My 40 Day Experiment with Metta Meditation yielded more clarity, tranquility, more rapid manifestation, and a stronger sense of knowing. I was pleasantly surprised by the Mega difference in my life and I wasn’t even looking for it. I thought I had tried every type of meditation under the sun - TM, Mindfulness, Breathwork, Zen, Guided visualizations, Yogic, Sound.
Yet somehow I had skipped over this brilliant little gem called Metta Meditation.
Rooted in Buddhist traditions, Metta (or Loving-Kindness from the Pali language) Meditation cultivates compassion and unconditional love by sharing the sentiment first with ourselves, then with those closest to us, and finally to all humanity.
There are many versions of this practice floating around. Here is how I chose to put it into practice and the results of my experience:
First, I chose three things each day as my intention to invoke, embody, and share.
Secondly, I chose three areas of my life in particular I wanted to apply them to.
Next, I spent time contemplating what it would be like to have those three things in each are of life I had selected. This was the most interesting part. Here, I got to think about, for example, my love life as vibrantly healthy, confident, secure. I got to think of my business as courageous, divinely timed, and motivated.
Finally, I followed the Metta Meditation sequence to call forth these things for myself and others in the following order:
MyselfSomeone I felt thankful for or who had helped meSomeone I felt neutral about - neither like nor dislikeSomeone or people I don’t care for or am having trouble with. All beings everywhere
Over the course of 40 consecutive days of recording my meditations, the following were among the three things I asked to experience each day:
Peace in my heart
Faith
Vibrant health
Security
Follow-through
Clarity
Confidence
True love
Fulfillment
Financial security
Happiness
Stamina
Inspired action
Abundance
Open heart
Foresight
Affection
Endurance
Courage
Divine timing
Midas touch
Joy
Fortitude
Perseverance
Good communication
Trust
Unlimited prosperity
Motivation
Purpose
Decisiveness
Satisfaction
Gratitude
Compassion
Strength
Safety
Love
Commitment
Respect for myself
Discernment
Diplomacy
Patience
Laughter
Romance
Adventure
Persistence
Unlimited wealth
Abundant mindset
Ingenuity
Vision
Worthiness
Respect
Divine connection
Ease
Comfort
Ideal life partner
A generous heart
These are in no particular order, but many of them appear more than once. In fact, as many as 5 or 6 times. I was a little surprised after my tally of where my focus had been. Some days I felt full and vibrant and wanted to go through the practice for the sole purpose of sharing it with others. Other days, it was evident I needed to be nurtured.
I chose to write all of this out in my journal. Writing just brings things home a little more solidly for me. My daily entry would look something like this:
Metta Meditation for today: peace, abundance, security
Areas of focus: business, health, love life
What would my business look like if it were filled with peace, abundance, and security? Wow, with these three elements, my business flows smoothly. Communication is fluid, sales are robust. It is well funded, churning a handsome profit for providing quality products and services. The business is stable with a solid infrastructure. The people involved are happy, content, motivated.
What would my health look like if it were filled with peace, abundance, and security? With these three elements, my health is steady. I feel confident in my body and ability and commitment to taking care of it.
What would my love life look like if it were filled with peace, abundance, and security? With these three elements, my love life is beautiful. My relationship is steady, ongoing, with a quiet security and trust. Love, affection, communication flow freely.
Yes, please, to all of these! When going through each area and the description, I let myself really feel the impact of those elements I intended to invoke. Then, I followed with the statements:
May I have peace; May I have abundance, May I have security
Amy: May you have peace, May you have abundance, May you have security
Convenience store guy: May you have peace, May you have abundance, May you have security
Erin: May you have peace, May you have abundance, May you have security
And May all beings everywhere have peace, abundance, and security.
Often I had trouble coming up with someone I felt neutral about or had a problem with. If nobody immediately came to mind, I asked to be shown intuitively who would benefit from sharing in these elements this particular day. I was often surprised by who would show up and how quickly. But I always went with who showed up in my mind’s eye first.
Results from my 40 Day experiment with Metta Meditation: Almost immediately, I noticed more clarity, tranquility, more rapid manifestation, stronger sense of knowing. However, the most INCREDIBLE part of the process was how others responded. Those I had included in the meditation often reached out. Regardless of where they were on the list ;). Often, they reported experiencing a feeling that had been part of the meditation. I was surprised by the amount of satisfaction that came from being able to give in that way. Simple, pure, powerful. I actually looked forward to doing it every day.
Now that my 40 Day experiment is over, I don’t do it as often, but Metta Meditation will definitely stay part of my routine. Maybe it was perfect timing, but Metta Mediation suits my personality. It’s simple, pure, and powerful. Thinking about giving it a try? Let me know how it goes!
Originally published by Elan Vitae Magazine