A Loving-Kindness (Metta) Meditation for Women
Namaste, all. I’ve invited some of the nicest wellness practitioners in the blogsphere to write their best tips on women’s health, some focus on this season which is fall to winter, others give more general tips that are useful year round. This is my contribution to this blog tour. Check out the previous contribution by Anamaria, Ayurvedic therapist & dietician on Staying Healthy with Ayurveda Dietary & Lifestyle Tips for Colder Months and the following post (11/8) will be by yoga teacher, Alex Rodriguez on Balancing Vata Season with Yoga.
Twitter Topic Hashtag: #womensholistichealthtour to help us spread the word, catch all the conversation or even ask a question!
First a poem (excerpt):
Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye from her book [amazon_link id=”0933377290″ target=”_blank” ]Words Under the Words: Selected Poems[/amazon_link]
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness…
The winter in traditional Chinese medicine is said to be governed by the kidney/bladder energy. The emotion that stresses those organs is fear. Currently as I write this the ever-changing stew of worries includes: disease, global warming, increased dramatic weather, slow economic times, and that’s not even including the personal level. The emotion of worry or “over-thinking” as it’s sometimes referred to, is governed more by the stomach/spleen meridians whose season is “late summer.” But in my mind the worries directly lead to fear, to what if’s, and “what will I do” type thinking. And the cold and wind adversely affects the kidney/bladder energy which then increases the feeling of fear. So here is a practice that can be done at any time of the year that is helpful.
The practice is an adaptation of a loving-kindness or “metta” meditation from the Buddhist tradition. The last line focus on self-love is my addition; as well as the option of hand positions. You can alter the short phrases to suit yourself. I’m adding in focus on women’s center of creative energy- the second chakra- aka swadisthana. Many reproductive problems such as fibroids, menstrual difficulties relate to the second chakra, so the words and the hand position are specific to that (on abdomen.) Or if hands on the heart feels more loving, then position the hands there.
A Loving-Kindness Meditation
Time: Set aside 10 min or more, turning off all clocks or phones, set a soft alarm or chime on your phone or computer. Start with 15 min or so. But listen to what feels right for you.
Choose lying or sitting up.
Position 1) Come to sitting quietly in a straight back chair or on a cushion on the floor (carpeted is best for warmth and comfort.) Sit with hands cupping the abdomen, below the belly button, or hand(s) on heart. Sitting will keep you more alert or try:
Position 2) Lay down on a carpeted surface, or firm bed. Put a rolled blanked under knees (or a bolster,) so they are slightly bent, feet hip distance apart. Palms can be on abdomen or over heart.
You will be mentally repeating phrases softly to yourself.
Bring yourself back to the phrases if the mind wanders off (which it will.) And pause at each …., to let the words sink in.
Begin repeating:
May I be well…
May I be happy and peaceful…
May I be safe and protected…
May I love and accept myself now as I am…
Really feel the words, finding a rhythm that suits you. At first the words may seem dry and forced, but over time it will seep into the deeper layers and impact the emotions.
This metta practice usually continues to include a whole series of people, from friends through acquaintances to the those whom we dislike. Usually it ends with sending these thoughts/feelings to the entire world. But it always starts with ourselves and generating a caring heart there, from which we can then honestly expand our metta (loving-kindness) feelings to all beings.
But for most of us the practice of sending these thoughts/feelings to ourselves can be a deep and ongoing practice to do, several times a week would be wonderful or when needed.
A More Traditional Metta Meditation: Here is a guided audio from dharmaseed.org, of Metta Practice led by teacher Rebecca Bradshaw. It starts with a short introduction to metta and instructions on sending metta to self and “easy person” the next person we traditionally send loving-kindness to.
Blessings,
Kala
