Let's just gently move back to the seat you have before your screen and we just
transition into a sitting meditation and we will sit here for like 30 minutes.
So the invitation is that you find a comfortable way of sitting and this will be a loving kindness
meditation which may be new for some of you.
So let's start this seat by arranging the body, making sure you are sitting comfortably,
with ease. If sitting is not appropriate for you right now,
you can do this meditation in any position, lying down or standing up.
You may gently close your eyes or just lower your gaze so that you don't look at the screen
to all of those pictures. And now let's turn our attention inward into the body.
Just noticing sensations allowing the body to be still and noticing the sensations from
head to toe, sensing the feet on the floor, noticing the stability and the connection with
the floor.
Bringing attention to how the chair or the cushion is supporting us as we make contact with
the seat of the chair.
Bringing our attention to the hands,
sense of touch
as you place your hands on your knees or on your lap.
And then you may notice that the body sitting here is breathing.
So you may bring attention to the breath.
The breath which is always here, always available to use as an anchor, as a touch point, as a home
base to come back to, to bring your attention to this moment.
And wherever you notice that you sense the breath the most easily, whether it's at your
nostrils or at the chest or the belly, you may bring your attention there.
Staying with the whole cycle of the breath.
No need to do anything about that.
No need to change it.
No need to control it.
We are here only to observe, to be with those sensations.
To notice the ever-changing nature of the breath.
And the comfort and stability it brings us.
We are now sitting here.
Being with the breath.
Breathing in.
Knowing that you are breathing in.
And breathing out.
Knowing that you are breathing out.
Bringing full awareness to this moment and whenever you notice that the mind has wandered
off, just gently, kindly, patiently, guide your attention back to this moment.
Nothing went wrong, no need for any judgment.
We are just practicing to be here in this moment.
And now we will transition into a loving-kindness meditation, when we just tap into our natural
resources of kindness, compassion, friendliness.
And we just grow and nurture our capacity to have a good intention to all beings, including
ourself.
So we will do this practice by recalling the appearance, the image of some groups of people
and ourselves, and then bring up some simple phrases expressing our goodwill, kindness and
friendliness.
And direct these phrases to other groups of people and ourselves.
And if you feel that you feel mixed feelings about this practice, you have some judgments
coming up, that's fine.
Just try it with open mind and then go with whatever sensations come up for you.
There is no need to force anything or judge yourself. So let's start by recalling the appearance of loved ones, close friends or family members or
your pet, beings who are very close to your heart.
And this can be one being or a group of beings.
And recalling the appearance of these loved ones.
Imagine if they are sitting across you and smiling at you.
And you may bring up these simple phrases directing toward them to express your feelings.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you feel at ease.
And may you be loved and careful.
And if you find your own words, your own words, your own phrases, which express these sentiments better,
please use your own words.
May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you feel at ease.
May you be loved and cared for.
And now, allow the image of the loved ones to just float away, feel in the background.
And let's turn to ourself.
And let's bring up the same kind of friendliness, kindness, compassion, and direct all these phrases toward ourself.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I feel at ease.
And if you wish you can put a hand on your chest just to give a comforting, reassuring, friendly touch. May I be safe, may I be healthy, may I feel at ease, may I be loved and cared for.
May I be safe, may I be healthy, may I feel at ease, may I be loved and cared for.
Now let's gently, kindly shift attention.
Let's recall the images of some people whom you have seen several times, you may not really know them.
Some people from the neighborhood, or maybe the place where you work, or maybe someone from the grocery store.
A person whose story, whose life you are not familiar with.
And let's bring up the same phrases expressing your good intention, your kindness, your compassion, your friendliness directed to this person or these people.
May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you feel at ease, may you be loved and cared for.
Now let's gently, kindly allow the image of this person or these people to fade in the background.
And let's try now together a difficult thing.
And if you cannot be with this completely, that's completely fine.
Let's just attempt to recall the appearance of a difficult person, someone whom you disagree with.
Or maybe you have some conflict.
And this doesn't mean that you agree with that person or you approve what the person is doing.
But just let's attempt to bring up some general feeling of goodwill toward this difficult person,
knowing that he or she is a human being as we are and have difficulties in life.
So recalling the image of a difficult person, let's bring up these phrases, sending our general good intention.
May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you feel at ease, may you be loved and cared for.
And notice when some resistance comes up in the mind, that's fine, no need for judgment.
May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you feel at ease. May you be loved and cared for.
Now let's allow the image of the difficult person
fade in the background.
And let's just bring into mind people all around the world who are suffering these days.
Suffering because of natural disasters or violent conflicts.
People all around in the world having really, really difficult times.
And thinking of all of these people, let's bring up our phrases expressing kindness, compassion, goodwill toward all these human beings.
May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you feel at ease, may you be loved and cared for.
And finally, let's open our lens as wide as possible, including all fellow humans and, if you wish, all beings on this planet.
Everyone we are sharing this beautiful planet with.
As if you are looking at Earth from a spaceship and see this wonderful planet with all the inhabitants.
And sending your goodwill, your compassion and kindness to everyone here.
May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you feel at ease, may you be loved and cared for.
And you may imagine that all these wishes of health, happiness, all this good intention, friendliness, kindness, compassion, just ripples out, just radiates from you to all directions.
Surrounding, enveloping everyone, it is general goodwill.
Now let's gently bring back attention to the body.
And sit here with sensations in the body from head to toe, being with this body at this moment with all the sensations as you are sitting and breathing here.
And if you wish you may, now narrow the focus of your attention.
Narrow to the anchor you like to use, whether it's sensations of your breath or sensations in the feet or the hands, if observing the breath is not the most appropriate or comfortable for you at this time,
just sitting here, surrounding yourself with your kindness, patience and compassion too, as you are practicing to be present in this moment.
And kindly, patiently, compassionately, compassionately guiding your attention back to the present moment, where you notice that your mind is wandering around.
Practicing with gratitude toward your practice.
Being in this moment.
With kindness toward everything.
Sitting here, focusing on the breath, more sensations of the feet or the hands, training
the mind and training the heart.
Breathing in and breathing out, the open-minded curiosity, staying with how it feels to breathe in
and what are the sensations of breathing out.
Being with the experience of not doing anything, just being with ourselves, with our body,
with our mind.
And befriending ourselves, being our best friends, sitting here, being present.
And gently bring attention back and start to focus on our ankle again and again.
Always kind and patient.
Training the mind as you train a really lovely puppy dog to sit.
Come back to this point.
Come back to my breath.
And use your strategies if you are getting sleepy, you may practice with open eyes.
Focusing on one point.
Sitting here with the breath, more sensations of the feet or the hands.
Always curiously.
Observing.
Exploring.
Learning.
Being what this moment brings.
And for the last few minutes of this practice, I suggest that you bring up your feelings
of thankfulness, gratitude toward your own practice.
How wonderful that you are dedicating your presence, your time, being here.
And also that we are here practicing together, and supporting each other's practice too.
So let's take a few more breaths together.
And now I invite you to gradually open your eyes if it was closed.