Welcome to this meditation on metta or loving kindness.
In this meditation you'll be cultivating loving kindness for yourself as well as someone you're having a more difficult relationship with.
Start by getting into a position that's comfortable for you,
Sitting,
Standing or lying down.
See if you can be kind to yourself already here and now as you get into the position.
You can close your eyes or leave them open.
Please remember that you can also change positions during the practice as well as make adjustments and other movements and if you choose to close your eyes you can at any time open them again.
Now bring to mind someone or something that embodies love and kindness for you.
A pet,
Teacher,
Spiritual figure,
Family member or someone else.
How do they look?
How do they act?
And how do you feel thinking of them?
Allow yourself to open to the qualities you see in them,
Perhaps allowing a soft smile to form on your lips.
Now choose a phrase that can express some of this loving kindness.
A phrase such as may you be happy,
May you be filled with joy,
May you live with ease or may you be safe.
You'll be using the same one throughout the meditation.
You can choose one of these or another.
They were may you be happy,
May you be filled with joy,
May you live with ease and may you be safe.
Having chosen a phrase you can place a hand on your heart or in some other way place your attention on yourself.
You'll start here with this living being right here.
This heart,
Body and mind.
Maybe you already sense something now with this touch of your hand,
This willingness to be kind to yourself.
In your mind,
Repeat the phrase that you've chosen.
For example,
May I be happy.
You can experiment with the phrase,
The pace,
Where you place the emphasis,
The tone.
It can be helpful to remember the one who embodies loving kindness for you,
How they love you,
Wish you well.
Let's try adding your name at the end.
For example,
I say,
May you be happy Vikram.
The moment you become aware that the mind has wondered is a precious opportunity for loving kindness.
You can gently let go and with kindness towards yourself,
Return to your phrase and practice.
Soon,
I will invite you to bring to mind someone you're having a more difficult relationship with.
Perhaps you want to adjust your position,
Open your eyes or make other changes first.
And now,
If you feel okay to do so,
Imagine someone you're having a more difficult relationship with.
Imagine them at an appropriate distance.
It can also be helpful to imagine them as a helpless child.
Remember that they experience suffering and want to be happy,
Like you,
Like all of us.
In your mind,
Say your chosen phrase of loving kindness.
For example,
May you too be happy.
Perhaps adding their name at the end.
If at any time this becomes too much,
Let go of this person and return to wishing yourself well.
You can also shuttle back and forth between yourself and the other person,
Spending some time directing loving kindness at yourself and then spending some time directing loving kindness at the other.
You know what?
You can put plain.
Having someone you're having a more difficult relationship with in the metapractice can bring up some of the drama between you,
Some of the stories that you're telling yourself about the other person,
About yourself,
About your relationship.
When you notice that you've lost yourself in these thoughts,
You can again gently let go and return to the practice,
The simple practice of this phrase of loving kindness.
Trusting that your happiness and the happiness of the other is of utmost importance,
That watering these seeds of kindness and love are of utmost importance and everything else can wait for a little bit.
But let's remember the phrase of loving kindness,
Why you FACbling understanding and your express.
Finally,
Let us widen even further and extend loving-kindness to all beings.
In your mind,
Say your chosen phrase of loving-kindness.
For example,
May we all be happy.
Let a boundless love pervade the whole universe,
Above,
Below,
And across,
Including all beings,
Frail and strong,
Big and small,
Visible and invisible,
Near and far away,
Already born and yet to be born.
.
Soon,
I will end the meditation with one sound of the bell.
Thank you for spending this time with me,
Cultivating loving-kindness.
