Loving Kindness
Have you heard about the Loving Kindness Meditation?
I’ve written about it before as part of how I dealt with a particular cycling experience. Here is a good expanded explanation including the science of health benefits to meditation with directions for how to get much better at the meditation than I am. There’s another good link in the other piece.
I used to be one of those people who said “meditation doesn’t work for me” but then I tried a few more times. That’s life you keep trying. I won’t say I’m good at it. There are huge spaces in my togetherness, but I will say that I keep coming back, and trying anew helps.
There must be thousands or more takes on the ancient practice. The words I currently use are:
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be free from harm
May you live with ease.
Some use visualization and follow a specific order, often starting with low hanging fruit, by wishing well for yourself and the people you like or love most. I appreciate that one method asks you to wish the forgotten person well. The person who is often overlooked because they are neither your closest nor most problematic relationship then become remembered through the conscious effort. One version asks you to choose a mentor. I don’t have a formal one of those, so when I remember that, I add in anyone I’ve learned something from and remember that I should cultivate more relationships. Then you move into the people who are challenging to wish well and end by extending the sentiment to all beings everywhere.
I’ve been lax lately. I don’t always do the process. I frequently just jump right in and go straight for the point of my pain, the person who’s keeping me up nights. Right now there are three of them, and all three will be popping, unwanted, into my bedtime routine in high fidelity long-term. I don’t visualize any them treating me or mine better than they ever will, no white light, no concentration on them with kinder facial features, gentler body language or anything like that. I just keep repeating those four lines in my head and direct them at the source of my rumination.
Last night Loving Kindness meditation disrupted my negative path and got me to sleep. I woke less anxious. It was the first time I was conscious of an effect beyond immediate short-term relief. I don’t think anything else could have done that. So, I’m bringing it up here in the blog this week because other people may find or remember this thing that helps.
Have a glorious day. Be happy, healthy, safe and live with ease. We’ll see you on the trail.
The book this week is just a pleasant diversion that was recently made into a movie.
Remarkable Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
