to be present (2 seconds),

complete (2 seconds), here (10 seconds).Whatever your experience was during this meditation,this practice offers benefits (2 seconds).

Even if you weren’t always able to feel the well wishesor experienced some resistance that’s okay (2 seconds).Simply come back to your intention to practice and experience love and kindness in whatever way you were able and in whatever way feels right to you (5 seconds).

Finish with a full deep breath in (2 seconds)and a long slow breath out. (5 seconds)*ding* (15 seconds)

Integrated Practice:

3 sincere compliments/acknowledgments: Make an effort to appreciate 3 people today who have impacted your life positively. This may be a co-worker who has helped you, or a friend who listened, or a family member who supported you. Acknowledge their efforts and the impact it had on you (either directly to them or just in writing for yourself).

Reflection Questions:

What impact does this have on the rest of your day?