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| Heart, Photo by Jiri Sebek |
It ends with a short guided metta (loving-kindness) meditation for one-self. It is a wonderful practice if you are feeling anxious and are under stress! And who isn’t right now? According to Sharon Salzberg author of the book Lovingkindness The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, there are many benefits to this meditation practice. I’ll list some here just to give you a bit of motivation. They are:
- You will sleep easily.
- You will awake easily.
- You will have pleasant dreams.
- People will love you! That’s a nice one.
There are others but that should suffice. What I have found is it’s calming, you feel good; perhaps in part because it is a concentration meditation and that is very good for calming the mind. Traditionally one begins the practice of metta for oneself, wishing oneself well using several simple phrases. The next stage is to practice metta for someone called a “benefactor.” That is someone who has just been wonderful, helpful, supportive to you. You have a strong feeling of respect and admiration for them. It is best if they are not someone you have physical desire for, and it’s best if the person is alive. It keeps the practice simpler, one can distinguish between desire and the more expansive, unconditional feeling of love that we can feel for all beings. I”m not clear on why teachers do say it’s best to work with someone who is still alive. If you would like to comment on why– do share!
Here is a link to some wonderful resources on the practice of metta: it’s at Dharmaseed.orghttp://dharmaseed.org/teacher/99/talk/6830/, it’s by a teacher named Kamala Masters. She has a wonderful soothing voice and in this audio guides you precisely through several stages of the practice. Give it a listen, let me know what you think and any questions. Namaste!
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. Ovid Kalavati (Viv Williams) send e-mail Intuitive consultations/yoga
