Metta, Loving-Kindness Meditation
by Dani Sheil
Loving-Kindness meditation is a practice used to instill love, compassion, and forgiveness. When we forgive we begin the journey of healing ourselves and our relationships. Offering forgiveness is not about condoning behavior, but about allowing ourselves to be free from the anger and frustrations attached to that behavior.
Transcript
Hi there,
It's Dani here and you are so welcome to this Loving Kindness Meditation.
Loving Kindness is a practice that enhances our sense of compassion and forgiveness and caring and is deeply healing not only to the relationships around us but also for ourselves.
Forgiveness is never about the other person.
Forgiveness is about healing and allowing ourselves to move on.
So for this practice,
We're going to bring to mind four people.
The first person is ourselves.
Then I'd like you to think of someone that you love dearly.
Someone who,
When you think of them,
You feel that unconditional love and caring.
Someone whose smile lights up your day.
Who you feel safe with.
Who you know loves you dearly.
And then I invite you to bring to mind someone who you really don't have too much of a relationship with,
Either good or bad.
Your bus driver,
Your local barista.
Someone you meet on occasions but you don't spend a lot of time with and have no feelings either way towards.
And then finally,
I'd like you to bring to mind someone who you're having a little bit of difficulty with.
If you're new to the practice,
Please let it be someone who's a 3 out of a 10 in driving you a little bit crazy.
Until you get the practice under your belt.
Just a reminder,
Offering loving kindness is never about condoning behavior,
But rather about allowing ourselves to forgive so that we can move on.
Begin by allowing ourselves to sit comfortably with the spine nice and long.
Sit bones dropping into the earth beneath you or the chair.
If you're sitting on a chair,
Have both feet firmly planted on the earth.
And if you're sitting cross-legged,
Feel your shins,
Your knees,
Your thighs against the ground.
Take a long deep breath in and as you exhale,
Drop your shoulders and sigh out through your mouth.
Imagine with the out breath,
You're letting go of any tightness.
Breathe in deeply.
And as you exhale,
Dropping the shoulders and now also soften your belly.
Be aware of where your mind is.
And then I'd like you to invite yourself to come in front of you.
So whether you're imagining a mirror,
The reflection in a pool of water,
Or if you can visualize yourself.
Looking into your own eyes and offering yourself these three words repeatedly.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
Continuing to offer that Metta to yourself.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
Notice how easy or difficult it is to offer this to yourself.
And perhaps you can notice yourself blending into self.
Changing the phrase.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be at peace.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be at peace.
Continuing on in your own mind.
Repeating the mantra.
The Metta.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be at peace.
Observe how difficult or easy it is to offer yourself Metta.
To give yourself that kindness and compassion.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be at peace.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be at peace.
May I be well.
May I be happy.
May I be at peace.
Thanking yourself.
Thanking yourself.
Asking yourself to move to one side and then just bring to mind someone that you love dearly.
That soft beautiful person that when you look into their eyes you feel safe,
Secure,
Happy.
You know you love them unconditionally.
And offering them that Metta.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be at peace.
Continuing on in your own mind.
Really visualizing that person and feeling that love and noticing how it's filling every cell of your body.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
Thanking that person,
Asking them to step to one side.
And then I'd like you to invite in front of you the person that you don't have any feelings positive or negative towards.
Looking into their eyes,
Seeing their face as clearly as you can.
And just offering them that loving kindness Metta.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
Keep repeating it in your own mind.
And just observing how you react to offering loving kindness to this person.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be at peace.
Thanking that person.
Asking them to step to one side.
And then inviting in front of you the person that you're having that little bit of difficulty with.
The person that it's hard to imagine sending love and kindness to.
But reminding yourself this is not condoning behavior.
This is allowing yourself to forgive so that you can heal yourself.
So imagining that person standing or sitting in front of you.
And offering them that loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
Just notice how difficult or easy it is.
Notice if their face disappears,
If your focus moves.
And just bring it back to witnessing them.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be at peace.
And then gently,
Thanking that person and inviting the other two people and yourself to stand or sit in circle,
Visualizing you together.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
And I'd like you to imagine inviting in members of your family,
Your loved ones,
Your friends.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
Inviting in members of your community.
May we all be well.
May we all be happy.
May we all be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
Expanding that to your country.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
Expanding it out to all humans.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
All beings on this beautiful earth.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
May we be well.
May we be happy.
May we be at peace.
And just releasing any imagery that's finally in your mind.
And allow yourself to come back into your body.
Feeling your sit bones on the ground.
Noticing your shoulders,
Your face.
Take a long deep breath in,
Fill the lungs.
And as you exhale drop your chin to your chest.
Slowly opening your eyes.
And gently coming back into the room.
