Metta is an active kind of meditation in which, rather than focusing on the breath, we focus on sending benign thoughts and desires out into the world, and we imagine that our good will touches the individuals in our minds. We envision that whatever the object of our metta is eased of their particular type of discomfort, disquiet, or anguish when they are touched by the force of our goodwill in some forms of this meditation. This style of well-wishing has grown in popularity in the West, where it has been altered to fit a variety of religious practises and beliefs. One method to include it into a regular sitting practise is to include a time of metta at the start or conclusion. We direct lovingkindness toward ourselves and then, in a sequence of expansions, towards someone we already love in metta meditation. Someone with whom we have no strong feelings. We have a problem with someone, and ultimately, we have a problem with all creatures everywhere. Metta is similar to Spinoza's concept of self-love in that it allows the one practising it to experience a meditative mind satisfaction just by pondering the happiness and non-suffering of others. It's a definite method to feel cheerful if you sit down and reflect about the happiness of a loved one. Metta is exactly that, at least in its early stages. This appears to serve a similar purpose as Spinoza's concept of self-love: when you are able to feel pleased as a result of pondering the pleasure of others, you feel happy yourself; when you are happy, it is much easier to be compassionate toward yourself, and therefore to demonstrate self-love. Metta is a simple practise to begin. Simply set aside around 10 minutes today to think of someone you love unconditionally, with no strings attached. For the first eight minutes, keep wishing them the best. Consider what makes them joyful, and actively desire that such things happen in their life on a regular basis. Consider what makes people sad and hope that as little of it as possible happens to them. Redirect such thoughts towards yourself during the last two minutes. And try to keep this stream of good thinking going all the way through. You'll discover that you're happier as a result. Make Metta a habit, and develop a meditative mind then you'll discover that feeling and acting compassionately toward others becomes simpler with practise. This is a skill worth cultivating not just for your own sake, but also for the sake of others: when you practise Metta, you are demonstrating not only that you care about yourself, but also that you care about others, and as a result, it will be much easier to be compassionate toward others, including strangers. As a result, Metta is a great way to sharpen the knife of your ethical aptitude, because one's ethical aptitude is directly proportional to how much well-being versus misery they contribute to the world. https://trexova.com/metta~meditation