Loving Kindness - How To Evoke It
The practice of meditating on loving-kindness may be over two
thousand years old. Although it may feel a bit mechanical at
first, many who have used it experience greater feelings of
compassion and love towards both themselves and others. Here's
how you do it:
Sit comfortably wherever you normally do your meditating. Relax
and let your mind quiet down a little. Start repeating the
following in your mind:
May I be at peace with myself...
May I know joy...
May I be relaxed and well...
May I know love...
Picture yourself as a child in the arms of a loved one, or just
let feelings of kindness and love arise in you. Repeat the lines
for fifteen to twenty minutes, allowing the good feelings to
permeate your body and mind. Do this meditation for several
weeks, until you notice a sense of loving kindness growing for
yourself.
Then you can expand your meditation focus to include others,
replacing "I" with "he" or "she" as you repeat the words. Hold a
picture of the person in your mind. Try focusing on even the
most difficult people in your life.
Begin this method as a meditation. Once you can easily recite
the words, you can use them as a loving-kindness exercise while
driving, or waiting for an appointment, or wherever. Why not try
it today?