Meditation

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Loving Kindness meditation. Schools > Students > Ages 17-18 > Meditation and worship > Loving Kindness meditation The Metta Bhavana The Metta Bhavana is sometimes called the development of universal loving-kindness.

It is one of a set of four meditations known as the brahma-viharas, which means something like 'abodes of the gods'. So we could say that the practice of this meditation and its three companion meditations (of which I shall say a little more later) are designed to put us in the same frame of mind as the gods. I should mention that the Buddhist idea of gods is rather different from the one we are probably used to. The point about the brahma-vihara meditations is that they help us to experience positive and enjoyable mental states that are equivalent to the mental states of the gods. The Metta Bhavana may seem at first sight very different from the Mindfulness of Breathing, but the two complement each other very well. The Pali word metta is often translated 'universal loving-kindness'. We are all unique. How To Practice Loving Kindness Meditation.

Four Good Times of Day to Meditate (And One to Avoid) When is the best time of day to meditate? According to two experts, the answer depends on what you hope to get out of it. Research has shown that meditation has many mental and physical health benefits . Among other things, it may help reduce stress, enhance concentration, improve sleep, manage pain, and lower blood pressure. Daily meditation practice is ideal for reaping these rewards. In addition, brief mini-meditations can be done as needed throughout the day whenever you want to calm your mind and relax your body. Recently, I had the opportunity to ask two experts for their advice about when to meditate—and when not to. First thing in the morning Recommended for: daily meditation practice Laura Maciuika , EdD, clinical psychologist and author of Conscious Calm: Keys to Freedom from Stress and Worry : Your routine first thing in the morning sets the tone for the entire day.

Chade-Meng Tan: Cultivating Compassion: Meditation For Better Relationships. A long time ago, I came across this joke: Once, a disciple asked, "Master, is associating with people half the holy life?

" The Master replied, "No, associating with people is the whole of holy life". This joke probably started as a misreading of the famous Upaddah Sutta in Buddhism, where the Buddha told Ananda that friendships with "admirable people" is not half of holy life, but the whole of holy life. Over time, however, I found the humorous apocryphal version to be deeply insightful. There are at least two components to one's spiritual practice, Wisdom and Compassion, and associating with people, especially in difficult situations, helps us grow Compassion. I have found three practices to be extremely useful in helping me deal with people. Chade-Meng Tan: Cultivating Compassion: Meditation For Better Relationships. Wildmind Buddhist Meditation - Learn Meditation Online. Lovingkindness Practice. Lovingkindness meditation came about because of the Buddha's response to a group of monks who were scared.

As the story goes, these monks had gone to a remote forest to engage in intensivemindfulness meditation. But when they got there, they started hearing strange noises, smelling terrible odors, and seeing scary spirits. They fled the forest and sought the Buddha's help. The Buddha taught them lovingkindness meditation and told them to go back to the forest and cultivate lovingkindness for these scary spirits. The monks returned to the forest and began to practice lovingkindness meditation. Gaetano Donizetti wrote an opera called L'Elisir d'Amore— the elixir of love. Greater Happiness in 5 Minutes a Day. Might be that sitting with your legs crossed repeating stuff like "May all beings be free from suffering," is a little too far-out for you.

I'm a scientist for crying out loud, so you can imagine how I might feel meditating while surrounded by prominent neuroscientists, which I once did on a 7-day silent meditation retreat. Except that I actually didn't feel silly. Why? Because research demonstrates the incredible power of loving-kindness meditation: No need to be self-conscious when this stuff might be more effective than Prozac.

Also called metta, loving-kindness meditation is the simple practice of directing well-wishes towards other people. Here's How to Do It The general idea is to sit comfortably with your eyes closed, and imagine what you wish for your life. May I be healthy and strong. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In this 3-minute video, Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness is an Inside Job, teaches how to do this.