Metta Meditation As you repeat the loving-kindness phrases to yourself,
Try to cultivate the feelings represented by the words,
Tuning in to the meaning of the words and intensifying those feelings within you.
Find a comfortable position with your back relatively upright yet relaxed.
Gently close your eyes and take a nice deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Allow your body to relax.
Take another deep,
Deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Allow your body to relax even further.
And take one more deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Allow your body to relax completely.
And now let your breathing find its own natural rhythm and pace over time.
And just check that your posture is comfortable.
Both feet are flat on the floor or your legs are crossed in front of you.
Your hands are resting wherever they're comfortable.
In this meditation,
You will use the loving-kindness poem with a visualization.
Visualize before you a setting sun.
The light from the sun is pleasantly warm,
And it gently shines the orangish color of a sun that sets on a summer's day.
Let this be the light of loving-kindness.
Allow this meditation to unfold naturally for you,
Whether you are a visual person or whether you feel this warm light of loving-kindness or sense it in any way that works for you.
The sun as it sets on a summer's day is gently warming your body,
Warming your face and your neck,
Your shoulders,
Arms and hands.
The sunlight gently warms your torso and your hips,
Your legs and your feet.
This warm light is pleasantly warm,
And you might like to silently repeat to yourself,
Really trying to cultivate the feeling of the words.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
Picture or sense the sun begins to shrink to about the size of your fist and invite it to rest in the center of your chest.
The sun is gently warming,
Pleasant,
Not hot,
And it begins to shine and radiate the light of loving-kindness throughout your whole body.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
As loving-kindness gently begins to radiate and infuse and fill your whole body,
Allow it to dissolve anything that arises.
Any thoughts,
Images,
Emotional feelings,
Worries,
Memories,
Tensions,
Concerns or sensations,
Let them all melt in the light of loving-kindness.
There's no need to try and force this to happen.
You can allow it to happen of its own accord.
See or sense or feel loving-kindness now filling your whole chest.
Feel it radiate up into your shoulders and flow gently down your arms,
All the way down to your hands,
Filling all of your fingers to the very tips.
Allow loving-kindness to gently radiate up into your neck and your head,
Filling the whole of your head,
Soaking through your brain,
Infusing into your forehead,
Your scalp,
Your ears,
Eyes,
Eyelids.
Nose,
Mouth,
Your lips,
Your whole face.
Loving-kindness warms your whole heart space and gently flows down into your belly area,
Soothing and warming your hips and pelvis,
Radiating down into your legs,
Upper legs,
Knees,
Your lower legs,
Your ankles,
Feet and toes.
Sense that your whole body is filled with loving-kindness.
See or feel this warm glowing light soak gently into your bones,
Your spine,
Your skull.
Let loving-kindness infuse into the bones and the joints of your arms and hands,
Your legs and feet.
Feel it soak into your organs,
Your heart and lungs.
Allow loving-kindness to soak into your immune system,
Your digestive system,
Your reproductive system,
Your muscles,
Ligaments,
All of your cells.
Sense,
See loving-kindness soaking through your skin,
Holding your whole body in a sphere of loving-kindness.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
See,
Sense or feel in any way that works for you,
That your whole body is being held and infused with the light of loving-kindness.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
Fill the room with loving-kindness.
Allow the sphere of loving-kindness to expand and fill the whole room.
May this room be filled with loving-kindness.
May this room be well.
May this room be peaceful and at ease.
May this room be happy.
Fill the building with loving-kindness.
Expand the sphere of loving-kindness so that it fills the whole building and all of its inhabitants.
May this building be filled with loving-kindness.
May this building be well.
May this building be peaceful and at ease.
May this building be happy.
Fill the city with loving-kindness.
Allow the sphere of loving-kindness to expand so that it fills and surrounds the whole city and all of its inhabitants.
May this city be filled with loving-kindness.
May this city be well.
May this city be peaceful and at ease.
May this city be happy.
Fill the country with loving-kindness.
Allow the sphere of loving-kindness to expand to surround and fill the whole country and all of its inhabitants.
May this country be filled with loving-kindness.
May this country be well.
May this country be peaceful and at ease.
May this country be happy.
Fill the earth with loving-kindness.
Let the sphere of loving-kindness expand to fully surround and fill the whole earth.
Allow loving-kindness to soak through to the centre of the earth.
Fill the surface and the atmosphere of the earth with loving-kindness.
May the earth be filled with loving-kindness.
May the earth be well.
May the earth be peaceful and at ease.
May the earth be happy.
Send loving-kindness to all beings everywhere without distinction,
Without exclusion,
Wishing for their happiness,
Their health and well-being.
May all beings be filled with loving-kindness.
May all beings be well.
May all beings be peaceful and at ease.
May all beings be happy.
Now gently let the imagery go and return your attention to your body and to your breathing.
Follow the easy rise and fall of your breath.
Become aware of how your body feels now.
Notice those feelings of aliveness within you,
Tingling,
Pulsing,
Vibrating.
And for the next little while,
Just rest in awareness and enjoy any pleasant feelings you have created for yourself within.
And once again,
Becoming aware of your breathing.
And remind yourself of where you are.
Have a sense of the space that you're in.
Feel your body on whatever it rests on.
Notice the surface beneath your feet.
Gently coming back from your meditation and whenever you are ready,
Take a nice deep breath.
Gently open your eyes,
Stretch fully and take your time to adjust before becoming fully alert again.
