Latest Issue of the MindBrainEd Think Tank + (ISSN 2434-1002) 6 MindBrained Bulletin Think Tank V4i6 Mindfulness | Page 10

Think Tank:
Mindfulness
Toyoko Schmidt (photo) & Megumi Sugiyama
Loving Kindness Meditation in Reading Class
For the past ten years, we have been teaching a “Traditional Asian Healing” unit for
students at Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University, Sendai, in cooperation with Marc
Helgesen, who coordinates the English Reading program in the Modern Business
and Intercultural Studies departments. The three-lesson unit includes 1)
meditation, 2) yoga, and 3) traditional Thai massage. Over the course of the unit,
students read about each activity and then try it in class. Here, we will focus on the
meditation lesson.
Even though the person isn’t
their friend, they can still
wish them well.
We used to do a “mantra” type meditation,
but five years ago, we switched to a “Loving
Kindness” (also called metta) meditation
because it is more concrete and easier for
students to visualize.
Initially, students read a two-page handout
explaining the meditation (click for PDF). Reviewing the content together, we ask
them to think about these four key phrases:
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be loved.
Students will silently repeat this set of phrases, each time thinking of someone in a
different category:
(1) Themselves (May I be well…)
(2) A person they really love or care about. This is often a family member.
(3) Someone who is a neutral presence in their life. They don’t like or dislike the
person. For example, at school, this might be a custodial, co-op or cafeteria worker.
(4) Someone they don’t like very much. Even though the person isn’t their friend,
they can still wish them well.