For years, I’ve taught a powerful and ancient tool that sometimes gets overlooked – Metta Meditation, also known as Loving Kindness Meditation. This practice, rooted in ancient Buddhist traditions, is a game changer, especially when combined with qigong and tai chi. In this post, I’ll explain what Metta Meditation is, the research behind it, why it can profoundly impact your life, and how to practice it (along with a free guided meditation.)

What is Metta Meditation?

The term “Metta” comes from the Pali word मेत्ता. The early Buddhist scriptures were written in Pali, an ancient Indian language that is closely related to Sanskrit.  Metta can be translated to “loving-kindness” or “benevolence”. This concept is a cornerstone in many Buddhist practices and teachings, and it also made its way into Buddhist Qigong schools centuries ago.

Metta Meditation is about cultivating compassion and kindness towards all beings, including ourselves. By focusing on loving kindness, we rewire our brains and our hearts. This shift in mindset can help reduce stress, improve emotional health, and even improve your relationships.

The Research

There’s a growing body of scientific research on Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM), which I find fascinating. Here are a few examples:

1. Enhanced Positive Emotions and Decreased Negative Emotions: A study by Fredrickson et al. (2008) found that practicing LKM increased participants’ experiences of positive emotions. These positive emotions, in turn, were linked to an increase in personal resources like mindfulness and a sense of purpose. This study, “Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources,” was conducted by Barbara L. Fredrickson and others. It was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and focused on how Loving Kindness Meditation enhances positive emotions.
2. Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Research by Hofmann, Grossman, and Hinton (2011) demonstrated that LKM can be effective in reducing anxiety, possibly because of its focus on developing a nonjudgmental, accepting attitude towards oneself and others. This paper, titled “Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: Potential for psychological interventions,” explored the impact of these meditative practices on mental health, particularly in reducing anxiety and stress.
3. Improved Social Connectedness: A study by Kok et al. (2013) indicated that LKM could enhance feelings of social connectedness and positivity towards others, even in a relatively short period of practice. The study, “How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone,” by Bethany E. Kok and others, investigated the relationship between Loving Kindness Meditation, positive emotions, and social connectedness.
4. Decreased Symptoms of PTSD: Kearney et al. (2013) found that veterans with PTSD who practiced LKM showed reduced depression symptoms and improved overall well-being. Their study, “Loving-kindness meditation for post traumatic stress disorder: A pilot study,” looked at the effects of this meditation on veterans with PTSD, finding significant benefits in terms of reduced depression symptoms and improved overall well-being.

What’s I found super interesting is how LKM can actually impact the brain. A study using EEG data found that LKM can “significantly modulate brain activities before and after meditation.” So, it’s not just ancient wisdom; there’s modern science backing the benefits of spreading a little love through meditation.

Metta and Qigong

Metta Meditation has been interwoven with qigong for centuries. Qigong is all about moving energy (qi) through the body. So moving the energy of loving kindness fits in beautifully.

If you don’t know the 5-Phase Routine, then you can skip right to the guided meditation below. Or if want to learn this amazing routine, then my book will help you. It comes with a free online course that will teach everything you need to know to implement the 5-Phase Routine.

For my students, I recommend that you put the Metta Meditation in Phase 2, along with some dynamic qigong exercises. It fits well in Phase 2 because you’ll probably move a lot of emotional energy with this technique. So you’ll want to let that energy circulate afterward in Phase 3.

You can learn Metta from the guided meditation below, and then add it to your repertoire.

How to Practice Metta Meditation

The way that I teach metta involves 4 stages:

• Stage 1: Send loving kindness to someone you love (pets count).
• Stage 2: Send loving kindness to a neutral person, like a Starbucks barista.
• Stage 3: Send loving kindness to someone you dislike (one or both of the presidential candidates, for example).
• Stage 4: Send loving kindness to yourself.

For those who don’t know the 5-Phase Routine, here is a 10-minute guided audio where I lead you through all 4 stages. It’s free.

If you practice this meditation, and find it difficult – congratulations! You are human! It’s hard work. But it’s good work. It’s important work. It’s soul-work.

Metta Meditation isn’t some fluffy, feel-good exercise. It’s a practical, powerful tool for transforming your mind and, by extension, your life. By cultivating loving kindness, we not only heal ourselves but also contribute to healing the world around us. So, give it a try. You might be surprised how quickly this technique can change your life.

The post Metta Meditation: Unlocking the Power of Loving Kindness appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I love Donald Trump.

There, I said it.

I love The Donald.

I love his presidential candidacy. And I love his supporters.

Does my love make you angry?

Are you thinking, “How the f**k can a Zen teacher possibly love Donald Trump?!?”

If so, then please keep reading. This article (and the free guided meditation at the end) are perfect for you.

No, I’m Not Joking

If you think I’m somehow joking about loving Trump, then you’re going to be disappointed.

I’m not joking. I do actually love him.

The more he opens his bigoted, hate-filled mouth, the more love I send.

Early this morning, I sat on my meditation cushion and sent loving kindness toward Donald Trump using an ancient Zen technique called Metta.

I did the same thing yesterday.

It looks like I’ll probably be doing it again tomorrow.

Why Loving Kindness is the Answer

Trump’s candidacy is running on a platform of hatred, mistrust, fear, and anger.

Do you stand against those things?

If so – and I’m assuming that you do if you’ve read this far – then it is critical that you do not become that which you stand against.

If you respond with hatred, then hatred wins.

And when hatred wins, Trump wins.

Your outrage against Trump’s bigotry is 100% justified, but your hatred is not.

This might be a good time for a quote from a little green Zen master:

What Trump is Teaching Me about Zen

Listening to Trump makes me want to scream.

Not very Zen, I know. Perhaps you can relate?

I know that anger and hatred are not the solution. And yet, I know that I have to do SOMETHING.

This quote comes to mind:

“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” – Albert Einstein

Thanks to Trump, I’m learning that there is something I can do — something important, something that will not only have a positive effect on the world, but also on me.

Here’s what Lao Tzu said 2500 years ago:

“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” – Lao Tzu

You want to awaken all of humanity, right?

I bet you want to wake up Trump supporters, shaking them until they come to their senses.

It won’t work. It never works.

If you want to awaken them, if you want to show them that hatred is not the answer, then start with yourself.

Why I’m Taking a Stance

Let me back up a bit.

Let me explain why I’m taking a stance on this issue:

Because my wife is brown. She was born in Venezuela, she is beautiful, and she is brown. Trump didn’t specifically say anything about Venezuelans, but he might as well have insulted all Latin Americans for all the bigoted comments he made about Mexicans.

Because I want to stand in solidarity with my Mexican friends and students. I’ve been to Mexico, and I love my friends and students there. I want them to know that I don’t agree with what Trump has said about Mexicans.

Because I want to stand in solidarity with my Muslim friends and students. Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric is dangerous, and unacceptable, and I want that to be clear to everyone. Below is a picture of me and my wife at a Muslim wedding a year ago. If I’m slightly scared to post a picture from a Muslim wedding, what must it be like for all my Muslim-American friends?

Because of what a middle-eastern Jewish Rabbi once said. He said that we should love our enemies, that we should bless those who curse us, and that we should do good to them that hate us. I think those are pretty wise words. [Matthew 5:44.]

Because of what an Indian monk said 2500 years ago. He said that hatred does not cease through hatred, that hatred only ceases through love. [Verse 5 of the Dhammapada.] He also gave us a technique for practicing this, which I’ll share with you below!

Because…science! Meditation can change the world. Here’s some proof.

What Happens if We Don’t Take a Stance

They say that those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it.

Well folks, we are watching history repeat itself. It’s happening right now.

Normally, I cringe whenever someone compares a politician to Hitler. It’s usually just hyperbole.

Trump’s comments, however, rightfully deserve to be compared to Nazi Germany. And to McCarthyism. And the Jim Crow laws. And to the unconstitutional internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

Recently, Trump called to have a special database to identify Muslims in America.

And then the other day, Trump called to block all Muslims from entering America.

It’s tempting to dismiss Trump.

And yet, he is the leading candidate for a major political party, running for the highest office of the most powerful country in the world.

Resist the strong temptation to dismiss him and his supporters.

Do something.

What You Can Do

Below is an audio file with a 10-minute guided meditation that you can practice right now.

There are no gimmicks here. You don’t need to buy anything. You don’t even need to give me your email.

The audio is free.

I give it to you in the sincere hope that you will actually practice it.

Remember – it takes practice to be a master of loving kindness.

If you practice this meditation, and find it difficult – congratulations! You are human!

It is sure to be uncomfortable and awkward for you to practice loving kindness toward Trump and his followers.

But you know what? You are already uncomfortable! Every time you read about Trump  in the news, you cringe. Right?

The discomfort that you experience during Loving Kindness Meditation is no worse than what you feel when reading the news.

And it gets easier. The more you practice, the easier it gets.

Loving Kindness Guided Meditation (10 Minutes)

To save this audio file to your computer for future use, just right-click here and then choose “save as”.

The post Can Trump Teach Us Something About Zen? appeared first on Flowing Zen.