Meditation: Loving Kindness

(ocean waves) Jai and welcome. (inhales) We're gonna spend some time working on a loving kindness meditation also known as metta. And I think this is a really wonderful practice to help us become more intuned, more compassionate, and more loving to ourselves as well as our bodies. I think it's a great way to counter any of the inner criticisms that we have towards ourselves throughout the day. This can be practiced in the morning, during the day, or in the evening.

But make sure that you have a comfortable seat. Finding a bolster or a blanket, you could even sit in a chair. You could lie supine. You could lie on your back. You could be in your bed.

Doesn't really matter. But this is a time where you can find rest and I'm going to be reading to you a meditation that you can repeat either in your head or state it out loud. Kind of like a call and response. So find your seat. Remove your fabulousness out from underneath you.

Find your sitz bones. Lean into your spine. Close your eyes. And relax. Find your breath.

Connect inward. Bring your awareness to your heart space. Can you sense into your heart? And when you dive into this muscle, can you find an image or a person that you love that is special to you that has meaning in your life. And you might in your awareness see their face.

And just notice as you think of this person how your heart might respond. You might feel love. You might feel a pitter patter. And keep their face in mind as we approach this loving kindness mediation. May they trust their body and intuition.

May they be filled with presence and peace. May they release life's invitation to grip. May they hold space for their heart to receive and give love. May they show compassion and kindness for their body, mind, and spirit. No matter how it shows up.

May they be safe and protected. May they be contented and pleased. May their bodies support them with strength. May they be happy. May they be healthy and may they live with ease.

Deep inhale (inhales). Open the mouth and exhale (exhales). With that same love and kindness that you were able to send to a loved one, I would like for you to turn that empathy inward to yourself. To find that love through this meditation. Either closing the eyes or having a soft gaze and that similar call and response.

May I trust my body and intuition. May I be filled with presence and peace. May I release life's invitation to grip. May I hold space for my heart to receive and give love. May I show compassion for my body, my mind, and my spirit no matter how it shows up.

May I be safe and protected. May I be contented and pleased. May my body support me with strength. May I be happy. May I be healthy.

May I live my life with ease. Deep inhale (inhales). Open the mouth and exhale (exhales). And finally, we'll present this meditation to all beings. To the whole world.

So that they may too find love and compassion for themselves. Closing the eyes or having a soft gaze. May all beings trust their body and intuition. May all beings be filled with loving presence and peace. May all beings release life's invitation to grip.

May all beings hold space for their heart to receive and give love. May all beings show compassion to their body, mind, and spirit no matter how it shows up. May all beings be safe and protected. May all beings be contented and pleased. May all beings find body support with strength.

May all beings find happiness. May all beings find health. And may all beings live their life with ease. Deep inhale (inhales). Open the mouth and exhale (exhales).

Bring one hand to your heart and one hand to your belly. Taking in the meditation. Feeling its resonance. Feeling its love and compassion. And then taking the hands to the heart and Anjali mudra prayer.

Feeling the soft bow of the brain towards the heart and the heart expanding out towards the body. Feeling the love. Sending the love. And letting it rest upon the heart to take with you off of the mat. Thank you so much for your practice.

Namaste.