Welcome to this Metta meditation,
A practice of cultivating loving-kindness and compassion.
Metta,
Often translated as loving-kindness,
Is a quality of the heart that promotes goodwill and benevolence towards oneself and others.
As we engage in this meditation,
We open ourselves to the transformative power of compassion and connection.
We will first cultivate loving-kindness towards the self and begin to extend and radiate this out to others.
It is my hope that you will leave this exercise with a full and energetic heart.
So let's begin by finding a quiet and comfortable space where you can sit or lie down.
If you are sitting down,
Use a cushion to support the sit bones.
Make sure your knees fall below the hips.
Let your hands rest on your lap.
To keep the spine straight,
Imagine a string pulling you up from the crown of your head as your sit bones melt into the cushion.
If you choose to lie down,
Just let the hands rest by the sides,
Palms facing upwards.
Make any final adjustments to ensure you can completely relax and let go.
If you feel comfortable doing so,
Let the eyes gently close.
If you choose to keep the eyes open,
Let your attention rest on a space two feet in front of you.
Let your gaze soften.
Do not try to focus on any point.
Rather,
See if you can extend your vision to the corner of your eyes.
As always,
Remember you are in control of this experience.
If you feel distressed at any point,
Please allow yourself to pause the practice.
Take a few deep breaths.
Move around or do anything else that would be supportive to you.
Now we will begin.
Let's start by warming up the body and relaxing the mind.
Taking a few deep,
Calming breaths.
Inhale deeply through your nose.
As you exhale through your mouth,
Release any tension or distractions.
With each out breath,
Let go of any thoughts about the day or expectations about this practice.
Let go of any judgments.
Let go of any need to control.
Just let each breath guide and anchor you back to this present moment.
Let the breath soften.
Let the breath relax,
Return to its natural pace.
Bring to mind the concept of metta or loving kindness.
You can imagine this as a warm and gentle light that emanates from your heart,
Radiating outward to encompass all beings.
Take a moment to really experience this light.
Imagine its color,
Temperature,
Texture.
Is it soft,
Silky,
Smooth,
Warm,
Hot,
Cold,
Yellow,
White,
Blue,
Green?
Whatever it is,
Let yourself feel this light growing in your heart.
Imagine with all your senses this light radiating from your heart.
If it helps you,
You may place one hand over your heart and focus on the warmth from your hand feeding into your heart.
Continue directing this loving kindness towards yourself.
Continue to visualize the light.
Begin to silently repeat the mantra,
May I be well.
May I be at ease.
May I be free from suffering.
Repeat this mantra a few times,
Allowing its resonance to penetrate your heart.
Feel the warmth and kindness you offer to yourself,
Without judgment,
Without reservation.
Feel the light growing in your heart as you repeat the mantra,
May I be well.
May I be at ease.
May I be free from suffering.
Now shift your focus to someone you love deeply,
Someone who brings a smile to your heart.
Picture their face,
Their smile,
Their laugh.
Just witness their joy and begin to direct metta towards them.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be free from suffering.
Feel the expansion of your heart's energy as you extend your loving kindness to this person.
Imagine the light in your heart growing so strong it radiates to your loved one.
Watch and embrace the joy that arises from sharing your well wishes with them.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be free from suffering.
Next,
Bring to mind someone you have neutral feelings towards.
Perhaps an acquaintance,
A colleague,
A stranger,
Maybe somebody you passed on the street,
And offer them the same metta.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be free from suffering.
Notice how your heart's energy remains open,
Extending compassion even through those you may not know well.
Because just like you,
This person wishes to be well.
Cultivate the sense of connection to this stranger as you offer them this.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be free from suffering.
Now consider someone with whom you might be experiencing difficulty or conflict.
Approach this step with patience and openness.
Remember,
Just like you,
They suffer.
They feel pain.
And they wish to be well.
Lean into this experience.
Lean into any resistance.
And offer them metta.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
And may you be free from suffering.
Just notice any resistance.
And repeat back the mantra,
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be free from suffering.
Allow this practice to help soften any feelings of resentment or animosity.
Feel any negative emotion melting away in the light of your heart space.
As you extend loving kindness,
Remember that you are cultivating compassion for yourself as well.
For when we cultivate loving kindness,
We feel loving compassion.
When we cultivate anger and ill will,
We feel suffering and pain.
Finally,
Let us extend our metta to the world.
To all beings.
All genders,
Races,
Ages,
Bodies,
Religions,
And backgrounds.
Imagine all the people of the world filling the space in your mind's eye.
And offer to them,
May all beings be well.
May all beings be at ease.
And may all beings be free from suffering.
Continuing this mantra,
Visualize the entire world bathed in the light of loving kindness radiating out from your heart space.
Embrace every living being.
Those who are similar to you.
Those who are different.
All beings just like you feel pain,
Suffering,
And wish deeply to be well.
This is what connects us all.
Feel the interconnectedness of all existences,
All beings.
Know that you are part of the web of humanity.
And when you cultivate loving kindness,
The world gives loving kindness in return.
You can always create this compassion within.
Offer one more time,
May all beings be well.
May all beings be at ease.
And may all beings be free from suffering.
As we conclude this metta meditation,
Take a few deep breaths to anchor yourself back in the present moment.
Know that the seeds of loving kindness you've planted today can continue to grow in your heart.
When you're ready,
Gently blink the eyes open.
Take a moment to reorient yourself to your surroundings.
Just noticing what you can see around you,
What you can feel,
What you can hear,
What you can smell,
What you can taste.
Thank you for joining me in this metta meditation.
May the practice of loving kindness continue to nurture your heart and bring compassion to all areas of your life.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
And may you be free from suffering.
