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Metta/Loving Kindness

2/10/2025

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The world might seem a little chaotic or scary sometimes, and finding moments of peace and connection can be a sanity saver. We're constantly bombarded with stimuli, leaving us feeling stressed, scattered, and disconnected from ourselves and others. But what if there was a way to cultivate inner peace, foster compassion, and deepen your connection to the world around you? There are many, but let's consider the powerful combination of Metta meditation and yoga.

These two ancient practices, originating from Buddhist and Indian traditions respectively, beautifully complement each other, offering a holistic approach to wellbeing. While yoga cultivates strength, flexibility, and balance, Metta, also known as loving-kindness meditation, cultivates mental and emotional wellbeing by fostering feelings of love, compassion, and kindness towards oneself and all beings.

What is Metta Meditation?
At its core, Metta meditation is a practice of cultivating loving-kindness. It involves silently repeating phrases of well-wishing, starting with yourself and gradually extending outward to loved ones, neutral individuals, difficult people, and eventually, all beings. These phrases often include the following or similar phrases:
  • "May I/you be well."
  • "May I/you be peaceful and at ease."
  • "May I/you be happy."
  • "May I/you be free from suffering."
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The beauty of Metta lies in its simplicity. It's accessible to everyone, regardless of background or experience. By consistently practicing, you can gradually shift your mindset from one of judgment and negativity to one of acceptance, compassion, and love.

How Yoga Complements Metta Meditation:
While Metta meditation focuses on the inner world, yoga provides a powerful foundation. The physical postures (asanas) help to release tension, improve circulation, and create a sense of groundedness and heightened awareness. This grounded awareness makes it easier to access and cultivate the feelings of loving-kindness in Metta meditation.

Here's how the two practices intertwine:
  • Preparing the Body: Yoga asanas can prepare the body for meditation by releasing physical tension that might hinder mental focus. A gentle flow or restorative poses can create a sense of calm and openness, making it easier to settle into a meditative state.
  • Cultivating Mindfulness: Both yoga and Metta meditation are practices of mindfulness. Yoga encourages you to be present in your body, noticing sensations and breath. This heightened awareness translates beautifully into Metta meditation, allowing you to more deeply connect with the feelings of loving-kindness.
  • Extending Compassion: Just as you extend compassion to yourself in Metta meditation, yoga encourages self-care and acceptance of your body's limitations. This self-compassion can then be extended outwards to others.
  • Integrating the Practices: You can incorporate Metta phrases into your yoga practice. While holding a pose, you can silently repeat the phrases, directing loving-kindness towards yourself and others. This integration deepens the experience of both practices.

We often incorporate Metta practice into our February classes, when we are focused on heart opening, compassion, love, and devotion. 
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Live the Actual Moment

2/27/2014

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Our theme in class this week is being present.  This is one of those easier-said-than-done ideas.  Have you ever experienced eating while driving? Surfing the net while watching a movie? Texting while sharing a meal with someone? Daydreaming when someone is talking to you? If you are in a state of constant multi-tasking, are you ever truly present?  I love the quote above my cup of tea.  "Live the actual moment." 

What does this mean? Consider this. If you're eating, just eat.  Enjoy the food, taste it even, relish it, enjoy it.  Enjoy, too, the person or people sharing the meal with you.  Look at them, make eye contact, and have a conversation. Out loud, with your actual voice. When driving, just drive.  Don't eat or drink or fiddle with the music. Don't reach into the back seat.  And does it really need to be said? When you're driving, don't text or chat on your phone! Driving is kind of a big deal.  Cars are huge pieces of machinery.    

In class, we often anchor ourselves to the actual moment through a practice of breath awareness. This week, we anchored with our breath as well as mantra. The Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, is one of my favorite go-to guys when it comes to mindfulness and living in the moment.  I love his book, Happiness, and I borrowed one of his meditations for class this week.  The next time you are feeling distracted, try this, and let me know how it goes in the comments.

Meditation to bring yourself into the Moment

Come into easy pose or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Root down through your sitting bones and rise up tall through your spine, crown of the head pressing up toward the sky.  Roll your shoulders back and down and connect with your natural breath.  Take a minute to settle in, then add the following mantras with your breath.

Breathing in, I follow my in-breath all the way through

Breathing out, I follow my out-breath all the way through

 
Breathing in, I’m aware of my body

Breathing out, I release all the tension in my body.

 
Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.

Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.

 
As my in-breath grows deep,

My out-breath grows slow.

 
Breathing in, I calm my body,

Breathing out, I feel at ease.

 
Breathing in, I smile,

Breathing out, I release.

 
Dwelling in the present moment,

I know this is a wonderful moment.


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    Dena D. Beratta

    Honored to teach, but always a student.

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