What is metta meditation?
Metta meditation, also known as loving kindness meditation, is an ancient practice that has its origins in Buddhism. The word “metta” comes from the Pali, an ancient language, and can be translated as “loving kindness” or “loving friendliness”.
In metta meditation, you focus your attention on sending loving thoughts, wishes and prayers for yourself, loved ones, neutral people and even difficult people. It is about giving benevolence, compassion and unconditional love to all living beings.
The focus on “love” is a well-known theme in all religions and spiritual techniques. In the yogic scriptures, reference is made to the heart chakra in particular in order to cultivate this energy. Focusing on people in a loving attitude is a tantric element for transforming energy. Metta meditation therefore also encompasses bhakti and tantra yoga.
The benefits of metta meditation
The practice of metta meditation offers a variety of benefits for the mind, body and soul. Here are some of the most important benefits:
- Cultivating compassion
- Stress reduction and emotional well-being
- Improving interpersonal relationships
- Self-acceptance and self-compassion
Even if in this day and age we give the energy of love a fairytale or naive aspect, the healing effect of this energy should not be underestimated. Cultivating this energy can release many blockages and ensure that we deal better with our fellow human beings and with ourselves.
How do you practice metta meditation?
Metta meditation can be practiced in different steps. Here is a basic guide:
- Find a quiet place: Find a quiet place where you can meditate undisturbed. Sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes.
- Breathe in and out deeply: Start to breathe in and out consciously and deeply. Concentrate on your breath and let go of all thoughts and worries
- Evoke a feeling of loving kindness: Imagine a situation that gives you a strong feeling of love and compassion. This could be a loved one, a pet or a place. Feel this feeling of love and hold it in your heart.
- Send loving thoughts and wishes: Start sending loving thoughts and wishes. You can use simple words or phrases such as “May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live in peace”. Address these wishes first to yourself, then to loved ones, neutral people and finally to difficult people.
- Expand your practice: After you have cultivated love and compassion for yourself and others, you can expand your metta meditation to a greater level. Send loving thoughts and wishes to all living beings on earth and beyond. Visualize this loving energy spreading to the entire world.
We are love in action
Even if we do not feel love, we should try to do metta meditation and try to love ourselves and others. The fact that we have a consciousness and exist in a body arises only from the love of our cells, bones, organs, etc. Love is the basic energy of the universe and we cover it up ourselves through our emotions, our thoughts and our actions. We can observe this very well in babies who are born and radiate unconditioned love. So once we understand that we are made of love and that it can be hidden, it makes sense to try to cultivate love because it is not something external that we have to accumulate. We ourselves are love in action.
Conclusion
This form of meditation can be particularly helpful for people with a high level of intellect. The intellect is an excellent tool. However, it can cause the heart chakra to close because the concept of love tends to be seen as secondary to the razor-sharp division of the world into meanings and patterns by the intellect itself. At best, we are all born through love and depend on love to survive. Even if we may never experience this love or feel it ourselves, it makes sense to cultivate it. Love comes from within ourselves. Among lovers, the other person is not the source of our love – it is already present within us. The other person activates our access to the love that flows out of our heart chakra.
Therefore, metta meditation can also be exhausting and lead to frustration. Others will quickly find access and fulfillment. However, it is definitely suitable for beginners as well as advanced practitioners and is a beautiful form of meditation that I myself like to return to from time to time.
