Moving Metta Meditation: Invite Kindness

This episode of the podcast is a guided meditation-in-motion, intended as a dynamic (yet gentle) way to explore Metta or Lovingkindness Meditation. You might think of it as a complement or alternative to the traditional seated Metta Meditation practice. (The meditation itself will start at ~ 3:30 after a brief introduction.) Metta means lovingkindness, goodwill, friendliness, or benevolence. We'll be using simple Qigong-inspired movements to invoke and express kindness for ourselves and for others. Classic Metta Meditations often use the repetition of phrases like "May I (or you, or all beings) be safe, May I (you/all beings) be happy, May I (you/all beings) be healthy, May I (you/all beings) live with ease." Our movements themselves can be done in a way that promotes the sense of safety, happiness, health, and ease, AND I will invite you to layer in the phrases along with the movements to strengthen the intention. The movements in this meditation will include a Qigong form called "Waterfall," in which we'll imagine gathering goodness, and then showering ourselves with that benevolent energy. Then, with "Pebble in the Pond," our movement will symbolize sending our Metta wishes out as ripples in the peaceful water. My goal was to describe the movements clearly enough so you could follow along with just the audio. It's definitely ok to just approximate what you imagine I'm describing - the spirit of kindness and goodwill is what we're trying to bring forward here, rather than precise, perfect movements. It's meant to be more like a guided meditation that just happens to involve moving your body. This meditation can be done either standing or seated in a chair. You can have your eyes open or close them, but if you're standing, you may find that keeping them open (with a soft gaze) helps your balance.  I hope you will enjoy this moving meditation, and that it will invite a sense of kindness, embodiment, connection, and ease. ------------- For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast. The Mindful Movement Teacher Training is returning this Fall, and applications will open at the end of July! Learn more about this unique program and join the interest list at movedtomeditate.yoga/mmtt. Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, pictures of Pacific Northwest nature, crocheting projects, and my adorable kitty, Mustache).