Let me explain how Metta works,
It's a beautifully simple practice but can have a deeply,
Profoundly positive effect on how you feel on your day.
So we live in a cold world you and I,
I don't mean snowy,
I mean it can be a bit harsh,
A bit hard at times.
And we can start to develop that same sort of coat,
That same sort of shield around us.
If I harden myself,
If I become like this then I'll protect myself.
But that's not who we are and we know it on some level,
We can't settle when we're like that,
Something's not right when we're pushing things away or protecting ourselves too much.
So Metta,
To cultivate kindness,
Is also a way to bring forward your true light,
Your true essence.
And it's a beautifully simple practice,
We do it through gentle repetition of just four lines which are very,
Very easy to remember and I'll talk to you about those in a moment.
And then we start to experience the words,
Like any mantra,
They have a power,
They have an energy,
Everything has an energy.
So as we start to repeat the words,
The words,
The energy comes through us.
And what we give to others,
We reveal in ourselves.
So if we start to practice kindness,
We feel kindness come through the fabric of our body,
We feel compassion,
Understanding.
It's as if this practice loosens us up,
Helps us to become more comfortable in our own skin.
So we'll set up in the normal way with a gentle meditation,
Just for a couple of minutes to set the scene,
Set the pace.
And then I'll introduce the practice of Metta.
Now what I'm going to do is introduce just four simple lines that I'm going to keep repeating.
I'm going to leave a space between each line and I'm going to encourage you just to repeat it to yourself.
If you feel that you don't want to repeat it and you want to just act on my words,
Then that too is fine.
But see what unfolds,
See what happens for you.
You can't get this wrong,
It's a very simple,
Beautiful practice,
Metta,
To cultivate kindness,
To practice compassion in this moment,
To start to feel comfortable in your own skin.
Okay,
So let's settle down and I'm going to ask you to close your eyes.
And before we begin,
Just to contemplate the universal truth that this moment truly is all that we can be certain of,
You and I,
This connection,
My voice,
The screen,
This lovely group of people,
Like-minded to yourself,
Is the sum total of our life at the moment.
It's real.
It's also the only time that you can truly take care of yourself now.
So take care of yourself,
Just allow yourself to be here,
Slow down.
Let's now move to our breathing together and to begin with just a few slightly deeper breaths.
I'm going to ask you to breathe in through your nose as if from the waist to the top of the head,
And then to gently blow out through your mouth,
Breathing in through your nose,
Blowing out gently through your mouth,
Perfect balance breath by breath.
Just keep that going for a few breaths,
Slightly deeper,
But always comfortable.
Breathing in through your nose,
Blowing out through your mouth.
Just one or two more,
Slowing down,
Allowing yourself to truly be here with each breath.
Now allow your breath just to settle,
To do its own thing.
This is typically in and out through the nose if that feels right,
Or you may wish to carry on with the first type of breath,
But the practice just for now is just to notice your breath a little bit more,
The ease,
The gentle flow as it enters the body,
Where it settles,
And then its journey out,
Taking with it everything that you no longer require.
A practice in itself each breath,
Taking in what you need,
Letting go of what no longer is yours to carry,
Breath by breath.
So let's just have 10,
20 seconds or so in silence,
And the practice is just to stay with your breath or to come back to it if your mind drifts.
You're doing great.
Now as your breath continues to gently flow,
Just bring your awareness to the space that you have chosen in this moment.
With your eyes closed,
Just notice the space.
This again is slowing you down,
Allowing you to simply be here.
You may notice the temperature for the first time when you allow yourself to slow down.
How does the space feel against your hair,
Your skin?
There are no rights or no wrongs,
It just is you,
Me,
The space.
Just sit with that for a few seconds in silence as your breath flows,
And you just notice the space that you're in.
We can only be in one place at one time,
You and I,
And the more we notice where we are,
The better your life will be.
So as we practice Metta now,
Allow yourself to simply be here.
Call off the search for more and rest.
So now with your eyes closed,
I'd like you to bring an image of yourself to your mind's eye.
Whatever age you are,
Whatever the image is,
Is perfect in this moment for this practice,
Meant to be,
If you like,
And just settle on that image.
Just let it rest in your mind's eye,
And you're going to send yourself Metta now.
Everything begins with the self,
Taking care of yourself.
So I'll repeat the four simple lines,
And I'll leave a space for you to repeat them.
As you hold that image in your mind's eye.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
May I live without suffering.
Holding the image in your mind's eye of yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
May I live without suffering.
If it feels right to do so,
Let that image,
That vision of yourself,
Gently drift from your mind's eye down into your heart space.
It's as if you connect to it deeper now,
And again.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
May I live without suffering.
Allow that vision,
That image of yourself,
To gently fade now,
Knowing that Metta is connected.
Your practice is in place.
Now I'd like you to think of someone or something in your life that you're grateful for,
That you really cherish,
That warms your heart.
Whatever comes to mind,
Just keep it in your mind's eye,
An image of the person,
Of the thing.
Let's send them Metta now.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Again,
Just holding that image of the person,
The thing that you're grateful for.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering,
Allowing the same image to gently drift down into your heart space.
And sometimes it even helps just to place your hand against your chest to really connect whatever feels right for you.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Allow that image just to gently dissolve,
Knowing that Metta has connected,
That your practice is in place.
And now I'd like you to think of someone or something who is neutral in your life.
This may be someone you've only seen once,
But for some reason they come to mind now.
When you pass in the street,
See in a shop,
Just go with whatever comes to you.
You may be quite surprised,
But stay with it.
Again,
Perhaps meant to be.
Holding the image of the person in your mind's eye now.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Just allowing the image to gently drift down now into your heart space.
Metta is a very safe practice.
Only good can come from your connection with Metta.
If it feels right,
Just place a hand on the heart,
Hold the image of this neutral person thing.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Now allow the image just to gently dissolve,
Knowing that Metta has connected,
That your practice is in place.
Remember Metta is a very safe practice.
So I'd like you to think of someone or something in your life,
Maybe now or from the past,
That has a negative connotation.
Maybe there has been or is an issue.
Something is not well.
Just hold the image in your mind's eye.
Let's send them and the situation Metta now.
Let's rise above what is.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Holding the image in your mind's eye now.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Allowing that image to gently drift down into your heart space now,
Placing the hand against the chest if it feels right to deepen the connection.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Allowing the image to gently dissolve,
Knowing that Metta has connected,
That your practice is in place.
Now if it feels right to do so,
I would like you to open your eyes and allow me to send you Metta in this moment,
To thank you for giving your time,
To sending out love and compassion to a world that's desperate for it and someone just like you now.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live without suffering.
Thank you so much for giving your time today to send out Metta.
The world really is in need of someone just like you right now.
My experience with Metta is that when we simply go through the practice,
We deepen our connection with the practice,
Then things change.
The author Wayne Dyer used to have a line,
When you change the way you look at things,
The things you look at change.
And my experience of sending Metta to those who things have been a little bit difficult with is that something changes.
Do I change?
Do they change?
Actually,
It doesn't matter.
Things soften.
There's a catch to Metta,
Folks.
You see,
What goes around comes back around.
So what you give out,
You truly get back.
