How to do a meditation practice called “metta”, which is usually translated as “loving kindness”.
```md # The main-thing-you-do: - kindle emotions of metta, which are in 3 categories: + compassion (wishing lack of suffering) + wishing well-being (wanting them to be happy for its own sake) + empathatic joy (feeling their joy as your own) - notice those emotions as they arise, and just *watch them* (in a mindfulness-meditation kinda way) - repeat
# How to do that: - think of someone *for whom it is easy to feel such emotions* + so a pet might be more suited than a romantic partner, because emotions for the latter are more complex. it’s about how readily or easily you can feel such emotions —kindle emotions by using these 2 methods (whatever works): + imagine them being happy, not being sick, succeeding in life, etc. - can do more esoteric imaginations too, like, having a pink cord of love or something connecting to that person’s heart from your own, idk i just made this up just now + repeat phrases like, “may you be happy”, “may you succeed in life”, “i hope yu get lots of grandkids who love you”, “i hope you never get sick or break your arm”, etc. :) ```
they’re 5-7 minutes and designed for children. so easy to follow, but it works for me too its not dumbed-down, whcih maybe is unlikely to begin with since emotions are just emotions
How to do a meditation practice called “metta”, which is usually translated as “loving kindness”.
```md
# The main-thing-you-do:
- kindle emotions of metta, which are in 3 categories:
+ compassion (wishing lack of suffering)
+ wishing well-being (wanting them to be happy for its own sake)
+ empathatic joy (feeling their joy as your own)
- notice those emotions as they arise, and just *watch them* (in a mindfulness-meditation kinda way)
- repeat
# How to do that:
- think of someone *for whom it is easy to feel such emotions*
+ so a pet might be more suited than a romantic partner, because emotions for the latter are more complex. it’s about how readily or easily you can feel such emotions
—kindle emotions by using these 2 methods (whatever works):
+ imagine them being happy, not being sick, succeeding in life, etc.
- can do more esoteric imaginations too, like, having a pink cord of love or something connecting to that person’s heart from your own, idk i just made this up just now
+ repeat phrases like, “may you be happy”, “may you succeed in life”, “i hope yu get lots of grandkids who love you”, “i hope you never get sick or break your arm”, etc. :)
```
here are guided meditation recordings for doing this practice: https://annakaharris.com/friendly-wishes/
they’re 5-7 minutes and designed for children. so easy to follow, but it works for me too its not dumbed-down, whcih maybe is unlikely to begin with since emotions are just emotions