Loving kindness or metta is a meditation practice to soften your heart,
Developing the relationship with yourself,
And letting that love and kindness spread out to your community and relationships.
Now as we find this meditation practice,
This has been pronounced as one of the most powerful and potent forms of meditation to transform our mental state.
Begin by finding a comfortable place where you can relax,
Either lying down or finding a nice comfortable seat,
Letting your shoulders relax down your back,
Noticing any tension that you might be holding,
And softening the tightness around the lips,
Jaw,
Mouth.
Let your eyes now rest and drop into your calm,
Slow breath,
Noticing where you are feeling your breath most vividly,
Maybe in the belly,
The chest,
Or the tip of your nose,
Starting to connect with the slow flow.
Now when you feel ready,
Start to place your attention to the area around your heart.
Imagine that you are breathing into this place,
And with each breath in you're creating a little bit more space.
With each breath out you feel your heart softening,
Relaxing into this moment,
Experiencing a feeling of warmth and love throughout your entire body.
Now as we find our practice of metta meditation,
We repeat a mantra,
An intention that we set of love and compassion.
We first begin with ourself,
As it is only this love for yourself that you can allow that to spread outwards.
Now often this is the most challenging part of the practice.
We are our own harshest critics.
Can you show yourself love,
Kindness,
Empathy?
Keep breathing into your heart and notice any resistance that you might be experiencing now.
Continue softening the body,
Breathing deeply.
Now we will repeat these words of kindness,
And I would like you to imagine that you are looking into a mirror in front of you.
Imagine that you can see into your eyes,
The gateway to the spirit.
Notice the beauty within you as you repeat these words.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be free from any pain or suffering.
May I live in this world peacefully with ease.
Continue to repeat this sentiment to yourself.
Until you feel this love and kindness being infused into every single cell of your body.
With warmth,
Healing.
Again,
Knowing that this is challenging.
This is deep self work.
Keep sending that love to yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be free from any pain or suffering.
May I live in this world peacefully and with ease.
Now begin to draw into mind someone who you care deeply for,
Who you love unconditionally.
And start to visualize that person in your heart center.
Again,
Using your imagination as if they are here with you right now.
Sending this love and kindness,
Compassion to that somebody.
And repeating,
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you live without pain or suffering.
May you live in this world peacefully and with ease.
Feeling this vibration extending to that person.
This vibration of unconditional love.
A source that transcends all boundaries,
Time and space.
Once you feel ready,
Now start to visualize someone you might not know very well.
This could be a stranger or somebody that you have just met.
Take a moment to pause and remember the description of that person.
Again,
Using your imagination,
Bring that someone into your heart.
Notice how you feel.
And repeat.
May you be happy.
May you be free from any pain or suffering.
May you live in this world with peace and with ease.
Continue sending this love and kindness,
Even if to a stranger.
Knowing that deep down in your heart,
You truly wish this.
Sending these sentiments of love and kindness.
Now start to bring to mind somebody who may have caused you distress.
Someone who might bring feelings of dis-ease.
Confrontation.
First,
Start to notice again the sensation within your heart.
Notice if you feel tense or tight within your body as you bring this person into your mind.
Now again,
This is not easy.
This is the real self-work.
As we go deep inside the body and heart,
We start to break down these internal barriers.
These walls that we have created.
Knowing how simply by bringing this person into our imagination,
You can physically feel the tension being created.
What you are carrying with you.
So freeing yourself.
Allowing this love to flow through you.
Sending the same sentiment,
Love,
Kindness,
Empathy.
To this person.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be free from pain and suffering.
And may you live in this world with peace and with ease.
Continue to repeat until you feel free from anger,
Hatred,
Or unease.
Knowing that deep down this person might also be suffering.
And by transforming this emotion in our heart,
We can rise above those emotions that bring us down.
Uplifting,
Loving,
Expanding in this place.
This is the most powerful yet challenging part of the practice.
Be gentle with yourself and have patience.
Once you feel the physical response and tension has eased,
You can start to send meta universally.
Radiating the warmth,
Love,
And kindness that you have to those around you.
To those in your immediate community,
City,
Nation,
And globally.
Crossing all barriers and boundaries,
Distances,
Oceans.
Repeating this universally.
May we be happy.
May we be well.
May we collectively be free from pain and suffering.
May we live in harmony,
Love,
Unity.
May we live with ease.
Now again,
Check in with your body.
And feel this love and kindness through your whole being.
Expanding and radiating from every pore.
Feeling your breath.
Feeling this sense of oneness.
Slowly returning to the sounds that surround you and the outer body sensations.
And as we transition into our day,
Just giving yourself a couple of minutes.
Knowing that this self-love and acceptance,
This gratitude that you have created here in your practice.
Thank you so much for meditating with me today.
Namaste.
