For thousands of years, Vedic Rishis, Buddhist monks, Yogic sages, Tao and Zen masters alike used different meditation techniques in their quest for truth and enlightenment, and for millennia, these sacred, powerful practices, taught in various forms, have been taught and shared mostly behind temple doors, to those walking a spiritual path.
Even though rooted primarily in spiritual traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, meditation techniques, we know today are not necessarily practised only by spiritual seekers on the path of higher consciousness and, ultimately, liberation but by anyone seeking peace of mind and relief from stress and anxiety of day-to-day life. Today, meditation is widespread, and various meditation techniques are easily accessible to anyone. And one might say it was a never more needed antidote to many burdens of modern living.
In ancient times people learned by experiencing and doing; much of the knowledge came from observing self and nature, allowing to be guided by intuition and faith, and often simply trying things out, embracing what works, and discarding what doesn't. Today, we have science proving what those luminaries knew all along - meditation is a gateway to peace and higher states of consciousness.
The science
Since neuroplasticity was discovered (neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form and reorganise synaptic connections, especially in response to learning and practice), a whole new field of brain research opened up in all directions, meditation being one of them. I won't go too scientific on you (there are plenty of scholarly articles online), and will stick to the basic facts. Meditation studies have shown that practising meditation over a longer period of time can decrease stress, anxiety, neurosis and depression and increase concentration, attention, a feeling of calm, empathy, compassion, and emotional regulation, help bounce back quicker from stressful situations, can boost the immune system, improve memory and creativity. The list goes on. For all of this to happen, meditation must be practised regularly and over a more extended period. Many benefits will emerge even after a few days or weeks, but it might take a while for some more profound 'rewiring' to happen.
Different types of meditation activate other parts and networks in the brain producing a distinct effect. Training your brain/mind is the same as training your body. If you do only one form of exercise, including only the muscles needed for that particular exercise, those are the muscles which will change their structure (increase in strength). Still, if you want full body strength, balance, flexibility and agility, you need to change your routine and challenge your body in more ways than one. If you repeat the same, your body will get used to it, and you may hit a so-called plateau where nothing much changes. Similarly, if you want to get all the different benefits of meditation and not just increase a specific potential, you must challenge your mind in different ways.
Five M's
I have been practising yoga for two decades now, and every time I step on my mat to do asana practice, I include meditation practice of one-point focus. But I have also studied other meditation practices that I love, practice and teach today. My favourites are the five M's: Metta, Mantra, Mindfulness, Movement and Mudra meditation. In this blog I will talk about one of them - the powerful Metta meditation. Metta means loving-kindness, and it is simply a meditation in which our primary focus is cultivating the capacity for loving-kindness.
How to practice Metta
Use the guided meditation video below first, but once you get the feeling of it, you can find your way and practice by yourself anytime, anywhere. In the beginning, try to practice daily for a week or two. It can happen, and very often does, that some uncomfortable feelings, like sadness, grief, and even anger, come up, but this is normal and a good sign that something within is shifting. If you have a therapist who can help you dig deeper into those feelings and help you integrate them, that is the best way to proceed. There is only so much we can do alone; it's incredible when we can ask for help, meaning we are willing to see, change, receive and finally, heal.
Going back to science, Metta meditation fires up parts of the brain in charge of compassion, empathy and altruistic behaviour. With the increase of emphatic concern, we witness a decrease in personal distress and start seeing a bigger picture, shifting from the ego self to broadening our circle of compassion to all life. And when the change begins to happen from within, the world around us starts to change too because we start seeing the bigger picture, we take charge, and we no longer blame but rather find ways to create positive change for the good of all.
I believe our essence is compassionate and kind, but due to traumas, disappointments and stresses of everyday life, we build walls and take on arms, slowly forgetting and ultimately detaching from our true nature. This detachment causes unhappiness, depression, anxiety etc. Metta meditation is a daily reminder of our true nature, and the more we practice it, the closer we get to living from the heart as free, open, loving, and happy beings.
