The purpose of a Metta Meditation is to cultivate compassion through awareness. The practice of a Metta Meditation can be traced back to the original Buddhist tradition in which one first cultivates compassion toward oneself; then towards family and friends (teammates); then eventually toward one’s enemies (or the case of sports we’ll focus on opponents); and, ultimately, toward the earth and all living beings. What follows is a script for a Loving Kindness or Metta Meditation that has been adapted specifically for athletes to overcome maladaptive perfectionism in sports.
In the meditation we’re going to mentally move through a 7-phase cycle in which you send loving kindness to yourself and the world around you.
But before we get started, I just want to give you a heads up that you’ll notice that at one point in the meditation I use the word “invite”… that means you have a choice about that portion. If what I am asking you to do feels to hard or like too much right now, then just return to your breath work.
Ok, let’s get started.
Get yourself into a comfortable seated position with your back straight, feet flat on the ground, and arms gently in your lap. If you’re doing it at the sand courts, you can also sit cross legged with your hands in your lap. Breath naturally but start to watch your breath going in and out and just focus on your breathing for a while.
- Picture yourself sitting alone on the court, in a gym, or on the playing field. Notice the peacefulness in the quiet silence. Now repeat these words to yourself in your mind: May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be free from suffering.
- Now bring to mind a loved one, possibly a family member, friend, or pet who you love. Picture them smiling at you. Engulf them with these and caring words: May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from suffering.
- Now bring to mind a person who inspires you. Maybe it’s a role-model you know personally, a famous athlete or coach you’d like to meet some day. Picture them smiling at you and repeat these words again. May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from suffering.
- Now picture somebody you barely know and feel neutral towards. Maybe it’s a classmate at school, an opponent, or referee. Once again repeat these words in your mind. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they be free from suffering.
- Now I invite you to picture a person who has done you harm, or somebody who has frustrated you, or possibly somebody you need to forgive. I invite you to repeat these words. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they be free from suffering.
- Now picture your entire team together with you sitting on the court, gym or field and repeat these words. May we be happy, may we be healthy, may we be free from suffering.
- Now expand your vision to picture all the people on planet earth. Imagine for a moment what it would be like to exist in harmony on our planet. And I invite you to repeat these words again. May we be happy, may we be healthy, may we be free from suffering.
As you’re expanding your loving kindness to the world, I want you to picture a bright white light healing you, strengthening you and energizing you… and radiating warmth and love to all beings that you come into contact with.
Finally, bring your attention back to yourself, so the white light and the feeling fills your whole being, breathing in peacefully compassion towards yourself and breathing out peacefully compassion towards yourself and those in the world around you.