Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I'm going to talk about Metta.
It's also called Loving-Kindness Meditation.
This topic was requested by Tina in the Meditation with Michael group.
First I'll explain a little bit about what Metta is,
And then we'll do a brief Metta meditation.
In thinking about Metta,
I recalled a meditation I did last year on anxiety and how words have power.
And it's true.
Our thoughts and our words have tremendous power,
And we can use that power for our own benefit.
Metta capitalizes on this concept.
Metta is a beautiful practice that cultivates feelings of compassion and love and goodwill for both ourselves and others.
Metta,
Which is also known as Loving-Kindness Meditation,
Is a practice that's rooted in Buddhist traditions.
The term Metta comes from Pali,
A language closely related to Sanskrit,
And it's spoken in northern India.
And Metta encompasses concepts like loving-kindness,
Friendliness,
Goodwill,
Benevolence,
And non-violence.
Metta meditation aims to cultivate positive energy and kindness towards all beings,
Including yourself and others.
In Metta meditation,
You silently recite positive phrases toward yourself and various beings.
This includes loved ones,
Partners,
People that you're at odds with,
And even animals.
These phrases express kind intentions and help develop unconditional positive emotions.
Examples of Metta meditation phrases include,
May I be safe and peaceful and free of suffering,
Or may I be happy,
May I be healthy,
May you be strong and confident.
And by reciting kind phrases towards yourself,
Metta meditation fosters a sense of self-compassion.
It reduces negative emotions like unworthiness,
Self-doubt,
And self-criticism.
In fact,
Studies show that Metta meditation decreases self-criticism and enhances self-compassion.
Mindfulness meditation,
Including Metta,
Can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms.
And regular practice may reduce inflammation caused by stress.
And this has been proved by science.
Metta meditation encourages feelings of joy and trust,
Love,
Gratitude,
And compassion.
It helps you perceive yourself and others in a more positive light.
Metta goes beyond social,
Religious,
Ethnic,
And political-economic layers.
It means caring for others without judgment,
Accepting them independently of agreement or disagreement,
And expecting nothing in return.
Remember,
Metta meditation is about cultivating kindness and positive energy towards all things.
It's a beautiful practice that can benefit both your mind and your body.
Close your eyes now,
And let's get in touch with our breath.
As always,
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Lying down,
Or standing.
What matters is that you are comfortable and alert.
First,
Let's scan our body and begin to relax.
Relax your face.
Unfurrow your brow and unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck and your shoulders.
And don't forget,
You can move as you're trying to relax these things.
Roll your neck around and shrug your shoulders.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Let go of any tension you might find in your chest or your belly,
And feel yourself getting heavier with each breath.
Relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's start to focus even more on our breath.
Our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.
Inhale slowly,
And then just gently exhale.
Notice your breath as it flows in.
Notice where you feel it in your body,
A cool sensation as it comes in through your nose,
And the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.
Just continue breathing at your normal pace,
And don't force anything.
Remember,
You're trying to breathe like you,
Not like me.
Let your breath flow like a river,
Sure and tranquil and calm.
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time,
And then again.
And thoughts are a part of us.
They're a constant part of our world,
But you needn't concern yourself with them when you meditate.
Just focus on your breath,
And let thoughts pass across your mind and out again.
Thoughts are like clouds in the sky,
Or waves on a lake.
Just let them pass without judgment.
We are only concerned with our breath as it flows in and flows out.
And following your breath can have a powerful effect on your life,
And being able to get in touch with this current can transform your life.
It can help you to deal with tension and insecurities.
Following your breath can help you deal better with the problems in your day.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Just one breath at a time.
Now just continue to follow your breath and listen to my voice.
With this metta meditation,
We first want to generate loving kindness for ourselves.
Perhaps put a hand over your heart if you feel called to do so.
And then,
Still following your breath,
Softly say,
Either out loud or to yourself,
These things and repeat after me.
May I be tranquil.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
And may I live in peace.
And if you want to do meditation often,
You can create your own phrases.
Now that we've wished these things for ourselves,
We want to spread the loving kindness outward.
So think about someone you deeply care about,
A friend or a family member or a mentor.
Visualize them and then repeat after me.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
In many meditations of metta,
They continue outward with the thought that we can further spread the loving kindness.
So think of someone that you encounter regularly but that you don't really have an attachment to like a neighbor or a coworker or a colleague.
And then extend the same loving kindness to them.
Once again,
Repeat after me.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Then moving outward even more,
Think of someone that you find difficult or that you have conflicts with.
Maybe a difficult coworker or a grouchy neighbor or your boss.
And despite any challenges,
Wish them well and repeat after me.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
And may you live with ease.
And then lastly,
We want to imagine all living beings,
Humans and animals and plants.
And send out the same loving kindness to everyone and repeat after me.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be safe.
And may all beings live with ease.
And now try to feel the loving kindness in your heart.
And if you haven't already,
Put your hand over your heart as you continue to breathe.
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Feel the warmth and compassion radiating from within you.
Your words have power and all of our words together have even more power.
Now as we come to a close,
Take one long breath through your nose and exhale it through your mouth letting out a sigh.
Open your eyes and come back into the room ready to resume your day in a world that you have filled with loving kindness.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming practice.
And thank you,
Each and every one of you for joining me in this moment.
I'm so grateful for all of you.
Remember you can join us in the group here on Insight Timer Meditation with Michael.
We'd love to have you.
And just remember that metta is a gift you give to yourself and others.
May you be filled with loving kindness and may it ripple out to touch the world.
Till next time.
