Hello,
My name is Gabriella and today's meditation is a loving kindness meditation,
Also known as a Metta prayer.
I first discovered this practice at a Buddhist temple in London and it is something I love to return to.
What I found so powerful about this meditation is that we not only direct loving kindness out into the world towards other people we know and love,
But also to those that we have difficulty with and most importantly we direct it to ourselves,
Which was where I received a real teaching of the magic and power of our words.
So I hope you enjoy this meditation.
I encourage you to take a seated position in Lotus pose or cross legged or on a chair with your feet touching the earth below you and have a couple of deep breaths in through the nose and imagine your breath is traveling all the way down from your nose to your root and then exhaling out the mouth imagining that breath is releasing your body and inhaling through the nose traveling all the way down to your root and exhaling from there out your mouth.
And one more time inhaling through the nose all the way down to your root and exhaling out the mouth.
And how Metta or loving kindness works is we recite a mantra over and over again silently to ourselves I'll be saying it out loud.
You can follow my words or perhaps say it yourself silently.
We're going to start with directing this beautiful energy to ourselves.
We're going to do three rounds for each person to give you a sense and a flavor.
But you can actually use this practice to create your own length in the future.
Once you memorize the words yourself.
So we're going to direct this prayer to ourselves now often we often we overlook ourselves giving many people our energy and time and love.
And it's a simple practice of redirecting some of the energy and love back to self can feel so nourishing if for the first time.
So one more breath inhale to begin.
May I be peaceful.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I awaken to the light of my true nature.
May I be free.
May I be peaceful.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I awaken to the light of my true nature.
May I be free.
May I be peaceful.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I awaken to the light of my true nature.
May I be free.
And we're going to take a moment to think of somebody that you love.
Bring this person into your mind's eye could be a family member,
A partner,
A dearest friend,
And we're going to direct this beautiful energy towards them now.
May they be peaceful.
May they be happy.
May they be safe.
May they awaken to the light of their true nature.
May they be free.
May they be peaceful.
May they be happy.
May they be safe.
May they awaken to the light of their true nature.
May they be free.
May they be peaceful.
May be happy,
May they be safe,
May they awaken to the light of their true nature,
May they be free.
And we're going to bring to our mind's eye now somebody who you could define as a stranger,
Perhaps someone you notice on your daily commute,
Or someone who works in a local shop,
Or perhaps someone you know from a distance at work.
Bring to your mind someone who you know from memory but you don't necessarily know them personally.
And we're going to direct this beautiful loving kindness prayer towards them too.
May they be peaceful,
May they be happy,
May they be safe,
May they be safe,
May they awaken to the light of their true nature,
May they be free.
May they be peaceful,
May they be happy,
May they be safe,
May they awaken to the light of their true nature,
May they be free.
May they be peaceful,
May they be happy,
May they be safe.
May they awaken to the light of their true nature.
May they be free.
And we're going to direct this prayer,
This meta-prayer,
Now to somebody who you have been having difficulty with.
Maybe it's a relationship that is fraught or tense,
Or maybe you are no longer in contact with this person.
We're going to send this prayer out to them to kind of filter through the stickiness and to send forgiveness and love to them,
Despite how things are unfolding in our lives.
May they be peaceful.
May they be happy.
May they be safe.
May they awaken to the light of their true nature.
May they be free.
May they be peaceful.
May they be happy.
May they be safe.
May they awaken to the light of their true nature.
May they be free.
And now we're going to direct this prayer of loving kindness out into the world for all people,
For all beings.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.
Taking a moment to feel the deliciousness of the energy that you have sent out into the world to all these beings.
This is a practice that can really raise your vibration when you're feeling down.
To redirect your downness,
Your stuck energy,
Your sadness,
Your emotions and channel it into something positive by sending love out into the world wherever it is needed.
Wishing you a wonderful day.
