Regular Practice, Irregular Writing and Metta Meditations

I guess when i started this blog i thought i would post a bit more regularly. It turns out that probably won't be the case. I like keeping my life both full and making time to slow down, so while i make mindfulness practice and Dharma talks a regular part of my routine, writing about my practices sometimes falls by the wayside.

Lately I've been trying to make sitting meditation more a part of my daily practice, by practicing sitting quietly for a short time (15 minutes) in the morning. I tend not to do anything on a regular scheduled basis (the time I show up for work varies, the times I eat, go to sleep, etc. all vary), and some days i wake up and have time to spare in the morning, other days i wake up and have just enough time to get ready at a relaxed pace, but no additional time to spare. So it takes effort for me to consistently get up early enough to have that extra time to sit. I'm keeping the sitting time short to make it easy to do regularly, and hope to lengthen the time as my practice strengthens.

In making time to sit quietly i find i have been practicing metta meditation less. I don't really have any good reason for this. Usually i practice metta using guided meditations, but i could practice metta just as well using my quiet sitting time. It's just that i like my guided metta meditations, and they're too long for my new morning routine. When i started practicing metta meditation it was sporadic, whenever i found a half hour to 45 minutes to sit. So I'm trying an experiment. I clipped a longer metta meditation to make two short 15 minute versions (one has more quiet time than the other). I'm going to try using the meditations some days, and just sitting quietly on others.

Metta meditation works well for me. I get sucked into thoughts easily, so having phrases to focus on focuses my mind a little better than breath meditation does. I can also be very judgmental, and metta seems to help counteract that. I also like guided meditations since i lack a live teacher or group. I've heard its easier to practice when around others who are also practicing, and the recordings seem to provide a similar experience.

At first the idea of the metta phrases (May all beings live in safety, May all beings be happy, May all beings be healthy, etc.) sounded really corny, but after listening to some teachers explain the concept i warmed up to the practice. Below are some talks and metta, and some guided meditations i use.

Ajahn Vayama
Guided Metta and Q & A This is the meditation i used to make the short versions. I've made 15, 20, 30, & 45 minute meditations based on this track.
Narayan Liebenson Grady
Guided Metta I This meditation focuses on metta for oneself. I like the explanation of how & why to practice metta.
Guided Metta II This meditation focuses on self and benefactor.
Guided Metta III This meditation brings in the friend and neutral person. I like the intro for the neutral person.
Guided Metta IV This meditation brings in the difficult person and metta for all beings.
Guided Metta V Expands on Guided Metta IV.
Guy Armstrong
Metta Near and Far Enemies
Metta and Concentration
These are two Dharma talks I like that discuss aspects of the practice of metta meditation.