Metta meditation, also known as Loving Kindness meditation, is a powerful tool. And it is beautifully accessible. It can be practiced anywhere, any time of day, in any environment. Unlike a sitting meditation practice, which is often instructed to be practiced for 20-30 minutes or more per day, metta can be a quickie "drive thru" meditation. It can be practiced when you are driving, waiting in line, and even in a challenging conversation. Of course it can also be practiced in stillness with great amounts of contemplation.
Here are the basics of the practice: silently repeat the phrases below first toward yourself, then toward someone you love, then toward someone you feel neutral about (like a grocery store clerk), then someone you don't like (or has hurt you), and finally to all living beings everywhere.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be free from fear and pain.
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May you live with love and compassion.
And may you fully awaken and be free.Do these words sound like something you could offer to a loved one? Someone you care deeply for? For most of us the answer is a resounding, "Yes, of course!" Now...are these words something you can offer to yourself? Hmmm...Now take it a little deeper: are these words something you can offer to someone you don't like, someone who has hurt you? This is where it can get tough. And also immensely rewarding. Over time, even (especially?) when it is challenging, metta meditation toward someone who has hurt you deeply can allow your heart and soul to gain a sense of distance from the hurt, and perhaps lead to healing and peace.
Offering metta to yourself can also be very powerful. Sometimes it is helpful to offer compassion toward yourself, as if you were a child or a dear loved one. Can you offer kindness toward a physical or emotional challenge you are dealing with instead of jumping to the quick judgment? For example, on the mat can you release the idea of a "bad hip" or a "bum knee" and switch your internal dialogue toward "my left knee has personality"? Can you dive deeper with compassion toward yourself and tease apart your habitual patterns in interpersonal relationships without judgment? Metta practice, done regularly, can pump up the compassion engine in you and allow you to see that someone might be "having a bad day" instead of jumping to conclusions.
See for yourself what happens when you start adding Metta to your daily life. If you are looking for a jump start, stop in to my classes at Westerly Community Yoga Center this week, where I will be guiding metta meditations as part of the practice.
See you on the mat!
