There is no question the last year has challenged us in so many ways...health, emotions, patience to name just a few areas. It is not unusual for us to reflect on our actions and perhaps wish we had handled something better or in a gentler manner. We owe it to ourselves to monitor our self-talk as it can get pretty harsh! A wonderful way to do this is through Metta Meditation.
In Metta Meditation, we direct lovingkindness to ourselves. This is followed by expanding our scope to those we love, those we are perhaps neutral toward and, to those we have difficulty with. Lastly, we direct it to the world at large. During this type of meditation, you are selecting a particular object of meditation, which is the metta phrase, such as “May I be happy.” You hold the phrase in your heart the same way you would hold something fragile and precious in your hand.
Without getting too deep in the meditation "weeds", people who practice this realize they gain enormous insight during their session. You are opening your heart and including others, without judgment. Sometimes it comes as a surprise that you do have the capacity for lovingkindness toward yourself. Life may have taught us not to trust our ability to love. Metta involves a great opening and purifying our intentions. We discover that we can indeed love ourselves and others.
Does it magically happen in one meditation? Probably not. But, as with anything valuable, it is worth the investment of time and self. The more you practice this, you become better at viewing situations for purely what they are, without judgment. You develop a response to look at things without life lenses such as fear, anger or hate. Perhaps you find yourself having more patience and compassion. Just think what a different place this world would be if everyone practiced this! For now, let's start with ourselves. Here is a metta meditation to get you started.
Once you are sitting in a comfortable position, gently close your eyes. Picture yourself just as you are. Imagine looking yourself in your eyes and saying:
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be happy as I am.
May I be free of pain.
May I feel safe.
May I be at peace with whatever is happening.
May I feel love.
Now, change the image to a person who most invites a feeling of lovingkindness within you (maybe a parent, child, grandparent, sibling). Say those words to them changing I to You.
Move on to someone neutral (grocer, stranger on the street, store clerk).
Finally, move on to someone you have challenges with. They do deserve to lovingkindness as well. Who knows, maybe this will help ease the relationship. (If this is too difficult to do, go back to one of the other people. Come back to this when you are ready).
Pay attention to how you are feeling as you share these wishes. Allow yourself to feel that love moving through your body, mind and soul.
May you feel love.
Namaste
