Loving kindness, a meditation

Focus on your breathing, just noticing the soft rising and falling of your belly, or the breath as it comes in at your nostrils.  Now be aware of yourself, and cultivate loving kindness towards yourself [pause]. Now extend loving kindness to someone you love [pause].  Now extend loving kindness to your particular group of friends [pause]. Now extend loving kindness to someone you have difficulty getting on with [pause]. Now extend loving kindness to the community you are part of here in the chapel [pause]. Now extend loving kindness to the whole world [pause].  Now bring it back to yourself and cultivate loving kindness towards yourself.  Now just breathe gently and normally, and run through the cycle of loving kindness again: self – beloved – friends – foe – community – the world [long pause].

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