Metta Meditation| Guided Self-Love Meditation

The term "metta" originates from Pali, a language closely related to Sanskrit which is spoken in northern India. It refers to the positive energy and kindness that one feels towards others. This practice is also known as loving-kindness meditation. The guided metta meditation is inspired by Louise Hay  (1926-2017), who is well-known for her best-selling book You Can Heal Your Life. The purpose of this meditation is to bring positive energy to our lives by promoting peace, joy, self-love, appreciation, and kindness.

Good morning! Let's begin the day together. There is an amazing journey ahead of us. Let's get ready for it so we can add one more wonderful day to our lives. A day filled with peace, appreciation, love, kindness, and joy. A day that holds meaning and purpose for us. A day that we can offer our support to our loved ones. So, let's get ready and begin this beautiful day!

Start your body in a very comfortable position. You may sit or lay down. Scan your body from head to toe to see any tension spots. If so, take a deep breath into that area and let it go. Scan your brain to see if any negative thoughts exist, such as fear, resentment, regret, and worries; take a deep breath for each and blow it out. (1 minute pause) Now, you should feel comfortable for your body and feel the gravity naturally pull it down heavily at where it is. And know that today will be a new day that you have never had before.

(Peace) Feel the air as it goes in and out of your body. The air comes into the lungs, then it is sent over to the heart where it mingles with the blood, and this oxygenated blood is circulated throughout your body, through all the veins and arteries, down to the tiniest little capillaries, bathing and soaking and nourishing everything in your body. When we listen and feel a safe place, we can calm our minds. This peaceful moment helps us start the day.

(Appreciation) Let's appreciate the precious opportunity of having a brand new day ahead of us. It's full of opportunities, and we have freedom to make our own choices to build our life. We can plan how to spend the day: 24 hours, 1440 minutes, and 86,400 seconds. Our existence is a miracle, a blessing, and a result of love. For averages 7 seconds per breath, we will breathe 12,343 times. Our heart will beat 100,000 times (70/minutes). Let us appreciate our body supporting us through this journey. You don't even have to think about how to do this. There is an intelligence within your body that takes care of it for you, breathes your body, beats your heart, and digests your food. 

There are so many things in our lives that we take for granted. Now, let's take time to be thankful for what we have. It opens the way for the good to flow in ever-increasing abundance. 

Let's take a moment to appreciate nature - the air we breathe, the land we stand on, the trees and flowers that fill our surroundings, and the food that nourishes us. Let us be thankful for the sunshine and the rain. The vegetation would die without rain, and we would have a barren planet without beauty or food. Let us be thankful for the wind that clears the skies and the beauty of the moonlight. Bless the vegetation that feeds and nourishes you. Whenever I eat, I bless the food with love and thank it for giving it life to nourish me. Let us be thankful for the air that we breathe, which is so precious to us, and we take it for granted. When we exhale, we don't even think about where our next breath comes from, yet this incredible power that has created us has given us enough breath to last for as long as we shall live.

Let's take a moment to appreciate the objects that come into our lives and make us comfortable and convenient. Please think of the bed you slept on last night, how it kept your body warm and comfortable while you slept and refreshed your mind and body. Take a moment to thank it. We all have a favorite piece of furniture at home. Have you ever thanked it for being there for you? Even kings and queens of the past would be amazed by the conveniences we take for granted, like our plumbing system that easily removes waste products, the hot and cold water that we can access with just a turn of a knob, and the ability to bathe whenever we desire. These are all miracles. Let's also be grateful for the TV and internet that entertain us, the telephone that connects us with loved ones, and electricity and gas that keep our homes functioning and us warm. I remember when we went 150 hours without electricity during a freezing winter in Texas, and life was so miserable. We are fortunate to be free from those troubles. Think of the clothing you wear. Think of our infinite choices of colors and fabrics to adorn and comfort our bodies. If it is hot, we can choose light, cool clothing. If it is cold, we can choose warm, cozy fabrics to comfort us.

How often have you been angry when your automobile did not perform perfectly? Bless your car with love and be aware of the miracle it is to get into this comfortable piece of machinery that moves you about this planet with very few manipulations. We move forward to our destination. It's one of our daily miracles. The next time your plane is delayed, release the tendency to be angry. Instead, acknowledge the incredible ability to get into a little metal tube that rises up in the sky and swiftly takes us to another place on this planet. It is one of our safest forms of transportation, and planes need love just as we do.

Let's take a moment to appreciate all the people who make our lives comfortable: the mail carriers, electricians, builders, bus drivers, and grocery store staff. We are blessed by the community even though we are alone now. 

(Love) Let your mind go over the various relationships you have in your life. Bless them all with love, and be thankful for them. They are all your teachers. I know you have special things in your life that you are grateful for, so take a moment to let your mind gently and lovingly move throughout your life, past or present, giving thanks for places, people, or experiences that either have been or are now in your life. It's such a wonderful feeling to be thankful. It prepares and opens the way for more good to come into our lives.

(Kindness) Now, we are grateful to make our plan for the day. It's a brand new day. Let's think of making others feel better about our existence. That's kindness. Forgive and show our empathy. Life is not easy, and let's make it simpler. 

(Joy-Letting Go) Let's release from our consciousness all fear and anxiety, all anger and resentment, all guilt and the worries about punishment. Let's dissolve all sadness and jealousy. Just let it go. Those are not the thoughts we are going to use to create this new day. We don't waste our time on negative thoughts. We appreciate our body by giving back with joy and love. 

Now, we are grateful to make our plan for the day. It's a brand new day. Delightful surprises and wonderful adventures are before us. All of your thoughts create your future. Now, it really doesn't matter what beliefs you used to think in the past, in all those mornings you awakened to before. The only thing that matters is the kind of thoughts you choose to believe now, at this very moment. This is a new day and a new beginning.

There is a power and a presence within us that is always there to lead us, guide us, and make smooth and easy our way.