A Metta Meditation

May all beings be happy. May all beings be healthy. May all beings live with ease. May all beings live in peace. May all beings live in pure joy, free from bias and hatred.

Words similar to those are expressed out loud or prayed silently thousands, maybe millions, of times a day around the globe. They are known as the metta prayer or blessing, and in meditation, they cultivate loving kindness toward oneself as well as others.

Find a favorite place to meditate. Get into your favorite meditation posture, whether that's sitting on the floor with your body in a lotus position or sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Whatever is comfortable for you, even lying on your back, as long as you keep your eyes open and stay awake. And even if you fall asleep, that's OK, too.

* Focus on your breathing and relax with every outbreath.

* Take a slightly longer than usual, deeper than usual inbreath, and even vocalize on the out-breath. Each time you do that, you feel yourself sinking deeper into relaxation. Aahhhh.

* Now you're letting your breath do what it wants to do. You might say that your breath is breathing you rather than you are breathing.

* And you bring your awareness to that. The air coming in, the air leaving.

* In practicing loving kindness, we start with ourselves.

* May I be happy. Just say that to yourself, silently or out loud. May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I live with ease. May I live in peace. May I live in pure joy, free from bias and hatred.

* Now you might bring to mind your closest loved ones. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease. May you live in peace. May you live in pure joy, free from bias and hatred.

* Now, you might widen to your town, your city, your community—whatever group you feel a part of. May we be happy. May we be healthy. May we live with ease. May we live in peace. May we live in pure joy, free from bias and hatred.

* Let's expand out to your nation. May we be happy. May we be healthy. May we live with ease. May we live in peace. May we live in pure joy, free from bias and hatred.

* If you're willing, you might take a moment to focus on those people you feel harmed you. Those people that maybe you bear some resentment toward. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease. May you live in peace. May you live in pure joy, free from bias and hatred.

* Now to all beings, human and otherwise—all sentient beings—may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease, may you live in peace, may you live in pure joy, free from bias and hatred.

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