Happiness In, Then Out

At the Culver Academy yesterday, we did a very simple meditation that anyone, regardless of their faith tradition, can do.

After settling into a meditation position that is comfortable for you, breathe in thinking “May I be happy.” Then, breathe out while thinking “May all beings be happy.”

That’s it!

First we take in happiness for ourselves. But we keep that happiness for the briefest of moments, and then we turn around and give it to all beings. So the happiness we create, we immediately share with everyone. The in-breath creates some tension as our diaphragm pulls air into our lungs on our thought of personal happiness. The out-breath releases the tension as we release the happiness with the thought that it will benefit all beings.