Welcome to this Metta loving kindness practice that uses a sung chant for invoking wellness,
Peace,
And ease in our lives and extending out to those around us.
Come into a comfortable seated posture,
Either in a chair or on a cushion.
Back is straight,
But not tight.
Head reaches the sky for guidance and inspiration.
Our sitting area is grounded,
Heavy,
Held by Mother Earth.
We begin by noticing our breath going in and out of the body at any of the anchor spots that work for you,
Belly,
Chest,
Or the nostril area.
Beginning by taking some deeper than usual breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Welcoming relaxation,
Welcoming settling and grounding in our body.
And when you're ready,
When you feel well established in your posture,
Invite us to join together in loving kindness by noticing the regular rhythm of the breath at the chest,
The heart center.
One may wish to put a hand on the chest,
Two hands on the chest,
Feeling the warmth that is generated from the hands to the heart center.
Noticing the breath going in and out,
Generating gratitude,
Welcoming compassion.
The mantras that we will use in this practice I learned from Insight Meditation Center.
I particularly like the sung mantras or phrases.
I feel that they go straight to the heart,
Straight to that center of compassion in the body.
We begin by generating this compassion to ourselves.
It's important to start with ourselves because it is said that if we feel that loving kindness within us,
It will be easier,
Or at least it will be more genuine when we extend it out to others.
And when you're practicing this on your own,
You may join me in the singing.
It is an easy set of chants practice.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
Notice the vibrations at the heart center,
In the head,
As we sing through area,
As well as we express chant affirmations.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
Sitting in silence for a bit,
Just noticing our breath going in and out of the body,
Noticing the warmth generated by these mantras,
And noticing the warmth at our heart center.
Next,
As is traditional or customary in the practice,
We bring to mind someone,
A being,
Even an animal,
Pet,
Who brings us joy or who with whose,
In whose company we feel really happy.
Bringing that image,
That being,
That person in our mind's eye,
And also bringing them into our heart center.
Noticing them,
Seeing them happy with a smile on their face,
And preparing to send them the chant of loving kindness.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
Noticing how those wishes fall on that person.
Maybe noticing them radiating with some maybe illumination,
Maybe they feel,
Maybe you can see a white light around them,
Or something that indicates visually that your thoughts have reached them.
Seeing them happy,
Enjoying this loving kindness that is extended to them,
And singing again for their well-being.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
Noticing again,
Maybe inviting this feeling into your heart and visualizing it,
Extending out to this being,
This person.
And let's sing one more round for them.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
This person with whom we have a close connection,
A close relationship,
We wish them well.
Letting that image dissolve in your mind's eye and bringing up someone or being for whom we have neutral feelings.
So that might be cashier at the store or someone we see maybe regularly at the post office,
But we aren't really friends with them.
Or just imagine someone that might be sitting,
Standing at the street corner,
Might need some extra loving kindness today.
Noticing an image,
Conjuring up an image of them in your mind's eye and maybe seeing them with a white light around them and a smile on their face.
Wishing them well.
May they be filled with loving kindness.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful and at ease.
May they be happy.
May they be filled with loving kindness.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful and at ease.
May they be happy.
Noticing them receiving these well wishes and noticing them maybe surrounded by some kind of feeling of warmth,
Some kind of happiness and smile on their face.
Receiving our metta.
The next step in this traditional practice is to bring to mind someone or being that maybe we have conflict with or maybe we've had a falling out with that person or someone we just seem to be having a hard time with.
We don't have to fix things with them.
We don't have to make it okay but we we would like to send them loving kindness.
So bring that person,
That being to mind and if possible seeing them with a smile on their face,
Taking a deep breath,
Letting go any tension generated by seeing that being,
That person,
And we will send them well wishes.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
With a deep breath in and a deep breath out,
Build our strength,
Build our connection,
Build our building our desire to see them well.
And let's sing another round for them.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
Even those with whom we have strained relationships they still,
Like us,
Would like to be well.
Last round,
Let's expand and extend this metta practice to the whole world,
To our neighborhood,
To our state,
Our country,
Our region,
Extending out outside of our direct,
Direct in our the area that we can see.
In other words,
Just as far out it seems as it seems comfortable for you.
Maybe noticing some image in the mind that represents that group that we are now going to send these loving kindness metta thoughts to.
May all be filled with loving kindness.
May all be well.
May all be peaceful and at ease.
May all be happy.
May all be filled with loving kindness.
May all be well.
May all be peaceful and at ease.
May all be happy.
Let's sit for just a few more breaths in silence,
Feeling the warmth that we have generated through these loving kindness phrases chanted from our hearts.
Thank you for your practice.
May all be well.
