Metta Meditation (also known as Loving-Kindness Meditation) is a practice that I return to time and again when I wish to practice being an embodied expression of Love in the world.
As we’ve discussed in the previous couple of weeks, the internal and external practices of Svadhyaya (self-study) help us to embody Love, to claim it as our own and to allow ourselves to take up loving space in our world. And I feel like the natural conclusion to our month of self-study-oriented practices is to allow ourselves to explore becoming an expression of Love in the world at large ~ for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our challenging relationships and for all beings everywhere.
My favorite practice for expressing Love is a Loving-kindness Meditation or Metta Meditation. It’s a straight-forward practice that I return to time and time again ~ when I’m in gratitude; when I’m struggling; when the suffering in the world feels overwhelming; when the beauty in the world takes my breath away (and everything in between).
A little about Metta Meditation
Metta Meditation comes from the Buddhist tradition and is often called a loving-kindness meditation. It consists of a series of words or phrases designed to connect us to a heartfelt sense of Love, compassion and kindness. The exact wording of the phrases can vary and, according to the Metta Institute, the ones for you will “bring forth a “boundless warm-hearted feeling””.
These are the mantras that I use when practicing a loving-kindness meditation –
May I/you/all beings everywhere be happy.
May I/you/all beings everywhere be healthy.
May I/you/all beings everywhere be free from all suffering.
As you explore the practice for yourself, feel free to allow the wording to shift and evolve so that it naturally expresses what resonates with your heart and supports you in experiencing yourself as a genuine expression of Love.
For each person/situation/relationship, you will repeat the phrases until it feels complete to you (trust yourself to recognize that moment). If you find yourself trying too hard (your gaze is narrowing, you notice tension or constriction rising in your body or mind, etc), pause for a moment and take a few slow, deep breaths to reorient yourself to the present moment and your intention for the practice. Pick up where you left off (or begin again if you prefer) and allow yourself to let the phrases flow from your heart center instead of your mind.
A Metta Meditation Practice
Find a comfortable seat and take a few moments to soften around the breath, to invite the mind to settle, to be focused on the breath. Let anything else move into the background. Choose the journey inward. Choose your breath, your stillness. And then let your awareness drop into your heart center.
Imagine that there is a room, a space there at your heart center that your attention can just step into and in your mind’s eye, imagine yourself just going right to the center of that space and having a seat.
Take a few breaths to let yourself settle into that space to kind of feel your way into it. Notice if it’s big or small, if it’s dark or light, cluttered or pretty wide open. Let yourself feel at home there in your heart center, comfortable and relaxed.
If you notice any constriction or tightness, see if you can soften around that space, around the breath. See if you can connect with a sense of fullness in the heart, however that translates in your body, your mind.
When you’re ready, call to mind an image of yourself – maybe imagine yourself looking in a mirror as you are right now or maybe call to mind a favorite photo. Bring that to your mind and then to that image of yourself begin to recite silently –
May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be free from all suffering.
Repeat it for as long as you wish. When you feel ready to move on, call to mind someone you value, love, or appreciate (or something you are grateful for in your life). When you have that image in mind and heart, begin to recite silently to that image –
May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be free from all suffering.
Stay with it for as long as you wish. When you feel ready to move on, call to mind someone or something that challenges you or that you do not appreciate in your life. When you have that image in mind and heart, begin to recite silently to that image –
May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be free from all suffering.
This is often a difficult one to stay with (this is where the narrowing or constriction can sometimes show up) so do you best to stay relaxed, open and connected to a sense of warm-heartedness. Continue for as long as feels right to you and when are ready to move on, call to mind the entire world. With that image in mind and heart, silently recite –
May all beings everywhere be happy. May all beings everywhere be healthy. May all beings everywhere be free from all suffering.
I often like to take the return trip back to myself with this practice, traveling back the way I came ~ calling to mind someone with which I have a challenge; calling to mind someone I value/love; and ending with myself.
Prefer to be guided?
No problem – here’s a practice to follow along to.
Now, go out there and be an expression of Love ~ you are awesome, radiant and your unique expression is needed in the world!
Sending You Love,
Tawnia