#24: Naturally Cultivating the Seeds of Metta

It only takes a few moments to break out of this pattern of craving and clinging we find ourselves trapped in. This metta meditation will bring you a few moments of mindfulness to achieve this. Sit with me now in a comfortable position or lay down, but don't get so comfortable you fall asleep! Because this metta practice is important. We're going to tap into the three points of mindfulness I discussed in my earlier podcast, but I'm also discussing the two levels of your mind that make practicing metta possible.  The two levels of your mind are the conscious mind, where we are aware of our thoughts and our feelings, and the subconscious mind, where our habits and the patterns of our thoughts are manifested. During this meditation I will ask you to bring your consciousness within yourself so that you may tap into this subconscious part of your mind and consider the habits that are forming there.  Your subconscious mind has this sticky habit of ruminating on the same thoughts over and over again. More often than not, these thoughts are negative and worrisome. This energy carries into your conscious mind and into your daily actions. The practice of metta is an active re-training of your mind's pattern so that you can overcome these negative samskaras and learn to focus on forgiveness, peace, and happiness.  Metta is a vibration of compassion. Yes, it's hard to truly love ourselves, but the foundation of all love starts with self-love. Loving yourself makes it possible to reciprocate and share this love with others and the world around you. As you listen and share your practice with me, I will ask you to bring your attention to your heart. You may feel your heartbeat inside of you, but it's more than just this internal feeling. I want you to feel that energy both within yourself and the vibration of it outside of your body at the level of your heart.  Can you feel the love? There is goodness within you, and I encourage you to take this time now to be grateful for it and celebrate it. Forgive yourself of any shortcomings and accept yourself for who you are, even with all the mistakes you may have made today. Tapping into this level of self-love takes you deeper within yourself and even closer to your true self, the self that is free from the judgmental eye of the ego. Moving towards a complete acceptance of yourself will elevate your consciousness, which makes the practice of metta possible.  When you're ready to anchor your awareness in your heart's center, please tune in and start your metta practice with me.  If you would like to share what you've learned from the metta practice, or any other lessons you've learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners, send me an email at [email protected] and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor. Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST