Good morning,
Everyone.
Today's session will be a special session focusing on metta meditation,
Which is also called loving-kindness meditation.
We're doing this within the framework of Agenda 2030 or the Inner Development Goals that are set up as an evidence-based way to reach these changes that we want for the world.
This kind of meditation,
Metta meditation,
Is one of the original meditations,
One of the oldest meditation styles.
It's well-researched,
And the main evidence-based effects are psychological well-being,
Emotional and social health,
Physical health benefits,
Behavioral improvements,
And cognitive enhancements.
Within each of these categories,
There's several articles and several different effects that can be found.
We can all start by just taking a few deep breaths.
Close your eyes and follow the movement of your belly as you breathe deeply.
If you want,
You can put a hand on your belly to feel it more easily.
Try to follow one breath from the nose all the way down to the belly.
Let your focus follow along like an elevator on the way up as well.
How does your breath feel through your nose?
Is your breathing feeling the same on the way in as on the way out?
Where in the nose can you feel your breathing?
Can you narrow down your focus to just one of your nostrils?
Can you feel any changes of the speed of the air you're breathing in and out?
Do you feel this on the same spot in the nose or is that moving as you breathe?
And come back to breathing with your belly.
Now think of a person you like.
Visualize this person standing in front of you.
What does the face of this person look like as you visualize him or her?
Feel into what you like the most about this person.
What does it feel like in you when you visualize and think of this person?
Do you feel this in you in any particular place in the belly and the chest?
Or where?
Does that feeling have a color,
A shape?
Feel into how this person's life has formed this person to become just like he or she is right now.
Imagine how the good times has shaped this person.
Imagine how the difficult times has shaped this person and provided learnings to become who this person is today.
Visualize how you say to this person or how you just think to this person,
May you be happy.
Do the same with a sentence,
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
And may you live with ease.
Notice if there's anything more you would like to communicate to this person.
Visualize how you communicate that in whichever form you would like to do it.
Visualize how you communicate that in whichever form you prefer.
How visualize another person which you have a neutral relation to.
Visualize the face of this person.
Feel into what you appreciate about this person.
Imagine how the life's ups and downs has shaped this person to become just how he or she is today.
Visualize how you tell this person or how you just in your mind wish this person,
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Listen inside if there's anything you would like to communicate to this person.
Visualize how you communicate this with words or just by sending a wish or a thought.
Now visualize a person that you don't really like.
You can choose how deep you want to go if you want to choose someone that you're having a really deep trouble with or someone that you just don't like very much.
Feel into if there's anything you can appreciate by this person.
Imagine how the hard times in this person's life has shaped this person to become like that person is today.
Imagine how the good times in this person's life has shaped him or her to become just like he or she is today.
Notice if you can feel any acceptance for the fact that this person is like he or she is today.
Imagine what it would be like to be this person with all the difficulties that can appear in this person's life.
Being the way this person is.
See if you can visualize or just wish in your head this person may you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Now try to imagine all human beings.
Can you imagine how they have lived their lives today?
Can you imagine how they have lived their lives in the past?
Can you imagine how they have lived with their ups and downs through their lives?
Visualize how you communicate or just wish them may you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Now imagine all plants and all animals in the world.
Can you feel into how they have lived with their ups and downs through their lives?
Visualize how you communicate to them or just wish them may you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Now visualize yourself.
Feel into what you appreciate most about yourself.
Imagine what it would be like to be this person with all the difficulties that can appear in this person's life.
Imagine how all the good times and all your struggles in your life has formed you to become just like you are today.
Feel into if you can feel any acceptance for this.
Feel into the appreciation you can feel for this.
Visualize how you communicate to yourself or just wish yourself may you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Take a few deep breaths with your belly.
You're welcome to continue breathing deeply as long as you like.
The formal meditation is over.
