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In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Throughout December the theme of my yoga classes was Kindness. I opened most of my classes repeating that while we may not all be able to be financially generous, we can all afford to be kinder.
This wonderful meditation is adapted from a Buddhist meditation known as Metta Bhavana or Loving Kindness.
It is designed to help develop compassion, love and kindness towards ourselves and others.
What I have also found is how it helps with forgiveness and the process of healing and releasing painful emotions in order that we can move forward.
As with any good habit you are trying to cultivate, it is best practiced regularly.
Metta Bhavana
1. Find a comfortable seat. Close your eyes or lower your gaze and spend a little time experiencing each of your inhalations and exhalations.
Consciously let go of any tension as you breathe out.
2. Focus on yourself and repeat either silently or out loud 3 times:
May I be safe. May I be healthy. May I be happy. May I find peace
Pause for a while and be with your breath
3. Now, think of someone who brings you joy, a person who you love and have
a happy relationship with. With this person in mind, repeat once to yourself or out loud:
May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you be happy. May you find peace.
Pause for a while and be with your breath
4. Think of someone in your life who you have a neutral relationship with. For example, a neighbour, a colleague, an acquaintance, a hairdresser, or a shop keeper. With this person in mind, repeat:
May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you be happy. May you find peace.
Pause for a while and be with your breath
5. Next, think of a challenging relationship you may have with someone. A person who you find it difficult to get along with or maybe even someone you no longer talk to.
Although this can be challenging, see if you can sit with it and say the words. If not, choose someone else today and come back to this person another time. With this person in mind, repeat the words:
May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you be happy. May you find peace.
Pause for a while and be with your breath
6. Lastly, think about all of us who belong to this world; the people you know and don’t know, good and bad.
Direct love and kindness to all and silently or out loud, repeat:
May you all be safe. May you all be healthy. May you all be happy. May you all find peace
Pause for a while and be with your breath
Kindness is a practice.
Find ways every day to be kind towards yourself and others.
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