If this seems difficult to you, you might want to try metta meditation.
Read on to learn more about metta meditation.
What Is Metta Meditation?
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The goal of metta meditation is to feel unconditional love for all living things.
Metta can also mean universal friendliness.
But you dont have to be a Buddhist to practice metta meditationanyone can do it.
This leads to more appreciation of, acceptance of, and compassionate love for you and those around you.
Specifically, metta meditation can:
Ultimately, practicing loving-kindness leads to a better relationship with yourself and others.
When youlove yourself, its also easier to love others.
Treating yourself with loving kindness can lead to less frustration, guilt, and self-blame when things go wrong.
It also allows you to connect with your inner strengths and recognize your good qualities.
Metta helps us to cultivate a sense of self-compassion, explainsKarla Helbert, licensed professional counselor and meditation expert.
It can be particularly helpful for people who struggle with an unkind, critical, or judgmental inner voice.
It can also be helpful for those who may struggle with anger or difficulty forgiving others."
It can also be helpful for those who may struggle with anger or difficulty forgiving others.
Choose amantraof loving kindness to repeat to yourself as you breathe.
It could be something like, May I feel happy.
May I be at peace.
May I be safe.
Anything works as long as its sending positive thoughts and feelings to yourself.
Focus on the intention of accepting yourself and loving yourself.
Connect to any feelings of warmth, love, and friendliness as they arise.
Change your mantra to the second person and address your loved one directly.
For example, May you feel happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be safe.
Focus on the intention of accepting and loving your loved one.
(This is where the concept of universal friendliness comes in.)
Again, repeat your mantra with these people in mind: May you feel happy.
May you be at peace.
May you be safe.
Repeat your mantra until you are able to feel compassion for them.
This takes you one step further to feeling unconditional loving-kindness for all.
Change your mantra to include yourself and everyoneMay we all feel happy.
May we all be at peace.
May we all be safe.
This is the final step of practicing loving-kindness literally universally.
How Do You Perform Metta?
Traditional metta meditation involves reciting loving-kindness phrases.
Shift from May I be… to May you be… to May we all be…
But you’ve got the option to start small.
Then, you’ve got the option to move on to the other steps.
Take as long as you need in each step.
Be patient and understanding with yourself as you attempt this difficult feat.
Visualizations and Imagery
Visualizationsand imagery in metta meditation can be helpful to your practice.
As you address yourself, you’re free to hold an image of yourself in your mind.
This can help you focus on your meditation and keep you centered as you practice your mantra.
you’ve got the option to spend as long as you need on this part of your meditation.
In this case, focus on sending them light, compassion, and acceptance.
You might find metta meditation easier than a meditation that requires you to attempt to clear your mind.
This is a good practice for beginners who need more guidance.
Try not to judge yourself when this happens.
Feeling those feelings means you are getting in touch with your emotions, which is always good.
This might sound contradictory but attempt to be compassionate with yourself for not having compassion with yourself.
This is how you move forward in your loving-kindness meditation.
Similarly, you might find yourself getting stuck in any of the phases of your metta meditation.
You might not be able to access kind and loving feelings for certain people just yet.
Thats OK, too.
There might be people in your life whom you cannot forgive or think well of.
Work up to it.
But dont beat yourself up if you cant.
Like alltypes of meditation, the practitioner may encounter internal obstacles with metta, Helbert explains.
Integrating Metta Meditation Into Daily Life
The key to metta meditation is consistency and repetition.
Just a few minutes repeated regularly can do the trick.
Keep in Mind
The core of metta meditation is understanding and compassion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Consistency is important.
Aim for once a day or a few times a week.
If you practice your metta meditation regularly, youre more likely to see its benefits.
Acknowledging and forgiving yourself for negative thoughts and feelings is the first step.
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