We first covered loving kindness meditation last week. As I explained then, many people struggle with giving and accepting love for themselves, no matter how loving they are towards other people. For some reason, we’re our own worst critics. We talk negatively about ourselves, put ourselves down in a way we’d never tolerate from someone else – and if we saw someone else doing it, we’d tell them to stop. 

It can be incredibly difficult to change this programming. When you’re used to feeling negatively about yourself, it’s hard to start giving yourself credit for all the wonderful things you do. But if you can be loving towards others, you are more than capable of being loving towards yourself – you just need to develop that habit. 

If you found last week’s meditation tough, you might want to continue working with that script until it becomes easier to accept love.

If you would like to expand on that practice, we’re going to build on it this week to send love to someone who you know but aren’t particularly close to. 

Find somewhere quiet where you will be free from distractions for a few minutes and make yourself comfortable. Turn your attention to your breath. Notice how it flows in and out without trying to control or change it in any way. Simply observe the movement of the breath for a moment as you begin to relax.

When you are ready, with your next inhalation, start to feel yourself filling with love and gratitude. With every exhalation, breathe out any stress or tension, becoming more and more relaxed. With every inhalation, breathe in more and more love and gratitude until you are filled with loving kindness and peace.

As you enjoy this wonderful feeling of loving kindness, say to yourself, may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I always be at peace. May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I always be be at peace. May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I always be at peace.  Stay here for a moment, repeating those words to yourself.

Now think of a person who is important to you, someone you care about who has impacted on your life in a positive way. Hold them in your heart as you send loving kindness towards them, feeling gratitude for their presence in your life. Say to yourself, may they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be at peace. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be at peace. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be peace.

Stay here for a moment, sending them loving kindness and gratitude as you continue to repeat those words to yourself.

Now think of a person you know but aren’t particularly close to. Maybe they are a colleague of yours, someone you were at school with, or someone you know on social media. Hold them in your heart as you send loving kindness towards them, feeling gratitude for their presence in your life. Say to yourself, may they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be at peace. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be at peace. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be peace.

Stay here for a moment, sending them loving kindness and gratitude as you continue to repeat those words to yourself.

Know that someone somewhere in the world is doing this meditation right now with you. Send loving kindness to them as you receive the loving kindness they are sending to you. Say to yourself, may they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be at peace. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be at peace. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they always be peace.

Stay here for a moment, sending them loving kindness and gratitude as you continue to repeat those words to yourself.

When you are ready, start to move your fingers, wriggle your toes, stretch and open your eyes. 

If you would like to expand on this some more, we’ll be doing some work on this with the heart chakra at the next chakra dance meditation online class. Come join us!