Metta Meditation: Learn to Love Yourself & Those Around You

February 21, 2024

Participate at home in a metta meditation with our meditation practitioner.

In the busy world we live in, finding time to unplug from the world and look inward can seem like an impossible task. Amongst all of the responsibilities, late emails, and societal obligations putting weight on life, the practice of meditation has stood the test of time. Through mindfulness meditation, the practice of Metta Meditation can help relieve those moments and feelings of uncertainty and isolation brought on by the world around us.

What is Metta Meditation?

Metta Meditation is the practice of extending well-wishes and positive energy not only to yourself but to those around you. To come at peace, at the moment, to the positivity within your well-being while also realizing the positive nature of your loved ones, community, and the world around you. As part of mindfulness meditation, this style of meditation pushes the individual to focus on the present moment. Free from the outside world, focusing on the here and now of oneself. 

While sharing many characteristics with various other forms of meditation, this style of meditation allows individuals to readily practice it wherever and whenever they please. Free from physical movement or necessary accessories, the only tool needed is one’s breathing. Ready to give it a shot?

Steps to Follow

These are suggested actions to take to get acquainted with this style of meditation. Once you feel comfortable with the process, feel free to adjust this practice to accommodate your preferences and situation.

1) Preparation 

Find a space in which you can free yourself from outside distractions. If not readily available, try to ground yourself in the place you are in. Then, find a comfortable position for you to meditate in. This could be a sitting position, lying down, or whatever you prefer. Now allow yourself to close your eyes or relax them with a soft gaze at an object or location. 

2) Breath Awareness

Once you have found your ideal place and position, begin focusing solely on your breathing. Focus on the inhale and exhale of each breath, maintaining a concentration of this exercise. If your mind should wander, which all of ours will do, try to gently reel it back in by vocalizing the words, “inhale” and “exhale” as you breathe. 

3) Meditation Practice

To begin the meditation, start by offering yourself positive wishes, “May I be healthy, may I be happy, and may I be at peace.”. Next, imagine a loved one in your life and extend those same affirmations to them. After this, repeat this process, expressing kind wishes and kindness to your community,  state,  country, and the world around you. These wishes go beyond just those who you may know or love. They are extended to those who you may not know, those who may have done you wrong, and everyone in between. 

4) Closing

To conclude this meditation, take two deep breaths. Focus on inhaling deeply, holding this breath, and exhaling with a sigh. Now at your own pace, open your eyes, bring energy back into your body, and acknowledge the moment around you. 

Incorporate Metta Meditation in Your Life

The practice of Mindfulness Meditation can be easily integrated into your daily life with no tools required, only yourself. With this practice comes the numerous benefits associated with meditation. Metta Meditation can promote compassion, giving love and acceptance to our biggest critic, ourselves. In addition, this style of meditation can offer relief from stress and anxiety, decrease negative emotions, and provide an outlet to affirm yourself in moments of isolation and uncertainty.