This is Larissa Hall Carlson with a loving-kindness meditation to boost connection,
Peace,
And compassion.
Metta meditation,
Or loving-kindness meditation,
Is one of the best meditation techniques for reducing stress,
Increasing presence of mind,
Enhancing inner calmness,
And supporting interconnectedness.
Metta is a Pali word that means boundless friendliness,
Or loving-kindness.
The traditional meditation includes repetition of positive,
Present tense phrases,
Starting with phrases for self-care,
Then expanding out to others.
It can be done any time of day,
And can be especially helpful in moments of frustration,
Sadness,
Loneliness,
Or stress.
To begin,
Establish a comfortable,
Steady seat with a long spine.
Rest the hands on the lap,
And if you'd like,
Close your eyes.
Take a few refreshing breaths to settle in.
Now invite into the mind's eye the image of yourself.
The image of yourself,
Either yourself in this present moment,
Or from any moment in your life.
Let that image become clear in the mind's eye.
I'll say a line of Metta,
And you repeat that line,
Either silently or aloud,
Directing the kind words towards yourself.
Let's begin.
May I be fully at ease.
May I live with kindness and compassion.
May I know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
And again,
Keeping that image of self clear in the mind's eye.
May I be fully at ease.
May I live with kindness and compassion.
May I know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
Take a few deep breaths now,
Absorbing those wholesome wishes.
Let the image of self gradually melt away.
Now bring into the mind's eye the image of a teacher,
A mentor,
Or a role model,
A benefactor,
Someone who has supported you or been a positive influence in your life.
This person could be living or may have passed on.
Choose just one and hold the image clear in your mind.
And now repeating,
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
Gradually deepen the breath,
Sending those kind,
Friendly words towards your benefactor.
Gently allow that image to fade away.
Invite into the mind's eye now the image of a friend or a loved one.
This could be a human or an animal.
Whoever pops into your head is usually the right one for today.
Now hold the image of one being in your mind.
And repeating these metta phrases.
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
And now deepen the breath,
Sending those well wishes outward towards this friend or loved one.
And gently allow that image to fade away.
This time,
Invite into the mind's eye the image of a neutral person,
An acquaintance.
Again this could be a human or an animal.
Someone for whom you don't have any strong feelings.
Perhaps a new coworker,
A neighbor's cat that you see in the window,
The bus driver,
Or your local bank teller.
Then whoever pops into your mind first is usually exactly the right one for this moment.
Now hold the image of one neutral being in your mind.
And repeating.
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
And gradually deepen the breath,
Sending those compassionate thoughts out towards this neutral being.
Gently allow that image to disappear.
Now gently invite into the mind's eye the image of a person with whom you have some minor conflict.
A mildly challenging person.
Now unless you've been practicing metta for a while,
It's recommended that you avoid picking your lifelong rival,
As that can be too intense for this practice.
So choose someone with whom you're mildly annoyed or frustrated.
Someone who gets onto your skin just a little.
This could be a human or an animal.
Now let's direct well wishes towards this challenging being.
Taking a precious opportunity to acknowledge that everyone has suffering,
Even those who rub us the wrong way.
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
And again,
Keeping the image of that challenging person or being clear in the mind.
May you be fully at ease.
May you live with kindness and compassion.
May you know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
Take a few deep breaths,
Directing those well wishes towards this challenging being.
Gradually allow that image to disappear.
Finally,
Bring into the mind's eye the image of a group or community to which you belong.
Perhaps other meditators,
Coworkers,
A group of people you care for,
Family members,
Or everyone in your neighborhood.
Let the image of the group grow clear in the mind's eye.
Allow the friendly phrases to radiate outward in all directions,
Sending well wishes to this group and repeating.
May we be fully at ease.
May we live with kindness and compassion.
May we know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
May we be fully at ease.
May we live with kindness and compassion.
May we know peace,
Equanimity,
And joy.
Draw in a few deep breaths to integrate,
Sending well wishes out towards this group.
Then allow the image of the group to dissolve.
Allow awareness to expand throughout the body-mind.
You might rest the hands lightly over the heart space.
Notice if anything has softened,
Refreshed,
Or expanded.
Feel for any signs of enhanced peace or connection.
If it would feel good,
Let out an easy sigh through the mouth.
Gradually allow your eyes to flutter open,
Wishing you health,
Happiness,
And radiant wellbeing.
