“May all beings be happy.”
This meditation line brings up so much for me. I cannot help but think of my yoga teacher, Barbara, when I hear this line. She was the first person to introduce me to a lovingkindness meditation and to Sharon Salzberg. Even during meditation, I can hear Barbara uttering these words to me as if we are sitting on our yoga mats at the end of a hot sweaty yoga practice. “May all beings be happy.”
Seeing the good in others has made me a softer person, a gentler person, and maybe even a more patient person. Throughout my life I have struggled with the strong force of negativity. When I began doing a lovingkindness meditation back in the early 2000’s, I definitely felt a shift in the way I process emotions, events, and other people. That shift continues today. It has been slow and gradual, but definitely a shift. I feel more compassionate these days…even for people I do not like! This type of meditation has always felt accessible to me, and it’s the meditation I always introduce to others when they are considering a meditation practice. What a gift to be given such a simple but yet powerful practice. Thank you, Sharon!
