types of meditation
Earlier this year I decided that I wanted to learn more about meditation and start a practice. I’ve never done anything formal and I was actually a little intimidated by it. I’ve had many years where I felt like I was losing myself and I didn’t like the idea of losing myself again.
But I realize that it was trauma and not spiritual practice that was doing that.
I signed up for a course with Sounds True. They have a lot of good courses and books on mindfulness and meditation there.
I also signed up for a meditation class where I currently do my yoga classes. They have a weekly live online meditation class. I loved it, but I found that I got quite anxious, and I think it’s because I’m following someone else’s example and not going at my own pace.
There I heard the teacher talk about metta meditation. And the next day I heard someone mention it again, so I googled it and found a great course on Udemy that wasn’t very long and I took it down in two sessions. After some exploring, I realized that I really liked his version of Metta meditation.
What is Metta Meditation?
Metta Meditation, also known as Loving Kindness Meditation, is a type of Buddhist meditation. Metta is a Pali word, which is like Sanskrit, and it means positive energy and kindness towards others.
Therefore, it is a practice to say positive statements towards oneself and others. But it feels so much more than that.
What I love compared to other types of meditation is that I don’t feel lost in myself, I feel like it’s about my connection to myself, to others, to the universe. It doesn’t feel like a lonely practice, although it is, and I also love how much I feel connected to my heart.
I leave practice feeling great. Which will definitely have positive effects on my health and inner peace.
This is how I do the loving-kindness meditation
Whether I am guided by someone else or do this practice myself, I still get the same results, I don’t feel rushed by someone else, and I don’t feel alone with myself.
I’ve played around with some of the statements to get the ones I like best. Depending on how long you want to do the whole meditation, decide how long you want each round to last, or just see how you feel while doing it. And repeat each section over and over again at a pace that feels good to you.
In the first round I drop into my heart and say:
I am safe
I’m loved
I am happy
I am healthy
I am peaceful
(Or you could say Be safe, Love me, etc. Saying “I am” for me brings a sense of immediacy. Like an affirmation.)
In the next round, choose another person you love or an animal you love and say:
may you be safe
May you be loved
May you be happy
may you be healthy
may you be at peace
In the next round, focus on someone who is suffering or sick, or an animal who is suffering and say:
may you be safe
May you be loved
May you be happy
may you be healthy
may you be at peace
In the next round, focus on a neutral person, say like the postman or someone you don’t know or vaguely know but aren’t excited about, and say:
may you be safe
May you be loved
May you be happy
may you be healthy
may you be at peace
Next round focus on a difficult person (present or past), don’t start with the most challenging person you know, build up to that over time and say:
may you be safe
May you be loved
May you be happy
may you be healthy
may you be at peace
In the next round, focus on All Beings and say:
May all beings be safe
May all beings be loved
May all beings be happy
May all beings be healthy
May all beings be peaceful
As you say each sentence in the last round, imagine and send a color that you feel relates to each sentence. For example, you may feel that being safe is the color blue, so as you say May all beings be safe, you send the color blue, perhaps envisioning it pumping from your heart.
I have had many tears doing each round, it really is a heart opening practice.
If you already have a metta meditation practice or want to give it a try, let me know how it goes.
