3066: The Healing Power of Loving Kindness by Melani Schweder of A Brighter Wild on Metta & Emotional Healing

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Episode 3066:

Melani Schweder of ABrighterWild.com explores the profound effects of loving-kindness meditation, offering a practical guide to integrating this powerful practice into daily life. She highlights its transformative impact on personal wellbeing, social interactions, and even brain structure, inviting readers to experience the enriching benefits of this mindfulness technique.

Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.abrighterwild.com/blog/the-healing-power-of-loving-kindness

Quotes to ponder:

"The lifeblood of this practice is the glorious, tender, non-judging, interconnected equanimity that comes from an open heart."

"Metta is structured around four wishes: to be happy, to be well, to be safe and protected, and to be free from suffering."

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[00:00.000 --> 00:07.080] This is Optimal Living Daily, episode 3066, The Healing Power of Loving Kindness, by Melanie [00:07.080 --> 00:12.400] Schweder of abrighterwild.com, and I'm your personal narrator, Justin Malik, reading you [00:12.400 --> 00:17.640] articles every single day of the year, with my commentary at the end. So with that, let's [00:17.640 --> 00:25.680] get right to our next one as we optimize your life. [00:25.680 --> 00:30.400] The Healing Power of Loving Kindness, by Melanie Schweder of abrighterwild.com [00:30.400 --> 00:35.720] I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that the mindfulness movement has really taken [00:35.720 --> 00:41.800] off as of late, showing up in advertisements, in classrooms, in boardrooms, not just in yoga [00:41.800 --> 00:46.640] studios and zen centers anymore. There's finally solid research being published about [00:46.640 --> 00:51.920] the benefits of meditation to our moods, our social interactions, and even the structure [00:51.920 --> 00:56.400] of our brains. Personally I think this is an awesome little seed being planted in our [00:56.400 --> 01:01.040] collective consciousness. The more people practicing mindfulness, the better off this [01:01.040 --> 01:07.160] world will be. We all just need to water and fertilize that little seed and watch it grow. [01:07.160 --> 01:11.720] And honestly, it's the action part that is the hardest, right? Many of us already [01:11.720 --> 01:16.240] know about meditation or mindfulness activities and the awesome things they can bring to [01:16.240 --> 01:22.400] our lives, but actually halting the busy busy of every day to just sit can seem like [01:22.400 --> 01:27.480] a Herculean task. I was lucky enough to see the opportunity to start a meditation practice [01:27.480 --> 01:31.960] when I experienced my relapse a couple of years ago. I set aside time each and every [01:31.960 --> 01:38.080] day to listen to a guided meditation, to do some pranayama, some gentle yoga, whatever [01:38.080 --> 01:42.920] else could make me feel a little better. Looking back on that time, I mainly tuned [01:42.920 --> 01:47.280] into basic breath-oriented meditations or ones that were focused on physical health [01:47.280 --> 01:51.640] and healing. Now's just what I needed at the time. But I didn't really start to [01:51.640 --> 01:58.640] experience peace and healing until I discovered Metta or loving kindness meditation. If you've [01:58.640 --> 02:03.000] never heard of this before, it's okay, you're not alone. The word Metta translates [02:03.000 --> 02:08.360] to a feeling of benevolence, friendship, and boundless compassion. And the premise of [02:08.360 --> 02:13.600] a Metta meditation is to both cultivate those feelings towards yourself and to radiate them [02:13.600 --> 02:19.600] out into the world. Sounds pretty warm and fuzzy, right? I mean, it is. However, this [02:19.600 --> 02:23.960] doesn't mean that this type of meditation is easy or a quick way to get some feel good [02:23.960 --> 02:30.560] in your life. Honestly, it's sometimes revealing, sometimes challenging, and sometimes uncomfortable. [02:30.560 --> 02:37.280] But always, always worth it. Metta is structured around four wishes, and the wording varies [02:37.280 --> 02:42.000] from each tradition or person. You may find your very own unique phrases of compassion [02:42.000 --> 02:46.800] to use here, or you can follow those used in a guided session. The wonderful thing is, [02:46.800 --> 02:51.320] it doesn't matter all that much which words you choose. The lifeblood of this practice [02:51.320 --> 02:59.000] is the glorious, tender, non-judging, interconnected equanimity that comes from an open heart. [02:59.000 --> 03:04.960] The most common four wishes are to be happy, to be well, to be safe and protected, and [03:04.960 --> 03:10.760] to be free from suffering. And there are three states of intention, towards yourself, towards [03:10.760 --> 03:16.980] specific others, and lastly, toward the entire world and universe. Many people find that this [03:16.980 --> 03:21.520] structure is extremely helpful in making Metta a regular practice. It's easy to remember [03:21.520 --> 03:26.680] and can be applied to any moment in your life, no matter where you are. So let's [03:26.680 --> 03:30.640] adventure through a little Metta practice right now. Let's start with a bit of [03:30.640 --> 03:36.680] centering first. Sit comfortably, preferably somewhere quiet. Gently close your eyes and [03:36.680 --> 03:42.000] bring your attention to your breath just as it is. Focus on bringing your breath into the [03:42.000 --> 03:47.480] area around your heart, and feel the energy there. You may even place your hand over [03:47.480 --> 03:52.640] your heart, or imagine it radiating with light. Take several breaths here to serve [03:52.640 --> 03:59.240] feelings of warmth and compassion. Now bring the feeling of unconditional love to yourself, [03:59.240 --> 04:07.640] and say silently or out loud, may I be happy, may I be well, may I be safe and protected, [04:07.640 --> 04:13.220] may I be free from suffering. Take your time to rest in this feeling and let it radiate [04:13.220 --> 04:18.120] throughout your body. Maybe a smile will come to your face, maybe some tears, just [04:18.120 --> 04:24.240] allow them. Next, bring to mind someone who has been a sort of benefactor to you, perhaps [04:24.240 --> 04:30.800] a mentor, a guide, friend, or caregiver who has shown you compassion and understanding. [04:30.800 --> 04:37.920] Imagine them right in front of you, and extend the four wishes to them. May you be happy, [04:37.920 --> 04:46.120] may you be well, may you be safe and protected, may you be free from suffering. Then gently [04:46.120 --> 04:51.240] bring to mind someone who is a friend of yours, someone who brings you joy and laughter, [04:51.240 --> 04:56.040] or has supported you through tough times. Picture them clearly, and extend the same [04:56.040 --> 05:01.120] four wishes to them. Next, you'll think of someone who is a neutral [05:01.120 --> 05:06.160] figure in your life. Maybe this is a coworker, an acquaintance, or even the person sitting [05:06.160 --> 05:11.400] next to you on the bus or bagging your groceries. This is a person that you feel neither [05:11.400 --> 05:18.600] like nor dislike for. And again, say the four phrases towards them. Then allow your [05:18.600 --> 05:23.680] mind to settle on someone who has been challenging to you. This usually isn't hard. Maybe they've [05:23.680 --> 05:29.680] hurt you in some way, betrayed you, or disagreed with you about something important. Try not [05:29.680 --> 05:33.840] to get swept away in negative thoughts or feelings of pain here. It's suggested that [05:33.840 --> 05:38.840] for a while you start with only people that are mildly irritating and work up from there. [05:38.840 --> 05:43.920] If it helps, take a few extra breaths here, or again bring your hand to your heart or [05:44.040 --> 05:49.360] to prayer pose before you extend the same four well wishes towards this person. [05:49.360 --> 05:55.920] Lastly, let go of your thoughts of a singular individual and relax your mind to include the [05:55.920 --> 06:01.640] entirety of the world. Gently wrap your thoughts around the planet or universe, [06:01.640 --> 06:07.040] all living beings, everywhere. Then say silently or out loud, [06:07.040 --> 06:17.000] may we be happy, may we be well, may we be safe and protected, may we be free from suffering. [06:17.000 --> 06:22.640] Take a few more breaths into this space of unconditional kindness and gently open your eyes. [06:22.640 --> 06:27.560] It can be all too easy, especially for those of us living with chronic health issues, [06:27.560 --> 06:32.800] to stay focused on ourselves even during our meditation practice. After all, [06:32.800 --> 06:38.560] we want to relieve our suffering. We want to feel better, to be cured, to be free. [06:38.560 --> 06:42.760] I cannot tell you how many hours I spent visualizing myself being healed, [06:42.760 --> 06:47.520] training my thoughts and energy on improving myself in my own physical state. [06:47.520 --> 06:52.400] And I'm sure there was a time when I wouldn't have been open to using my daily meditation [06:52.400 --> 06:57.920] minutes or meta on anything that invited an outward intent rather than an inward one. [06:57.920 --> 07:02.240] Maybe you're in that place right now. It's totally okay if you are. [07:02.240 --> 07:07.520] But I'm going to call on you to try and integrate a loving kindness exercise into your days. [07:07.520 --> 07:12.280] And I'm not saying you have to stop your other work, your healing visualizations, [07:12.280 --> 07:18.400] prayers for a cure, or practicing your radical self-care. All of those things are awesome. [07:18.400 --> 07:23.200] But just maybe you'll find a different perspective when you sprinkle in a little meta. [07:23.200 --> 07:24.880] So let's try it together. [07:28.880 --> 07:34.720] You just listened to the post titled, The Healing Power of Loving Kindness by Melanie [07:34.720 --> 07:38.800] Schweder of abrighterwild.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. [07:38.800 --> 07:43.400] Picture that thing you've always wanted to learn. Now picture learning it from the person [07:43.400 --> 07:47.840] who's literally the best at it in the world. That's what you get with Masterclass. [07:47.840 --> 07:53.920] Masterclass offers unlimited access to intimate one-on-one classes with over 180 [07:54.400 --> 07:59.840] world-class instructors. Plus, every new membership comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, [07:59.840 --> 08:06.080] so there's no risk. There are over 200 classes to pick from, with new classes added every month, [08:06.080 --> 08:10.480] like Jon Kabat-Zinns. He's a mindfulness expert who teaches you how to incorporate [08:10.480 --> 08:15.440] meditation into your everyday life. I've loved his class. He's been mentioned on this podcast [08:15.440 --> 08:20.240] before. And it's really helped me to hone my meditation skills, especially when I'm out and [08:20.240 --> 08:25.520] experience stressful situations and don't have the time or space to have a proper meditation [08:25.520 --> 08:30.800] session. Thanks to his class, I've been able to stay more composed no matter what's happening. [08:30.800 --> 08:35.680] And right now, our listeners will get an additional 15% off in annual membership [08:35.680 --> 08:43.360] at Masterclass.com slash old. Get 15% off right now at Masterclass.com slash old. [08:44.160 --> 08:54.640] Thank you to Melanie. I agree, the mindfulness movement is going strong. And it's a great thing. [08:54.640 --> 08:59.280] The science is fascinating, and it really does seem to help in many different ways. [08:59.840 --> 09:06.160] I know for myself, when I was consistently meditating about an hour a day every single [09:06.160 --> 09:12.240] day, it was a lot, I did feel different in a good way. It's not easy to describe, [09:12.800 --> 09:19.440] but even just five minutes a day is worth a shot. And a meta meditation that is a loving kindness [09:19.440 --> 09:25.280] meditation is a great one to do if you're into guided meditations. Hopefully you're able to [09:25.280 --> 09:30.960] follow along with the one she provided today. If not, you can save this episode and come back [09:30.960 --> 09:37.120] to it later when you're in a comfortable space or ready to unwind. You can just search for this [09:37.120 --> 09:44.160] episode. The number is 3066 and play it again. Now, when I've done these types of loving kindness [09:44.160 --> 09:50.560] meditations in the past, I really found it helpful to reframe my mind. And the more you're going [09:50.560 --> 09:57.200] outward, trying to spread the loving kindness to others, it feels like the more you feel it [09:57.200 --> 10:02.880] inward. Kind of funny how that works. So do give it a try if you can. But that should do it for [10:02.880 --> 10:07.440] today. Thank you for being here and listening every day really means a lot. Have a great rest [10:07.440 --> 10:11.840] of your day and I'll see you tomorrow. Wear your optimal life. Awaits. Transcription results written to '/home/forge/transcribe.sonicengage.com/releases/20240202210237' directory