Stand Here and Think About Someone You Love
these past few weeks i have been feeling very inward and also have had waves of a cold come and go. i respect this restorative time of year, an in between in the seasons, and know that it's a nice time to rest before the spring. i've been going to bed early, taking more walks, and really not trying to push myself physically in hopes that i will finally feel 100%. one thing that has come to me this week has been the practice of
metta bhavana
which seems perfect for valentine's day.
metta bhavana is simply a meditation on loving kindness. it is a buddhist practice where you cultivate love for yourself, for a good friend (or family member), for a neutral person, for a person who rubs you the wrong way and, finally, for everyone.
you start with
may i be well.
may i be happy.
may i be free from suffering.
may you be well.
may you be happy.
may you be free from suffering.
may all beings everywhere be well.
may all beings everywhere be happy.
may all beings everywhere be free from suffering.
it's easy to think about someone you care about with loving kindness but how about those you barely know or down right detest? not worth your time right? i found a guided metta bhavana meditation on the
that i love and have been practicing during francesca's nap. i come out of it feeling refreshed and really do have a bit more patience for myself and everyone. it isn't always easy to set aside time to doing something like this, but if you can get through the first 7 minutes of it, i promise it will be worth it. the guided meditation is called "development of lovingkindness" in case you are looking for it!
neighborhood message from the inimitable
