July 21st, 2012

Metta Bhavana meditation
or Development of Loving- Kindness meditation

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Welcome to the first newsletter for students of the The Yoga Studio. It will be an occasional event, a place where I can share useful information,  provide practice sequences or post anything else you may be interested  - let me know.
 
This term in the Relax and Revive class we are exploring some different techniques that help us on the path of meditation and illuminate the Yamas and Niyamas. We began with a focus on Ahimsa (non-violence).   Expressed positively this is the cultvation of love, peace, friendliness and compassion for everyone.

 As requested here are my instructions from last weeks class for the Metta Bhavana (loving kindness meditation).   I am keen to share this technique with you, I have found it to be a  powerful and transformative practice that cultivates these values. It is a Buddhist practice rather than a yogic one, but you don't need to be a Buddhist to do it.  As The Buddha himself is reputed to have said, one candle can light a thousand  and the light of the candle is never shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.   I hope practising this meditation makes you feel good about yourself and that you pratice it  regularly to develop a calm, kind anchor in your life that helps you weather the rough seas of your emotions.

INSTRUCTIONS

Read through the instructions a few times before you begin. It helps to choose in advance the people you are going to focus on. Don't dwell on this too much, just whomever pops into your head. Set aside some time where you won't be disturbed. Once you are ready, sit comfortably and scan your body to release tension. Observe your breath until you feel yourself settling peacefully and the breath is calm.

You can focus on each area for up to ten minutes but to begin with, just a couple of minutes on each heading will help.

1.     Yourself

Let your heart fill with love for yourself. Generate a warm feeling of complete love and acceptance of yourself as you are right now in this moment not as you might wish to be.  Spend some minutes on  this, send warm heart felt wishes to yourself.  Here are some suggested words that you can say silently to yourself which are based on the traditonal ones, but you may choose your own.  You may need to work at it to generate this feeling of unconditonal love for yourself.  Think of it as a  big mental hug. If you don't feel it don't worry it will come with practice.  Repeat the words silently with as much conviction and you can muster.

May I be well
May I be happy
May I be free from suffering
May I develop spiritually


2     A dear one

Then bring to mind someone you love, a smile, the sound of their laugh or an image of you both together in your mind may help.  As you hold their image in your mind, send them the same warm wishes you gifted yourself.  Don't repeat the words mechanically, but with the full purport of the   words.  You truly want all of these wonderful things for your loved friend or family member. Generate as much love and good feelings as you can, and be clear in you desire to send good wishes for this person. Then after your chosen time period let them fade from your mind and call to mind your neutral person.

May they be well
May they be happy
May they be free from suffering
May they progress spiritually

3    Neutral person
Your chosen neutral person may be someone you see at the bus stop, or at the reception desk of a place you visit regularly. You may have never spoken to them but you know their face.  As you hold their image in your mind aim to keep the same feeling tone that you had for yourself and your dear one.  Like stoking a fire we must practice building up this unconditional love in our hearts. It is harder when you don't know someone, but be persistant.  Try to see this person three-dimensionally, they too are deserving of love, good health emotionally and physically. They too want a peaceful life. Send  them  good wishes like an anonymous gift.

May they be well
May they be happy
May they be free from suffering
May they progress spiritually


4  Challenging person or "enemy"

When you first begin this practice don't be tempted to choose your arch enemy! Start with someone that you feel a bit uncomfortable around, or someone in your life who has views you find challenging.  It could be someone from your past. I sometimes choose someone who I care for but am really annoyed with and feel stuck with these emotions.

Observe yourself as you recall the image of this person in your mind. Be alert to any tension creeping back into your body. Observe your reaction to this person impartially, and be present to what is there.  Take care not to ''narratise'' your feelings, eg. last time I saw them they said so and so ,  I wish I had said something cleverer back to them etc .  Create an image of this person happy and smiling. Try restoke the fire of unconditional love and good feelings you have for your dear one.  Remember all people want to be loved, to be healthy and at peace.  Metta Bhavana meditation is a ''practice'" and we need to work at it, and train our minds, if it becomes too hard then let it go and come back to good wishes for yourself.
 
To bring the meditation towards its conclusion put yourelf back into the frame alongside your dear one, neutral person and challenging person. Wish for them all what you want for yourself and then expand it out to all people.
 
5     All people everywhere
Expand your feelings to include not just these four people but all beings on this planet, include everyone, all races, creeds. Be expansive and inclusive, send your warm wishes to the animals, plants, the enviroment. We all want a peaceful and well world. Why stop there, send love to the universe as well!  As you become more experienced with this meditation you can try to empathise with people in the world that you disapprove of as well, those on death row, terrorists and so on. Remember that unconditional love is just that, unconditional.

Conclude by coming back to wishing yourself well. Rescan your body for tension, feel the weight and shape of your body as you sit. Notice your breath. Be aware of how you feel. Then slowly open your eyes.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
Cheryl

Searching all directions
with one’s awareness,
one finds no one dearer
than oneself.
In the same way, others
are fiercely dear to themselves.
So one should not hurt others
if one loves oneself.

raja sutra