The Idea

We can at times get too wrapped up thinking about ourselves, what’s happening in our lives, bobbing between the past present and future, and mistakenly meditation can be associated with this engagement with self.

Metta meditation refocuses your attention to other people such as friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, in truth absolutely anyone even those we may not particularly like.  Metta is focused on wishing kindness upon others, wishing they achieve a goal, gain the thing the have worked towards, random luck in their favour, anything positive.

Metta meditation helps ultimately foster compassion to not only anyone but also yourself, this is great at reducing stress, anxiety and building social connections.

Notes

If it assists in focusing the mind, you can think of the word’s ‘breath in’ and ‘breath out’ or count the number of breaths in and out.

Do not worry about stray thoughts, this will happen just say ‘hi’ to the thought if it is important must do than by all means act on it, otherwise allow it to leave your mind and refocus on breathing. 

Try and guide your thoughts away from yourself, but allow yourself the enjoyment, the feelings this meditation manifests within you.

You can do this with your eyes open or closed, whatever you find easiest.

The meditation Routine

Identify a person you wish to think about.

Get an idea of what you wish for them, kindness, gaining something, just being happy, anything you pick.

When ready:

Take a deep, slow breath in through your nose for about 5 or 6 seconds.

​Hold for a few seconds.

​Breathe out slowly through your mouth for about 7 Seconds or longer (breathe out like you are whistling).

​Repeat several times, allow the feeling of calm and relation to take over from head to toe.

Start to think about the person you identified.

Bring the image of them into better focus, add brightness, sound to the image.

Start thinking about what you wished for them.

Bring this image into better focus, add brightness, sound to the image.

Think about how happy they are, how they are feeling.

Smile at them, enjoy them smiling back.

Take time to enjoy this, there is no need to rush.

When you are ready, allow the scene to fade and bring your attention back to your breathing.

If your eyes are closed open them up.