Metta Meditation
(A.K.A. Metta Bhavana)Focused on the Emotion of Loving-Kindness
Metta Meditation (also known as metta bhavana) is focused on the emotion of loving-kindness. Metta means love (in the non-romantic sense), friendliness or kindness. Bhavana means development or cultivation.
Metta Meditation (also known as metta bhavana) is focused on the emotion of loving-kindness. Metta means love (in the non-romantic sense), friendliness or kindness. Bhavana means development or cultivation.
As you begin this meditation focus on the emotion of compassion felt in the heart. Start with about 5 minutes for each of the 5 stages.
Feel free to use imagery and mantras for all of the stages or to leave them out. If you have a recording device on your phone or computer you can read this and then listen to the meditation or pass it along to your favourite meditation/yoga teacher and ask to have it in the next class you attend.
Stage 1
- Feel loving-kindness (metta) for yourself
- Become aware of your breath and this moment
- Focus on feelings of peace, calm, and tranquillity
- Begin to feel strong and confident and feel love growing in your heart
- If an image helps – visualize golden light flooding your body
- If a mantra helps – say to yourself, ‘may I be well and happy’
Stage 1
- Feel loving-kindness (metta) for yourself
- Become aware of your breath and this moment
- Focus on feelings of peace, calm, and tranquillity
- Begin to feel strong and confident and feel love growing in your heart
- If an image helps – visualize golden light flooding your body
- If a mantra helps – say to yourself, ‘may I be well and happy’
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
- Bring a good friend to mind – think of all of their good qualities
- Feel your connection with your friend and metta towards them
- Mantra to say to yourself – ‘may they be well, may they be happy’
- Image – shining light from your heart to theirs
- Bring to mind a person that you don’t have a like or dislike towards
- Can be someone you don’t know well – your feelings are neutral to them
- Reflect on their humanity and send them metta
- Use the same mantra and image as stage 2 if that helps
- Bring to mind someone you dislike
- Try not to get caught up in the details of why and the feelings of dislike
- Think of this person in a positive light and send them metta
Stage 2:
- Bring a good friend to mind – think of all of their good qualities
- Feel your connection with your friend and metta towards them
- Mantra to say to yourself – ‘may they be well, may they be happy’
- Image – shining light from your heart to theirs
Stage 3:
- Bring to mind a person that you don’t have a like or dislike towards
- Can be someone you don’t know well – your feelings are neutral to them
- Reflect on their humanity and send them metta
- Use the same mantra and image as stage 2 if that helps
Stage 4:
- Bring to mind someone you dislike
- Try not to get caught up in the details of why and the feelings of dislike
- Think of this person in a positive light and send them metta
The Final Stage in Metta Meditation
- Think of all the people from this meditation – self, friend, neutral person and enemy
- Extend your feelings to everyone around you in this room, building, town, country, world and then universe
- Send out waves of loving-kindness from your heart to every being
- Begin to relax out of this meditation, come back to the breath and to this place
- Tip forward slightly and let your eyes blink open when you are ready
Stage 5
The Final Stage in Metta Meditation
Stage 5
- Think of all the people from this meditation – self, friend, neutral person and enemy
- Extend your feelings to everyone around you in this room, building, town, country, world and then universe
- Send out waves of loving-kindness from your heart to every being
- Begin to relax out of this meditation, come back to the breath and to this place
- Tip forward slightly and let your eyes blink open when you are ready
We Spoke In Depth with Pamela Crane
Pamela Crane suffered for years with fibromyalgia, persistent pain, anxiety, and depression. She talks about how yoga literally saved her life and how she uses it now to help others as a yoga therapist.
Pamela Crane suffered for years with fibromyalgia, persistent pain, anxiety, and depression. She talks about how yoga literally saved her life and how she uses it now to help others as a yoga therapist.