Loving Kindness, A Song Of The Heart

This metta or loving-kindness practice is a great way to cultivate our ability to create kindness. It involves mentally sending goodwill, kindness, and warmth toward others by silently repeating the following mantras: May I/you be safe. May I/you be happy. May I/you be healthy. May I/you live with ease.

Transcript

My name is Erica Anderson and this is a loving kindness or meta meditation.

Loving kindness is said to be a song of the heart and this practice is a great way to cultivate our ability to create kindness,

Especially when we may not be naturally feeling particularly kind.

It involves mentally sending goodwill and warmth towards others by silently repeating a series of mantras.

My first introduction to loving kindness meditations came from Sharon Salzberg.

Sharon describes the practice as a means to channel all our energy and bring it together to create connection and caring and beneficence,

Which is the performance of acts of charity,

Of mercy and of kindness,

Including those born of moral obligation.

Practicing kindness is one of the most direct routes to our own happiness.

Research suggests that when we practice loving kindness meditations regularly,

We start automatically reacting more positively to others and our social interactions and close relationships become more satisfying.

Loving kindness meditations can also reduce our focus on ourselves,

Which can in turn lower our experiences of anxiety and depression.

Oftentimes in meditation,

Our focus is on our breath.

In this meditation,

We'll center our attention on the repetition of certain phrases.

There's no one correct selection of phrases,

So I'm offering to you the ones that feel good to me.

And these are phrases that I learned from Sharon.

Think of them as an offering or a blessing.

Think of them as an expression of the heart.

And even if the words don't seem quite right,

Know that they're still serving us because they are vehicles for our heart's energy.

And being that these are words,

They'll tend to be imperfect,

But they're still beautiful.

It's just like love.

It doesn't need to be perfect to be beautiful.

The phrases we'll offer today are,

May I be safe.

May I be happy.

May I be healthy.

May I live with ease.

And as we offer these blessings to others in the meditation,

The phrases will be,

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

During the practice,

It's important that you don't force a particular feeling or try to get rid of unpleasant or undesirable ones.

Instead of expecting to feel a particular way or judging and assessing what you do feel,

Allow whatever happens to just happen.

Embrace this practice with a beginner's mind.

And if your mind wanders,

Simply notice what's captured your attention and then gently return to the practice.

Let's begin.

Start to settle into your seat.

Sit comfortably with your spine as upright as possible.

Root your bottom into the surface beneath you and reach the crown of your head skyward.

Keeping your eyes closed will help bring your awareness inward.

However,

If this is uncomfortable for you,

You can also keep your eyes slightly opened with your gaze lowered and your eyelids capped.

As you're settling in,

Take a deep breath in.

And slowly let it out.

Do this again a few more times on your own.

Breathing in.

Breathing out.

Remember to let go of expectations you may have for this practice.

There's no need to pretend to feel something.

Instead,

This practice is about self-realization.

So simply notice what happens as the practice goes on.

You can deepen this experience of stillness and calm by making your next few breaths even deeper.

And longer.

Slowly expanding the fullness of the breath without struggle.

See if you can match the length of your inhalation with the length of the exhalation.

As you sit with your eyes closed or capped,

You might become more aware of the sound of your breath.

You can also listen to the sounds in your environment.

Welcome every sound that you hear.

Some may be coming from nearby.

Others may be coming from far away.

Try not to get wrapped up or tell stories about the sources of the sounds.

Simply accept them as part of your experience.

In this state of calm,

You may be more aware of the sensations in your body.

Imagine that you're feeling your body from the inside out.

Respond to any sensations with your loving attention.

Be kind to yourself.

And this in itself will help you release any tension you might subconsciously be holding on to.

Bring your awareness to the movement of your breath in your body.

Notice the cool air passing through your nose as you inhale.

And then notice the slightly warmer air passing through your nostrils as you exhale.

Move your attention to the sensation of the breath in your chest.

Notice how your chest rises and falls,

Expanding and contracting with each inhale and each exhale.

Now imagine that you can look inward toward your heart center,

In the area behind your breastbone,

And let your attention rest there as you continue to breathe naturally.

You might imagine your breath moving in and out of your heart center as though it were the doorway to your soul.

It may be helpful to place your hand over your heart center to help keep your attention focused there.

And in an act of self-compassion,

Offer yourself these blessings.

May I be safe.

May I be happy.

May I be healthy.

May I live with ease.

Allow yourself to feel whatever comes up,

Whether it's a loving emotion or a painful one,

Or nothing at all.

Whatever you do feel,

Don't ignore it or cover it up.

Pretend it's something else or change it.

Simply bear witness to your actual experience.

May I be safe.

May I be happy.

May I be healthy.

May I live with ease.

Continue to repeat the mantra on your own.

Don't worry if you forget the phrases.

Whatever comes naturally will work.

Keeping your eyes closed,

Bring to mind a person close to you,

Someone who you love and who loves you very much.

It could be someone from the past or the present.

It could be a spiritual teacher or guide.

And imagine that person standing by your side,

Sending you their love,

Their wishes for your safety,

For your well-being and your happiness.

And your love and care for them is reciprocal.

Offer the phrases of loving kindness to them,

And as you do so,

Imagine your loved one benefiting from this blessing.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

You can continue the repetition of the phrases,

Or whatever phrases come to mind on your own.

Now allow the awareness of that person to fade.

And with your attention on your heart,

Continue to breathe naturally.

Now bring to mind someone who has inspired you,

Or perhaps helped you directly.

Someone who seems to be a symbol of the force of care and compassion,

Whether you've actually met them or not.

And bring them here with you.

You might say their name to yourself,

Or get an image of them.

Get a feeling for their presence.

And then offer the phrases of loving kindness to them.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

And now let the image of this person fade,

And continue to breathe naturally.

Now think of an acquaintance,

Perhaps someone you don't know very well,

And toward whom you don't have any particular feeling.

It could be a neighbor,

Or a colleague,

Or someone else that you see as you're out and about,

But you do not know them very well.

And what binds you to this person just might be your shared wish to have a good life.

And offer them your blessing.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

Now let your awareness of that person go,

And linger in the silence.

Connect back to the breath.

Scan your body to be sure that you're still comfortable and relaxed,

Making any adjustments that feel good to you.

Now call to mind someone who's struggling,

And bring them here with you.

Get a sense of them.

Imagine their face.

See if you can recall what they were doing the last time you encountered them.

Or perhaps,

Rather than thinking of an individual person,

You're moved by those suffering in a natural or man-made disaster,

Or someone going through a tragedy.

It could be a group of people,

Or any form of life,

Or a pet,

A wild animal,

An ecosystem,

Or a person.

Just get a feeling for that presence,

And that connection.

Simply offer the same phrase of compassion toward them,

With as much loving intent as you offered toward your loved one,

Your acquaintance,

And yourself.

And bear witness to what you feel as you do so.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

And now let that connection go,

And spend a moment in silence.

Now bring to your heart and mind someone you may be having difficulty with,

Someone a little more difficult for you to love.

Imagine them,

And get a feeling for their presence.

As you do so,

Know that you are safe,

And no harm can come to you during this meditation.

And offer them your blessing.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

Notice how you feel.

Perhaps you're finding this difficult.

If you notice that you're going into a story about the person or the situation,

Focus your awareness on the area around your heart,

And continue to wish this person well.

Imagine them receiving your blessing.

Notice what you're feeling,

Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant,

Or perhaps you feel numb.

It's natural for this to be challenging for you,

But remember,

This is the practice.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

And now let the awareness of that person go,

And connect back to your breath,

To the sensation of the cool air entering your nostrils as you inhale,

And the slightly warmer air exiting your nostrils on the exhale.

Notice the rise and fall of your breath as you inhale.

Notice the movement of your chest and stomach.

Your breath is your anchor to the present moment.

As you do so,

You may notice movement in your body,

Or your mind,

Or your emotions.

Simply let it happen.

Try not to get caught up explaining it.

Simply let it be.

This is what it means to detach.

You're safe.

We'll remain in silence for five more minutes,

And I'll keep track of the time.

Keeping your eyes closed,

Allow for some deeper breaths,

And continue to sit in silence.

It's important to take your time as you transition back.

Take some deeper breaths.

You might feel called to bring some movement into your body,

Perhaps rolling your neck or your shoulders,

Stretching out your arms and your legs,

Circling your wrists and your ankles.

Honor whatever movement calls for you,

And when you're ready,

You can slowly open your eyes.