I want to talk today a bit about meditation and the brain.
In simple terms, mindfulness strengthens the good parts of your brain and helps calm the parts that stress you out. These changes are measurable after just 8 weeks of regular meditation.
The parts of your brain involved with learning, memory, planning, problem solving, relationships, and creativity‐‐ all these parts of the brain get bigger.
The parts of the brain involved with anxiety and stress get smaller.
This brain growth continues as long as you continue regular meditation. If you stop, the growth stops.
Now, onto our meditation …
Today we will practice Loving Kindness Meditation, also called Buddhist Metta Meditation. This is especially good for the parts of your brain involved with compassion.
VIDEO: 10‐MINUTE MEDITATION: LOVING KINDNESS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eLKEuJkggw&t=380s
LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATIONS (METTA)
RELAX YOUR BODY: TAKE A DEEP BREATH IN. AND OUT.
BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE WARMTH OF YOUR HEART
Send Loving‐Kindness to yourself
Think of yourself. Then repeat the following phrase, three times, silently:
May I live with ease, may I be happy, may I be free from pain.
Send Loving‐Kindness to Loved Ones
Think of a loved one. Bring up a mental image. Say their name. Repeat the following phrase, silently, three times:
May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and happiness.
Now picture another person that you love, and repeat the phrase above, three times.
Send Loving‐Kindness to Neutral People
Now think of an acquaintance, someone you don’t know very well and toward whom you do not have any particular feeling. Repeating the following phrase, silently, thrice:
May you live with ease and happiness.
Send Loving‐Kindness to People with whom you have negative feelings
Now bring to mind another acquaintance toward whom you have a negative feeling or conflict. Send your good wishes, repeating the following phrases, silently, three times:
May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from all pain.
Send Loving‐Kindness to All Living Beings
Now expand your awareness and picture the whole globe. Send warm wishes to all living beings. Say this phrase three times silently:
May you live with ease, happiness, and good health.
Take a deep breath in. And breathe out. Again. Notice the state of your mind and how you feel after this meditation.