Metta Meditation
The holiday season is upon us! Typically, it is easy to get lost in the sea of activity that the holidays bring. However, this year the season may move at a slower pace for many of us. Our calendars may be less crowded, and we may have more time to sit with our emotions and thoughts. While the holidays may naturally evoke feelings of compassion toward others, can we also foster a greater sense of kind-heartedness toward ourselves? The process begins by looking at our thoughts and emotions with equanimity. We all have a set of thought patterns or tiny judgments, we make about ourselves throughout our day. We may be so comfortable with these patterns that we fail to notice them on a regular basis. Can we step back and catch ourselves in these negative thought patterns? Can we change those judgments into positive intentions?
Metta meditation, or loving-kindness meditation, is a mindfulness practice that brings about positive energy and kindness. The goal of metta meditation is to cultivate kind-heartedness for all beings --- family, friends, neighbors, difficult people, and animals. The key is that we first turn a loving eye inward and then spread those positive feelings to the greater world around us.
Like other types of meditation, this practice benefits mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It is especially useful for reducing negative emotions toward yourself and other people. In fact, studies performed by the National Institute of Health have shown that metta meditation, if practiced on a regular basis, can enlarge the area of the brain responsible for empathy. It can also decrease the effects of stress, reduce physical pain, improve longevity, and enhance social connections.
Regular practice of metta meditation can cultivate emotions of joy, trust, appreciation, and unconditional compassion. The words may vary slightly but all loving-kindness meditations are meant to express kind intentions.
Begin by sitting in a quiet place and practice saying to yourself:
“May I be filled with loving-kindness.”
“May I be safe from harm.”
“May I live in peace and at ease.”
Try practicing this regularly for a week and just notice any feelings that arise. Since metta meditation involves reciting kind phrases toward yourself, it can foster a sense of self-compassion and reduce negative emotions like self-doubt, unworthiness, and self-criticism.
If you would like to further develop this practice, start to add others into your mind’s eye. After saying the phrases toward yourself, imagine someone that has guided and supported you and repeat these words:
“May you be filled with loving-kindness.”
“May you be safe from all harm.”
“May you live in peace and at ease.”
Continue to repeat these phrases, widening your sphere to include acquaintances, difficult people in your life, and even animals. Try practicing this meditation on a regular basis throughout the month of December. Over time, you may notice a greater sense of compassion for yourself and empathy for those around you. The more regularly you practice, the more profound the effects.
This week's blog was written by Jen Casey.
Namaste!