Practice Point: LovingKindness Meditation

Metta (or LovingKindness meditation) is a traditional Buddhist practice for developing unconditional positive emotions and connections to all beings: yourself, the people around you, and those whom you might not know.

Metta means ‘positive energy and kindness towards others’. The practice involves silently reciting kind words to yourself and others.

The words I use in my LovingKindness meditation are ones that resonate with me and are a combination of the phrases used by other metta practitioners.

 

The practice

Following is the ‘full’ practice, which I adapt depending on how much time is available for the meditation.

  1. Come into a comfortable position either seated or lying down.
  2. Settle into your position, taking deep breaths and relaxing the body
  3. Focus on the heart space, the centre of the chest.

    Feel the breath moving through the chest and sense the heart opening and softening.

  4. Offer loving kindness to yourself:
    1. Focus on yourself.

      You might like to imagine that you're looking into a mirror or that someone that loves you (maybe even a pet) is sending you their love.

    2. Receive those well wishes, and say to yourself:

      “May I be happy.
       May I be healthy.
       May I be safe and loved.
       May I have peace in my life.”

    3. Create an intention to be kind to yourself, and repeat those phrases to yourself.
  5. Offer loving kindness to someone close to you:
    1. Picture someone to whom you are close.
    2. Smile and offer them well wishes by repeating the following:

      “May you be happy.
       May you be healthy.
       May you be safe and loved.
       May you have peace in your life.”

    3. Imagine your wishes being warmly received and repeat those phrases to them.
  6. Offer loving kindness to all those who are close to you:
    1. Picture all those who are close to you.
    2. Extend the same love and compassion to them by repeating:

      “May you be happy.
       May you be healthy.
       May you be safe and loved.
       May you have peace in your life.”

    3. Imagine your wishes being warmly received as you repeat the phrases again.
  7. Offer loving kindness to all those whom you interact with:
    1. Think of all those you interact with on a regular basis, people for whom you have no particular feelings, to whom you feel neutral.
    2. Offer them well wishes by repeating:

      “May you be happy.
       May you be healthy.
       May you be safe and loved.
       May you have peace in your life.”

    3. Reach out again and repeat the phrases.
  8. Offer loving kindness to those you don't get on with:
    1. If it feels possible for you, bring to mind someone who you don't get along with.
    2. Try to let go of the negative feelings you have towards this person or lessen them.
    3. Imagine extending well wishes to this person and repeat:

      “May you be happy.
       May you be healthy.
       May you be safe and loved.
       May you have peace in your life.”

    4. If you feel comfortable doing so, extend your compassion and repeat the phrases again.
  9. Offer loving kindness to all beings:
    1. Extend your awareness to all beings everywhere.
    2. Open your heart and repeat the following:

      “May you be happy.
       May you be healthy.
       May you be safe and loved.
       May you have peace in your life.”

    3. Extend your well wishes and repeat the phrases again.
  10. Bring attention back to yourself and notice how you feel.

    Be grateful for feeling of love and kindness, and for your connections to those around you.

  11. When you're ready, slowly release your position and end the meditation.

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Adapting the meditation for your practice

Following are suggestions for adapting the meditation to your needs and time availability:

  • Find phrases that resonate with you.
  • Say the phrases once for each group.
  • Reduce the number of groups to whom you extend loving kindness.

Try a short meditation of self-compassion by repeating the phrases of loving kindness to yourself and noticing how that makes you feel.

For a 10-minute meditation, try repeating the phrases once and offering loving kindness to:

  • Yourself
  • One or more people close to you
  • Those whom you interact with regularly
  • All beings

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Benefits

  • Reduce stress

  • Develop self-compassion

  • Build positive emotions such as compassion, gratitude, hope

  • Develop a positive state of mind

  • Build resilience

  • Enhance social connections

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More information

Personal practiceDeb @ LaiLin Yogapractice, relaxation, meditationComment