Metta .. to all!

Across the world or closer to home .. there are times when human suffering leaves us unsure of what we might do, what we might say, how we might find peace again .. and in those times I sit with Metta (Loving Kindness) meditation.

There are time when we all need a little 'loving kindness' .. for ourselves and others and I have often relied upon this practice when I am faced with suffering, grief and sadness.

May you be happy

May you be peaceful and at ease

May you accept yourself just as you are

May you be free to live and love fully

Metta is a Pali word that translates as 'love', or more often 'loving kindness' .. an unconditional wish of wellness for all, an openhearted offering of kindness and gentle awareness and embracing of suffering.

Based on the traditional Buddhist practice of mettā bhāvanā ("cultivation of mettā") in this meditation we silently repeat some classic phrases, systematically offering loving-kindness first to ourselves, then to a loved one, a dear friend, a neutral person, someone we find a little difficult .. and then to the entire world.

We begin by offering metta to ourselves:

May I be happy

May I be peaceful ... at ease

May I accept myself just as I am

May I be free to live and love fully...

We repeat this mantra for a few minutes and reflect on the words as they weave into our breath and our heart.

We then extend the same wish to others, spending a few minutes repeating and sharing the loving-kindness mantra with .. a loved one .. .. then, a dear friend .. a neutral person .. and finally someone we find a little difficult. 

At this time you might like to also extend loving kindness to all the children and family and workers and friends dealing with the grief of the current events surrounding the loss of flight MH17.

May you be happy

May you be peaceful and at ease

May you accept yourself just as you are

May you be free to live and love fully...

When silently reciting this mantra you may wish to bring to mind (and heart) the person you wish to extend metta to. Imagine this person in a happy place, with a smile on their face, recognizing that everyone on this earth seeks happiness, connection and love; that we are all on the same journey.

Metta meditation has a profound ability to settle a suffering heart and also transform our relationships - not just with those in the world around us, but also with ourselves!

Please don't worry if you don't truly feel the hearts warmth extending out .. it is much more important that our intention is there to begin to open the circle of loving-kindness .... in this way Metta meditation helps us shift our focus from getting love to creating it, from fixing life to embracing it ..

Bliss .. This Morning

THIS MORNING .. SEE YOU THERE!

An Hour of Rest

"Take a rest; a field that has rested yields a beautiful crop"

Ovid

TOMORROW MORNING..

Tuesday mornings 9.30-10.30am in Brighton

The hour provides an opportunity to rest.  To put down your busyness and to-do-list and take a break.  It is amazing how restful an hour of relaxation and meditation can heal body, mind .. and soul.

Simply stopping and noticing how your stress has manifested into your body ie. tight shoulders, tummy ache, headache, fatigue .. and then doing something practical to relieve that stress .. is EMPOWERING .. and such a relief!

Each week we shall have a 'theme' or focus for our hour of relaxation.  We shall start with a short Meditative Exercise to transition from our morning to our place of stillness .. and then explore a guided meditation by Sarah.  There is a little time at the end for any questions. 

You should leave feeling a little lighter, a little more at ease and refreshed .. with a spring in your step!

JOIN US : Class is $10

Mindfulness = Joyful moments

For our Tuesday morning class this week the theme was "in mindfulness .. the extraordinary will be found in the ordinary".

Ever wondered why some days we find time is just swallowed up with unfinished tasks, never-ending demands and repetition/routine .. and then other days .. time is spacious, languid and bright, where we find an abundance of time and unexpected joys?

The secret?  where we have placed our mind.

So were you mindful today?

When we are mindful we uncover (or bear witness) to the many extraordinary moments hidden within the humdrum of 'normal' life .. if we are truly focussed on the unfolding nature and texture of our day, we find that time opens up and we 'see' and experience the many small gifts provided by moments. 

I call these .. joy bubbles

That unexpected smile .. hearing a beautiful song .. witnessing an act of nature that seems out-of-this-world .. finding a real connection with a new friend .. the fleeting touch of someone you love ..

When we are living life truly in the present moment then we are open to experiencing these moments of magic .. and this in turn changes the whole flavour of our day.

Joy bubbles .. an energy that is light, soft and transforming.

When we catch a joyful moment and remember to be grateful for its arrival then we also have an opportunity to witness and 'count our blessings' .. and this again reinforces how much in life there truly is to be grateful for.

Today I had just such a moment and decided to take a picture of it.  You might like to also record some of these profound moments .. writing then down in your diary perhaps .. instilling a sacredness to the everyday. 

here is mine from this morning ...

"I am waiting for my mum ... sitting in the car with the window down .. spring sunshine, magnolia flowers, birds singing loudly .. a moment in time to just pause and breathe it all in" Sarah, Wednesady 29th August 2012

Tuesday morning classes : July

Tuesday Morning Meditation

Classes for JULY:

17th, 24th, 31st

9.30-10.30am

at St Leonards Community Hall, Brighton

This is a casual group class for an hour of guided meditation practice and a little instruction.

The class starts with a short meditative exercise (to quickly reduce stress) followed by two slightly longer 20-25minute guided meditation practices.

There is enough instruction provided if you have not meditated before .. and enough silence to find your way. 

St Leonards Hall provides a welcoming, warm and ambient space with plenty of parking available.  Class is $10

No need to book but if you have any questions email info@quietmind.com.au

The eyes in meditation

Tuesday morning is our meditation bliss hour.

Time to turn inward and find some stillness .. before the day and the week take over and we get all caught up in the busyness.

This is a new class.  From the very first day when I expect no-one to arrive .. beginners and experienced meditators have shared their morning.  There is a lovely band on 'regulars' now, keen to just arrive .. again and again .. to the moment, to their meditation, to the day.  It is inspiring to be part of their journey.

We have started to wandered into the 'open field' quite a lot.  The field of just silence.  No guiding or anchoring atention to my voice .. just venturing out into the spaciousness of silence to practice.  This is a joy.

But I have also started to add a little theme each week. Some point of reflection, some nourishment I hope for our regular personal practice.  Last week we looked at hand mudra's .. mindfulness of body through the hands.  This week .. the eyes in meditation.

Open? is a wakefulness practice.  Learning to just 'see' rather than be entertained, read, detect or peruse.  Cultivating that stillness and peacefulness regardless of what is going on around us.  Eyes open can help us ward off drowsiness and lethargy.  

In the buddhist tradition we often see the eyes wide open and staring slightly upwards. The Buddha is said to have awakened at the moment he looked up and saw Venus the morning star, just above the horizon.

Closed? a deeper connection is often experience with that sense of turning our focus...inward.  Sits well with the Judaeo-Christian culture of prayer and contemplation, and we are less distracted by the world around us.  But we can become sleepy and lost to our dreams and fantasies.

There are no rules.  It can take some time to rest easily with eyes open, it just takes a little practice.  I usually suggest that those new to meditation try first with their eyes closed, resting their gaze to the 'third eye' location (between the eyebrows) where people naturally find a sense of connection with the sense of 'spaciousness' .. it is requires a little practice and mindfulness.

Today we tried Trataka (candle gazing) meditation where first the eyes are open and then closed .. holding the image of the flame at the Ajna/Agya Chakra (third eye).   You can find more about Trataka meditation from this previous post.

Did you meditate this morning?