This is a guided meditation on the quality of appreciative joy, or mudita. There is also a short introduction on the role of appreciative joy in the four divine abidings (brahma vihares).
The practice of Mudita or Appreciative Joy cultivates an open and joyful heart that naturally inclines towards connecting with what is uplifting and beautiful in others and in our own lives. It works to counteract the subtle or not-so-subtle tendency towards envy, which tells us that we are deficient in some way.
The near enemy of metta is attached affection, common in romantic love. The far enemy is aversion, which takes many forms, such as resentment and fear. The talk explores these responses and how to work with them in metta practice.
Metta (lovingkindness) is a mind-turning practice, directing our heart and mind towards love and equanimity. How can we support ourselves to make this transformative turn?
This talk was co-created with the participants of a beginners retreat at Spirit Rock. It was based on their experience and themes raised about practice.
This talk discusses the current research in mindfulness, including the areas of physical health, attention, mental health, self-compassion, and brain research.
