After a week of practice you may have learned to love yourself a little more.
You mau find it easier to feel the resevoir of love that exist with in (and around) you.
(If not, keep practicing, it’s there and this week will help.)
This week is about directing that love outward to your circle of friends, family and loved ones.
Being mindful of the love you have for these people and trying to think, speak and act from a place of love, kindness and compassion toward those people as often as possible.
The first step is to consider those it’s easy for you to feel love and kindness toward and work on the practices suggested to cultivate that love and kindness and feel it filling your body.
The seocnd step is being present with the feeling of love when your with those people and if you’re brave enough sharing some of that love with them in a way that feels genuine & authentic to you and that particular relationship (this may be a little uncomfortable - will you be courageous enough to discover what lies beyond this discomfort?).
Practices for Week 2
Living Metta
*Each night wirte in your journal about at least one person you feel a sense of love, kindness, friendliness &/or gratitude for. Think about what it is you love about them, how much of a blessing it has to have them in your life, all the people you have to be grateful for and why you are grateful for them.
With an image of that person/people in your mind repeat the metta mantra and imagine sending the well wishes, the loving kindness from this mantra toward that person (or people).
*Each morning (or before any meeting with a loved one) tune in with the feeling of love, kindness or friendliness you feel for that person. As best you can get sense for that loving energy and breath it into your heart. As you interact with the people you love in your life try to do so from that place of love (breath into your heart, it may serve to reminnd you and keep you present).
For some of us it’s easier to find love and kindness for others than it is yourself so as you do this weeks practice remember to be open to recieving and culitvating love and kindness for yourself.
Continue to
*write or at least read the metta mantra everyday (great times to do this are first thing upon wakening, straight afteer meditation and just before sleep).
*practice a metta meditation daily
Metta Mantra
A mantra is a tool of the mind. Something we repeat over and over again to train attention. Our Metta Mantra is designed for us to direct our attention toward the well wishes of ourselves and others. You could choose your own mantra, something loving and kind that you would wish upon those who you really love, or use the well worn mantra below.
“May I be vibrantly happy and healthy
May I be free from suffering
May I experience deep peace and joy
May I have the strength and wisdom to overcome challenges with grace and ease
May I be full of and sorrounded by love” **
”
“May all beings be vibrantly happy and healthy
May all beings be free from suffering
May all beings experience deep peace and joy
May all beings have the strength and wisdom to overcome challenges with grace and ease
May all beings be full of and sorrounded by love”
Once you’ve chosen you Metta Mantra you will be encouraged to write it (or at least read) it everyday (straight after meditation is a great time but whenever suits is great) for a month.
** If you have no trouble loving yourself, if you know and feel you are worthy of love, if you can feel yourself included in the phrase “all beings” when it comes to well wishes, then you can leave the first part of the mantra “May I…..” out and go straight into “May All Beings….”
Meditation
Choose one of the following Metta Mediations and practice daily.
If you already have a meditation practice you could put a short version of one of these on the end of your current practice (or you could choose a to replace or add Metta Meditation to your regime)
METTA MEDITATION WITH MANTRA
Guided Mantra Metta Meditation
ENERGETIC METTA MEDITATION
Energetic Metta Tutorial
Start by tuning into your breath and your body.
When you have achieved a certain level of concentration and feel as though you are tuned in start breathing awareness and the essence/energy of love and kindness into your feet.
With each breath feel awareness & love and kindness filling your body.
Continue to breath this awareness into and through your body until you feel completley full
Then with each out breath imagine that energy radiating from you
Each in breath cultivates more love, more kindness and each out breath spreads its around the world.
Keep this going for the duration of your meditation trying as best you can to keep your attention on the breath and the energy of love and kindness.
When you timer goes of to mark the end of your meditation take a moment to notice how you feel and as best you can take the loving kindness with you into the rest of your life.