The Metta Bhavana (Lovingkindness) practice is a heart-awakening meditation practice of offering unconditional friendliness to ourselves and others. Using ancient techniques passed down from the Buddha himself, in Lovingkindness meditation we honor our authentic connection with all beings and our common desire to be safe and happy.
Metta practice is a profound and powerful practice of remembering. Remembering that we all desire to be safe and happy. That we’re not alone. That we’re deeply connected with one another. That we all share the same vulnerabilities to change and loss. And it’s a practice of forgiveness, of ourselves and others. We generate compassion for ourselves, which very naturally becomes a beautiful gift we offer to others. We honor the inherent goodness of our own hearts, and become more able to recognize and celebrate the goodness of others. We tend our hearts that our hearts may tend the world.
This simple, transformative, and foundational practice helps us operate from our highest wisdom, cultivating our naturally kind, joyful, compassionate heart energy which naturally radiates outward. This energy is our inherent potential, our boundless birthright.
Anyone can learn to do basic Lovingkindness meditation and receive both immediate and long-lasting benefits. Metta meditation has been shown to increase positive emotions and decrease negative ones, reduce chronic pain, activate empathy and compassion centers of the brain, curb self-criticism and judgment of others, fight effects of aging, and drastically increase our sense of happiness, well-being, and connection with others.
Lovingkindness heals. It’s that simple. And the beauty of Metta energy is how it blossoms continually outward, transforming everyone it touches. As Rumi said, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within you that you have built against it.”
Join Sagel for Learning Lovingkindness Meditation to learn the foundations of this beautiful, profound practice and concrete ways to bring it into each of your days. This workshop includes meditation instruction, guided meditation practice, and Q&A and no experience is necessary. If you can breathe, can meditate! You’ll walk away from this workshop with basic skills to continue your Lovingkindness practice both on and off the cushion.
Students are encouraged to bring blocks and or blanketd to use as a seat.
