LOVING KINDNESS OR METTA MEDITATION

By: Dr. Scott Greenapple

With all the turmoil, anger frustration, and general upheaval in the country and world right now, I thought this would be the perfect time to guide you through a meditation to quiet the mind and open the heart.

Metta or Loving Kindness Meditation is a method of developing compassion.  More information is sent from the heart to the brain than from the brain to the heart. When we hold compassion, joy, love and equanimity in the heart, we can help bring those qualities and awareness to not only ourselves, but to those we come in contact with or just hold dear to us.  

These meditations are great ways to cultivate our sense of compassion, thereby sending out good will, kindness and warmth by using our heart/mind guided with some mantras and the breath.

There are no pre conditions that are necessary. The meditations can be practiced by anyone without regard to any religion or spiritual belief system. The meditations are only about cultivating love to yourself and others. No matter if you feel you deserve it, or if the person or persons in your heart/mind deserve it. Essentially, you are sending out feelings of love, joy and compassion, unconditionally.  

Take some time, pause for a few minutes, close your eyes (if you are comfortable), and follow along with this guided practice.  May we all learn to show love and compassion to all of us regardless of the color of our skin or religious affiliation we may have.