For Mamas, the Gift of Self-Care – Free Lovingkindness Meditation

The Lovingkindness (Metta) meditation is a practice of cultivating self-compassion and expansive care for oneself and others. For many mothers, it offers a gentle way to soften self-criticism, slow down, and reconnect with an inner sense of kindness during demanding seasons of life.

I’ve created a free version of the Lovingkindness meditation for you to listen to whenever you need to.

I practice Lovingkindness meditation several times a week, and if course, under stress is when I forget to do so!

Research suggests that regular meditation practice over several weeks may help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and low mood for many people. And mindbody practices are free! #OccupyHealthcare your own healthcare and well-being! Please use this as part of your self-care program!

Practices like Lovingkindness meditation are often used as part of a broader perinatal mental health self-care approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoFwmKLRhc4

Metta, or Loving-kindness, is the Buddhist meditation practice meant to develop the mental habit of self-love and expansive love. It’s about developing a loving acceptance of yourself and others.

Begin by sitting in a comfortable position.

Close your eyes, and let your body relax.

Take a deep breath down the center of your body and let yourself relax even more.

Feel yourself supported by the chair in which you are sitting.

You don’t need to be perfect. Just breathe gently. sunrise

Let your scalp and forehead relax, relax your jaw, drop your shoulders, relax your neck and throat, and breathe. Pine

Feel free to adjust yourself in any way at any time during the meditation; it’s really fine to move around in trance.

Gently let your heartspace open and imagine a feeling of love and kindness radiate within you and outside of you.

Let’s start cultivating the Lovingkindness practice towards someone with whom you have an uncomplicated relationship. It’s generally easier to bring up the emotion of lovingkindess towards a pet or a child or a spiritual being.

This being is the source in which your loving kindness will set its roots deep and spread outward.

Feel their presence and Send loving and healing thoughts to this being.

May you live in safety. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease.

You can gently repeat these phrases over and over again. Have your mind rest in the phrases. If find that your attention has wandered, don’t worry about it. Just gently bring yourself back to your loving thoughts and your imagery.

Be kind to yourself.

Now offer the emotion of lovingkindness energy towards yourself.

May you live in safety. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease.

Now, call to mind someone you care about—a good friend or someone who has helped you in life, someone who inspires you.

Feel their presence and direct the phrases of loving kindness to them.

May you live in safety. May you be happy

May you be healthy . May you live with ease.

Next, call to mind someone you know is having a difficult time right now. Someone who has experienced a loss or a difficult situation.

Feel their presence and offer the energy of loving kindness to them.

May you live in safety. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease.

Now, think of someone who you don’t know very well…

perhaps the checkout person at the supermarket where you shop, or the gas-station attendant….

Direct this same lovingkindness energy to that person.

May you live in safety. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease.

And let your heartspace open even more.

Extend your peaceful energy outward to all those around you,

your heart’s energy flows infinitely outward

May all beings live in safety,

May all beings be happy,

May all beings be healthy,

May all beings live with ease.

And now we send out positive energy for peace in the world.

And feel the energy of this aspiration extending infinitely in front of you, to either side, behind you, above and below. Ans the heart extends outward boundlessly, experiencing joy

When you feel ready, you can open your eyes and bring this energy with you throughout the day.

May you live in peace!

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.” Psalm 143:8

NAMASTE