What is Mettā?

“Mettā” is a Pali word that translates to “loving-kindness.”

Metta is goodwill, loving kindness, universal love, a feeling of friendliness and heartfelt concern for all living beings, human or non human, in all situations. The chief mark of metta is a benevolent attitude: a keen desire to promote the welfare of others.  For us, it is our founding principle as a company.

Aside from phenomenal classes and experiences, our overarching ambition is to spread a message of love and kindness in our world and our community.

That starts with how we treat ourselves and extends to those close to us, to those we consider acquaintances, and to all other living beings (even those we’re not fond of – they deserve love too)!

Loving-kindness is also a mindfulness practice focused on wishing feelings of love and kindness into the world in the same order. It includes a short saying or prayer which sums it up quite perfectly:

Seeing the world through a lens of “loving-kindness”

The practice of “loving-kindness” (i.e. to “live metta”) has a profound, scientifically proven, positive impact. Studies have proven that this practice or way of seeing / interacting with the world:

• Increases social connectedness,
• Increases feelings of purpose, life satisfaction, social support
• Decreases feelings of anxiety or depression and also decreases illness symptoms.
• Builds connectedness to the natural world, and
• Decreases implicit bias against stigmatized groups, just to name a few.

Loving-Kindness in Practice

Chris came across this practice while in law school and its teachings have always stayed with him. It’s nothing short of transformative. We invite you to experience the benefits of putting love and kindness into the world with intention and see how it can make you healthier and happier.

Of course we are and always will be Pilates and yoga studios, but we’re also striving to be about something bigger. We hope that you sense this feeling of love and kindness when you walk through our doors, take a class or a private session, and interact with our amazing instructors and staff – who are some of the most kind and loving people you will find.

We can’t wait to share this message, and a bit of our hearts, with you at the studios.