As I was studying my meditation coaching course, tout en français, I read the word bienveillance over and over until it felt engraved on my brain. The best translation in English is “benevolence,” but this felt a bit off for me; it sounded to me like something kind and good offered from on high. I chewed on it in my head for a while and figured out, maybe it’s exactly that: a deep wish for good things bestowed upon us from a higher self.
Metta meditation has this idea of benevolence right in its name: maitrī (Sanskrit; Pali: mettā) means benevolence (from Wikipedia), or more literally, loving-kindness. It comes from Buddhist practice and is meant to aid us in extending this benevolence outward toward all living things. Of course, we begin at a much more attainable first step: cultivating loving kindness towards ourselves.
In this meditation, the guide speaks phrases (such as “may I find calm”) and invites participants to repeat them silently in their heads, focusing on feeling the words and what their manifestation would be like in the body. As the session progresses, these affirmations are progressively extended outward from the participant to their loved ones, to strangers, and eventually to those with whom we have difficult feelings.
This practice enables us to be more kind and patient with ourselves, as none of us are perfect and we are bound to falter. Think of meditation in general, where the goal is to gently guide the mind back to a focus: the feeling of breathing in the chest, the sensation of tension or discomfort in the body, a repeated phrase or mantra. Metta meditation will build up the habit of offering yourself benevolence when your mind inevitably wanders.
I will be exploring Metta meditation next Sunday evening in my first virtual Sunday Scaries meditation. You can sign up here to give it a try, and if it’s something that resonates with you, a practice of 5 minutes to start can be a lovely addition to your day: to prepare yourself at the start, to help you rally your energy to push through and finish, or at the end of your day to help you wind down.
With the transit strike (click link for official information from the STM) in effect, there is a very narrow window available for massage if you rely on the bus and/or métro. For this reason, I am expanding my virtual services and opening up bookings for meditation sessions and meditation coaching. Sessions will be 30 minutes for $30 and will begin with a brief conversation about which meditation styles suit you best. Coaching will be one hour for $60 and we will discuss your routines and means so that you can carve out space in your home and schedule for regular practice.
I am still available for massage at both of my sites, and happy to begin your session with a guided meditation. Here is what a Metta meditation for massage might sound like:
- May my body reveal its hurts and discomforts to me
- May my muscles relax, my tissues soften, and my body let go of stress
- May I feel relaxation over me like a warm and comfortable blanket
I am extending my birthday promotion to November 30th, use promo code BDAY25 for 50% off your next massage!
There’s still time to sign up for November 9th’s Sunday Scaries meditation! Taking place online at 8:30pm Eastern Standard Time, I will be guiding you through a body scan, Metta meditation, and visualization to help you transition from one week to the next. Sign up here, accessibility pricing available as of this posting.
