I understand that Metta Meditation is a Buddhist practice and I have small background in that traditional practice, but I have enjoyed doing this meditation even in its simple and elementary form. Its possible for anyone to generate loving feelings for others. This is a metta meditation that I have written for the yoga classes I teach. We practice the metta meditation once a month as part of our regular class.
In the class before this meditation we will do many heart opening poses and especially bridge pose. We will do bridge pose being mindful of the apex of the curve being right behind our hearts.
During relaxation it is the time for our bodies to absorb the subtle energies of the poses we have done during the practice. We have focused today on opening our hearts. Bring your hand to your heart and feel your heart beating. Human science does not yet know all the power and energies that arise from our hearts as in comparison to our brains, but not knowing does not keep us from using love generated from our hearts to forgive others and to bless others and ourselves.
Metta in the Pali language means loving kindness or friendliness, so a metta meditation is a pondering and generation loving feelings. This must always start with ourselves. Visualize yourself in your favorite outdoor spot. Its a place you are very familiar with. Maybe its your garden that you tend and take care of. Maybe its a favorite hiking or fishing spot. Remind yourself how you feel when you are here. May you be safe. May you be happy. May you live in peace, may you live with ease, & may you have all the needed help to overcome your problems.
You are alone in your favorite place, but now visualize yourself building a bridge for another person to come into your sanctuary. Think of yourself as that bridge and just as we do bridge pose with the greatest curve right behind our hearts, generate love for others from your heart. You are the bridge for others to join your sanctuary.
The first person you invite into your favorite spot is a beloved leader or teacher. This could be someone from anytime in your past or someone in your life right now. See their face and invite them across the bridge into your spot. You are happy and honored to have them here. You say to them, may you be safe, may your be happy, may you live in peace, may you live with ease and may you have all the needed help to overcome your problems.
Build another bridge into your sanctuary and on the other side visualize someone who is a dearly beloved person in your life. Family or close friends. See one person clearly and invite and escort them over the bridge and into your favorite spot to share it with you. You say to them, may you be safe, may your be happy, may you live in peace, may you live with ease and may you have all the needed help to overcome your problems.
Build another bridge into your sanctuary and on the other side you recognize a person that is familiar to you, but you don't know them personally. Its just someone in the community that you have dealings with from time to time. Open your heart and build the bridge and invite them into your favorite spot. You say to them, may you be safe, may your be happy, may you live in peace, may you live with ease and may you have all the needed help to overcome your problems.
Before you build your next bridge, see in your mind the last person with whom you had an argument or who frustrated you, or with whom you are angry or hold a grudge. A person or population that has offended or wronged you in some way. This is the next bridge. Allow your heart to grow and build your bridge to your enemy. Invite him to cross over into your sanctuary. You say to them, may you be safe, may your be happy, may you live in peace, may you live with ease and may you have all the needed help to overcome your problems.
The final portion of this meditation is taken from beliefnet.com's Metta meditaion.
May all beings live in safety, be happy, be healthy, live with ease.
All people, all animals, all creatures, all those in existence, near and far, known to us and unknown to us. All beings on the earth, in the air, in the water. Those being born, those dying.
May all beings everywhere live in safety, be happy, be healthy, live with ease. You feel the energy of this aspiration extending infinitely in front of you, to either side, behind you, above and below. As the heart extends in a boundless way, leaving no one out, may all beings live in safety, be happy, be healthy, live with ease.
Give general guidelines for coming up from meditation or relaxation.