If the bodily sensations feel comfortable, you can maintain a real sense of well-being here, and that will make it easier to wish for the well-being of others.

"Look at the way you perceive your relationship to other people. If you feel that you’re victimized by other people, that’s a perception that’s not going to help. You have to have the sense that you’re well-grounded and safe, solid in your own well-being. And the breath helps here. If the bodily sensations feel uncomfortable, you’ll have a hard time maintaining any real sense of well-being here, and that will make it harder to wish for the well-being of others, because the well-being has to start in here. As Ajaan Lee says, “If you say the thoughts of goodwill, but you don’t really feel any sense of happiness or well being inside, it’s like opening up the faucet to an empty tank of water. Nothing but air comes out.” The coolness of air and the coolness of water are two very different things. What you want is water.

So you want to develop the cool water of a sense of well-being inside you. And the breath is a good place to start."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "High Level Metta"

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