Valentine’s Day shows up every year asking us to pedestal our boo. For those that have one, your supposed to worship a lover with extravagant gifts and attention and kisses and blah, blah, blah.
The rest of us sit at home watching Star Search trying to forget what day it is.
But this year, I’m asking,
Can I boo me?
How, do I boo me?
Can I offer myself the same softness I rush to give someone else? Can I celebrate my own survival? My own becoming?
This episode of Meditation Club is a practice called Metta Meditation. Metta means loving-kindness. It’s one of the Brahma Viharas, or as I like to call its,
the four divine vibrations of the heart:
Loving-kindness (Metta)
Compassion (Karuna)
Appreciative joy (Mudita)
Equanimity (Upekkha)
Metta is about generating good vibes on purpose. Not waiting until I feel loving. Not waiting until life calms down. Practicing and generating the vibe of love before I get caught on the high way with a jerk that cuts me off. I’m ready for the jerks before I even meet them because of Metta.
It is, practicing safety before I feel threatened.
Practicing ease before I’m overwhelmed.
This is grown-man work, son.
Usually, we do this, picturing people outside of ourselves, but today we’re doing it for us, to us, about us, with us. Cause, this is how I’m going to boo me.
I learned this from a great teacher and practitioner Joshua Alafia.
Boo-bop-bin-bing-boo-bop-bam.
Here’s how it goes in short - we offer the same phrases over and over:
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you be protected.
May you be at ease.
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This isn’t therapy.
It’s cultivation. It’s a valentines day date with yourself for 20 minutes. Do this alone. Do this with your lover. Do this with your kids. Do this in your car. Just do this.
I’m boo’ing me this year.
And hopefully building a heart that doesn’t collapse when love gets complicated.
