Metta Meditation

May you find inspiration in these loving words from The Mindfulness Survival Kit, written by Thich Nhat Hanh

May I be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit. 
​May I be safe and free from injury. 
May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety. 

May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love. 
May I recognize and be in touch with the seeds of happiness within myself. 
May I identify and embrace the sources of suffering in myself. 

May I nourished the seeds of joy in myself every day. 
May I live fresh, solid, and free. 
May I be free from attachment and aversion but not be indifferent.

Why We Practice Loving-Kindness (Metta)

It may not feel necessary, but love and kindness always make a difference. It feels great to be treated in a loving and supportive way! And it feels equally as meaningful to offer loving-kindness to others. Extending these energies soothes any discomfort the other person may be experiencing, and helps protect us from inheriting any stress. The more we practice thinking, acting, and speaking in a kind way to others, the more naturally we’ll honor ourselves with the same benevolence.

Deepen Your Understanding: Kindness is a core concept of mindfulness. We can be caring and kind in how we think, speak, and act toward ourselves and others. Check out the kindness page to discover exercises to inspire and strengthen everyday kindness. 

Practices for Kindness

Self-Care Meditation

It’s natural for some days to be better than others, but we can improve each day when we can practice loving-kindness towards ourselves and others. Loving-kindness can be defined simply as being kind and friendly. We can be this way towards other people, and we can be this way to ourselves. There will be times when other people really test our patience, difficult circumstances cause us frustration, or our thoughts don't feel how we want them to - and this may cause us discomfort. A loving-kindness meditation encourages us to improve these experiences with a gentle and caring heart. When we are full of love and compassion, we can act more positively and comfortably in our daily life. When we practice loving-kindness, we’re not looking outside of ourselves for relief, we're turning inwards to acknowledge the capacity for love and kindness that's already present within our heart. 

• Sit comfortably and allow your eyes to close. From the moment you sit down, practice bringing kindness into the moment. Allow yourself to get as comfortable as possible to enjoy this practice. Extend friendly care to your body as you relax into this exercise.
• To start, acknowledge your desire to be happy. Don't overthink or ruminate on ideas about what could make you happy. Simply focus on your natural desire to feel at ease and to be comfortable with yourself. Say out loud, “Yes, I want to be happy.”
• Repeat this phrase a few times. This sets the intention for the practice. 
• Offer yourself more words of loving–kindness. Say them slowly in your head, or say them slowly out loud. Think of your intention (I want to be happy), even if you don't feel that way in this moment.

​You may say whatever fills your heart with ease, but here are some examples: 
​
May I be happy
​May I be healthy
May I be free
May I be safe
May I be at ease

• As you think about these phrases, connect them to your breathing rhythm. "Breathing in, may I be happy. Breathing out, may I be healthy. Breathing in, may I be free. Breathing out, may I be at ease." Concentrate on connecting your breathing with your phrases in whatever way is most comfortable for you. Bring your full attention to the energy you're offering to yourself. 
• If your mind wanders, gently bring your awareness back to the in-breath and the out-breath, connected with the phrases of love and kindness. Kindly notice any feelings or thoughts of judgment or resistance, then return your attention to mindfully nourishing yourself with deep breathing and loving-kindness. 
• Repeat the phrase as many times as you wish. I would recommend practicing for a minimum of 10 minutes. 
• If you don't feel better while cultivating kindness for yourself, remind yourself that by practicing in this moment you are planting a seed of self-care. When you focus on these thoughts and say kind words like this to yourself, you're training yourself to think in a more positive and loving way. Practicing love and kindness cultivates quality thought and speech for times when we’re feeling disconnected from our self-love. If you can't connect to your kindness in this practice, know that you are taking positive action to create a caring feeling for yourself in the future. 

Loving-Kindness concept inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh, this written meditation was inspired by Matthew Sockolov. Both incredible teachers that can inspire your practice further if you're looking for more insight on this concept. 

Deepen Your Understanding: Stress is essentially an emotional response, varying from subtle discomfort to intense inner turmoil. When we understand how stress effects our mental and physical health, we can be proactive in preventing our stress from reaching detrimental levels. We can decrease our negative emotions with mindfulness, incorporating a balance of fun activities and scientifically-backed techniques like breathing patterns, temperature adjustment, and meditation to soothe our stress. 

Understanding Stress 

Meditations

Concepts for Stress Management

Site Index

Enjoyable Activities

Soothing Stress with Temperature

Breathing Patterns

“Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.” --Rumi

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