In the fourth stage of metta bhavana – the Buddhist meditation practice aimed at cultivating metta (loving-kindness) – the focus is on directing goodwill towards a ‘difficult’ person. Normally, this difficult person is someone you are personally involved with, who is a source of tension, conflict, or emotional pain. But there are many ‘difficult’ people…
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Different forms of meditation can be helpful for perfectionism. Mindfulness can interrupt ruminative thinking focused on perfectionism – stopping an initial thought spiralling into a distressing chain of thoughts, or cycles of thoughts. Compassion (karuna) or loving-kindness (metta) meditation can challenge the default attitudes and emotions behind perfectionist thinking – regret, self-blame, and self-criticism –…
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Metta bhavana is an ancient Buddhist meditation practice that aims to cultivate the emotional virtue of loving-kindness, known as metta. I have previously explored the benefits of metta meditation for depression, as well as the potential pitfalls of the practice. I would like to return to the benefits of this form of meditation again, specifically…
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Mudita (sympathetic/empathetic joy) is one of the four brahma-viharas (also known as the sublime attitudes or Four Immeasurables), which are the Buddha’s “heart practices” – those that develop particular emotional states, or virtuous emotions, that help to cultivate happiness in ourselves and others. “Brahma-vihara” literally means “dwelling place of brahmas”, and brahmas are gods who…
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There is an increasing amount of attention being paid to the risks of meditation, a practice that – through its mainstreaming – has wholly been associated with calmness and mental health benefits. However, a growing body of research and first-person accounts are revealing that mindfulness meditation – particularly when it’s intensive and prolonged, as on…
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