Introduction to lovingkindness meditation
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The Metta Bhavana is a meditation for developing lovingkindness.
“Bhavana” means “cultivation” or “development,” and “Metta” is a word that means “love,” “friendliness,” or “lovingkindness.” So this is a meditation practice where we actively cultivate some very positive emotional states towards others, as well as to ourselves.
This meditation practice helps us to bring more harmony into our relationships with others, so that we experience less conflicts, resolve existing difficulties, and deepen our connections with people we already get on with.
This meditation helps us to overcome anger, resentment, and hurt.
It helps us to empathize more, and to be more considerate, kind, and forgiving. We can also learn to appreciate others more, concentrating more on their positive qualities and less on their faults. We learn to be more patient.
In this meditation practice, we also cultivate Metta towards ourselves, so that we experience less internal conflict, and learn to appreciate ourselves more.
Comments
Comment from sufisister (sufisister)
Time: December 31, 1969, 11:59 pm
another reminder to self, work on metta practice: http://www.wildmind.org/metta/introduction
Pingback from Mystic Mindpower » Blog Archive » The Gift Of Metta – Loving Kindness
Time: July 13, 2008, 9:16 am
[...] More info about Metta and it’s practice can be found HERE [...]
Comment from David Innes
Time: September 8, 2008, 1:31 pm
Hi
I am looking for a local venue to practise Metta meditation. I have done some meditation before and a couple of weeks in a Buddhist monastery.
I am based in Farnham, any ideas would be very much appreciated.
Kind Regards
David
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 8, 2008, 1:56 pm
Hi David,
The closest I could stop was in Woking. It’s a Theravadin group and they almost certainly do the metta bhavana meditation. The Modern Buddha Way (also listed on that page may do so as well — it’s not clear from what I saw of their website.
Good luck with your search.
Comment from Sam de Alwis
Time: September 17, 2008, 6:24 pm
Hi,
I am interested in a local meditation class/group practising mindfulnessbreathing meditation. I live in Woldingham, Surrey,
Regards,
Sam
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 17, 2008, 10:55 pm
Hi Sam,
I don’t want to sound cheeky or unhelpful, but I live in New Hampshire and Google’s as close to you as it is to me. I’d suggest searching for [Surrey meditation] or [meditation] plus the name of some nearby large towns.
Happy hunting!
Comment from Shamash
Time: November 7, 2008, 5:02 pm
Hi
I teach mindfulness meditation and I’m based near Richmond, Surrey. Email me on Shamash@learnmindfulness.co.uk if that’s close enough
Comment from Laura
Time: February 27, 2009, 1:06 pm
Wonderful site! I teach classes in raising your happiness set point, and we commence each class with a meditation. I will definitely visit often for ongoing insight. Thank you for such a plentiful resource.
LA:)
Pingback from Santosha (Contentment) – Step #7 – Steps on the Path – Holistic Health and medicine blog – Times Union – Albany NY
Time: March 1, 2009, 5:02 am
[...] the end of a yoga class, we sometimes call on the words of the Metta (lovingkindness) prayer. Please take these words into your own heart: “May I be happy. May [...]
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