Opening to Loving-Kindness Metta Meditation with Linda Orsini
A Metta Meditation to cultivate self-compassion within oneself and extend loving-kindness to others and the world.
Inspired by Byron Katie, this practice helps you release self-judgment, soften resistance, and open your heart, first to yourself, then to the world.
Through breath awareness, visualization, and affirmations, allow yourself to receive love and radiate it outward.
Breathe in self-compassion. Breathe out loving-kindness.
A Call For LOVE Meditation Playlist
Linda's Website: Global Wellness Education
Follow Linda on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lindaorsiniwellness
About Linda:
Have you ever battled overwhelming anxiety, fear, self-limiting beliefs, soul fatigue or stress? It can leave you feeling so lonely and helpless. We’ve all been taught how to be courageous when we face physical threats but when it comes to matters of the heart and soul we are often left to learn, "the hard way."
As a school teacher for over 30+ years, struggling with these very issues, my doctor suggested anti-anxiety medication but that didn't resonate with me so I sought the healing arts. I expanding my teaching skills and became a yoga, meditation, mindfulness, reiki and sound healer to step into my power and own my impact.
A Call for Love will teach you how to find the courage to hold space for your fears and tears. To learn how to love and respect yourself and others more deeply.
My mission is to guide you on your journey. I believe we can help transform the world around us by choosing love. If you don’t love yourself, how can you love anyone else? Join a call for love.
Website - Global Wellness Education
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Transcript
Byron Katie says, it's not your job to like me.
Speaker:It's mine. And that's what this meditation
Speaker:is all about. It's about finding space,
Speaker:making peace within ourselves through self compassion
Speaker:in a meta meditation. And so
Speaker:I'd like you to find in this moment what your body
Speaker:needs most, and that might mean sitting in
Speaker:a seated position or lying down.
Speaker:And it often takes a while for the mind to settle, so I
Speaker:want you to be kind. First, let's start with your
Speaker:physical body. On the exhale,
Speaker:just relaxing, sending the breath, releasing
Speaker:into gravity. Gently on
Speaker:the inhale, lift your heart towards the sky.
Speaker:Breathing in through all your pores and exhaling,
Speaker:releasing fully towards the earth.
Speaker:Create this beautiful symphony of giving and
Speaker:receiving with the energy of your breath,
Speaker:knowing that in this moment, there is only this moment.
Speaker:Slowly take the breath all the way down your body to
Speaker:the soles of your feet.
Speaker:And then inhaling, allowing the breath to
Speaker:rise all the way to the crown of your head.
Speaker:Breathing in and breathing out.
Speaker:Find a rhythm that resonates within your own
Speaker:heart. And
Speaker:feel yourself drift deeper and deeper
Speaker:into a space of no resistance.
Speaker:Metta means loving kindness, and it is the
Speaker:practice of offering compassion.
Speaker:And today, we're going to begin by offering it to ourselves.
Speaker:Befriending ourselves is a part of the meditation
Speaker:path. It is the path to self
Speaker:awareness and to truly know who we are
Speaker:and to connect with who we are.
Speaker:I will be offering affirmations, and you can
Speaker:simply allow them to draw into your heart
Speaker:and repeat them in your own mind.
Speaker:If at any time you intuitively feel you need
Speaker:more self compassion, more self love and kindness,
Speaker:then you can practice what we call soothing touch.
Speaker:And that means placing your palm energetically on
Speaker:anywhere in your body where you feel a little
Speaker:tightness. Often, it
Speaker:could be on the heart, just rubbing at the heart center,
Speaker:or sometimes in the mind, or sometimes
Speaker:on the stomach. Wherever you
Speaker:feel it in your body, listen to that inner wisdom.
Speaker:And remember, we cannot give from an empty cup.
Speaker:We offer ourselves self compassion,
Speaker:cultivating mindfulness, loving kindness,
Speaker:and knowing we are not alone on this journey.
Speaker:We share the thread of common humanity.
Speaker:And so let's take a deep inhale through the nose,
Speaker:and exhale, release the breath out.
Speaker:With your eyes softly closed,
Speaker:create a little movie screen at the back of your eyelids
Speaker:and bring to mind a being who receives your love
Speaker:freely.
Speaker:Perhaps that is a pet.
Speaker:If you don't have one, imagine an animal or a
Speaker:creature. A beautiful being
Speaker:whose presence softens your heart.
Speaker:See their face. Feel
Speaker:that unconditional love and adoration.
Speaker:Notice how it feels in your physical body,
Speaker:and notice how it feels in your heart center.
Speaker:Feel their energy.
Speaker:Notice their presence,
Speaker:and notice how your heart responds.
Speaker:Perhaps there's a natural tenderness, a
Speaker:feeling of warmth and care.
Speaker:Breathe into that sensation.
Speaker:Take a deep inhale through your nose.
Speaker:And exhale, release your breath.
Speaker:Now let's extend that same gentle loving kindness to
Speaker:yourself. Releasing
Speaker:any judgment about who you think you are,
Speaker:what you look like, what you have.
Speaker:In this moment, there's nothing to fix or change.
Speaker:It is simply about holding space for yourself.
Speaker:Through self compassion,
Speaker:through self care,
Speaker:through self love.
Speaker:And if it resonates, maybe place your hands at your heart
Speaker:center. As I share these affirmations,
Speaker:just allow them to radiate to you.
Speaker:May I be gentle with myself,
Speaker:especially in difficult moments.
Speaker:May I hold space for all my feelings with kindness and
Speaker:compassion.
Speaker:May I remember that I am not alone on this journey.
Speaker:May I offer myself the love and
Speaker:care I so freely give to
Speaker:others.
Speaker:May I trust in my own heart and the
Speaker:wisdom it carries.
Speaker:Breathing into your heart center.
Speaker:Sending the breath wherever your body needs loving
Speaker:kindness.
Speaker:Continue to connect with your breath,
Speaker:as you settle deeper and deeper
Speaker:into silence,
Speaker:and stillness,
Speaker:and self compassion.
Speaker:And now, in the movie screen of your mind,
Speaker:extend compassion to someone you care about.
Speaker:Someone who loves and supports you.
Speaker:Someone who cares for you unconditionally
Speaker:to the best of their ability.
Speaker:Feel gratitude for their presence in your life,
Speaker:and surround them in a beautiful white light.
Speaker:As you hold them in your mind's eye,
Speaker:send these loving words to them.
Speaker:May you be gentle with yourself.
Speaker:May you hold space for your feelings with kindness.
Speaker:May you remember that you are not alone.
Speaker:May you feel the love and care that surrounds
Speaker:you.
Speaker:May you trust in your own heart
Speaker:and the wisdom it carries.
Speaker:And then taking a deep inhale
Speaker:and exhaling that love out into the
Speaker:universe, sending that white light to
Speaker:that person who you love and
Speaker:care about.
Speaker:Now bring to mind somebody who is neutral.
Speaker:Someone you know but don't really interact with
Speaker:deeply. Someone who
Speaker:represents all neutral beings in your life.
Speaker:Could be somebody at the store,
Speaker:somebody in your neighborhood.
Speaker:Just someone who does not trigger positive or negative
Speaker:images or mental ruminations.
Speaker:And recognize their presence,
Speaker:their energy,
Speaker:offering them these intentions.
Speaker:May you be gentle with yourself.
Speaker:May you feel safe and supported.
Speaker:May you know kindness and love.
Speaker:May you trust in the wisdom of your heart.
Speaker:And then taking a deep inhale,
Speaker:and a long exhale.
Speaker:Being extra gentle here as
Speaker:we extend compassion to
Speaker:someone you struggle with.
Speaker:Someone who has been difficult for you.
Speaker:This is not about forgiving them.
Speaker:It's really about releasing the grip.
Speaker:Releasing the grip of suffering.
Speaker:Releasing the grip of your own suffering
Speaker:by creating space.
Speaker:If it's possible, see them
Speaker:in their own struggles,
Speaker:their own fears,
Speaker:their own wounds.
Speaker:Not to excuse their actions,
Speaker:but to free yourself from holding onto suffering.
Speaker:If this is challenging, return to your breath.
Speaker:Offer yourself soothing touch,
Speaker:and know that in this moment you are safe.
Speaker:And gently offer these words.
Speaker:May you find peace within yourself.
Speaker:May you know kindness and healing.
Speaker:May you be free from pain and struggle.
Speaker:May your heart be at ease.
Speaker:And then take a deep inhale,
Speaker:and exhale, release any tension.
Speaker:Continuing to allow the exhale to release
Speaker:from your physical body any
Speaker:resistance,
Speaker:any struggle,
Speaker:any ill will.
Speaker:And allow yourself to come back to your
Speaker:own self. In this moment,
Speaker:offering yourself self compassion.
Speaker:Placing your palm anywhere on your body
Speaker:where you're feeling or noticing tension.
Speaker:And then release.
Speaker:And finally, let's expand this compassion to
Speaker:all beings, to everyone
Speaker:in the world.
Speaker:To all creatures that walk, fly,
Speaker:or swim.
Speaker:To all plants, and to
Speaker:all life.
Speaker:Imagine the world in the palm of your
Speaker:hands
Speaker:as you offer this up.
Speaker:May we all be gentle with ourselves.
Speaker:May we all feel the energy of love and kindness.
Speaker:May we all trust in the wisdom of the universe.
Speaker:May we all live in peace.
Speaker:Feeling your whole body breathing in
Speaker:and breathing out.
Speaker:Let's take about three minutes of silence
Speaker:to listen to your heart,
Speaker:and hear the whispers of any intentions that are
Speaker:resonating with you in this moment.
Speaker:Continuing to marinate in this softness.
Speaker:Until you hear the sound of the crystal
Speaker:singing bowl.
Speaker:And then slowly coming back,
Speaker:Breathing in a sense of peace,
Speaker:and exhaling, sending that breath of life
Speaker:to yourself
Speaker:and to all beings.
Speaker:Knowing that this thread of breath,
Speaker:of meta loving kindness,
Speaker:connects us all.
Speaker:May you be well.
Speaker:May you be at peace.
Speaker:May you be loved.
Speaker:From my heart to yours, Namaste.
