5. Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation)
Metta meditation, also called loving-kindness meditation, is the practice of directing well-wishes toward yourself and others. Practitioners recite words and phrases meant to evoke warmhearted feelings. This practice can also include visual imagery.
Typically, you practice this meditation while sitting in a comfortable, relaxed position. After a few deep breaths, you repeat words slowly and steadily, for example: “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.”
After a period of directing this loving-kindness toward yourself, you may begin to picture a family member or friend who has helped you — someone who is generally easy to feel loving toward — and repeat the mantra again, this time replacing “I” with “you.”
As you continue the meditation, you can continue to expand the practice outward, bringing other members of your family, friends, neighbors, or people in your life to mind. Practitioners are also encouraged to visualize people they have difficulty with or conflict with.