Unifying Goal and Method Through the Brahmaviharas
Consider if the objective of your practice and the approach to achieving it were identical. This time-honored concept is explored through the Brahmaviharas, a set of traditional principles. Translated as “Divine Abodes,” the Brahmaviharas originate from the late Upanishads and early Buddhism. These practices are recognized by yogis through Patanjali’s ‘Yoga Sutra’ 1:33, where they are deemed fundamental for spiritual practitioners. Discover How the Brahmaviharas Can Transform Your Practice – Read More
According to this teaching, there are four essential qualities of love to cultivate, which require dedicated practice. While these concepts may appear lofty, they are akin to any other skill that improves with effort. The answer to whether the goal and method can be unified lies in applying and mastering these timeless principles.
Embracing Maitri: A Practice of Lovingkindness
In Sanskrit, ‘maitri’ translates to ‘friendliness’ and is often used interchangeably with ‘metta,’ the Buddhist practice of ‘lovingkindness.’ Our thoughts are frequently less than friendly or loving. We might feel triggered, slighted, or annoyed with ourselves and others, including friends, family, co-workers, and world events. This frustration can trap us in a negative mood.
Start Practicing Maitri Today – Join Our Guided Meditation
The next time you feel triggered, try meeting it with metta. You don’t need to perfect the feeling—just practice it with the intention of improving over time. Here’s a simple exercise to guide you:
- Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and take several deep breaths.
- Notice your body, breath, and emotional state.
- Set an intention to focus your mind and energy on a place that will benefit both you and those around you.
- Recognize that intentions need action to become reality. Dedicate the next 5 minutes to evoking lovingkindness and directing it to:
- Yourself
- Someone you love
- A neutral person
- Someone with whom you have a challenge
- All beings everywhere
This practice can help cultivate a more compassionate mindset and improve your emotional resilience over time.
Explore Loving Kindness Meditation with Sally Kempton – Click Here
Understanding Karuna: The Heartfelt Essence of Compassion
Have you ever felt a pang in your chest when your heart goes out to someone, whether it’s a family member, a bittersweet experience, or a hero’s struggle in a movie? This sensation, which yogis described thousands of years ago, is called karuna, meaning “the quivering of the heart.” For a more straightforward definition, karuna translates to “compassion.”
Deepen Your Practice of Karuna with Our Compassion Meditation – Learn More
Derived from the Sanskrit word kara, meaning “to do” or “to make,” karuna represents the emotional tug we experience when we deeply connect with another person’s feelings. It is closely related to empathy, understanding, and humanity, but it differs from sympathy, condolences, or pity. While compassion and empathy involve feeling “with” someone, sympathy and pity involve feeling “for” someone, which can lead to ascribing our own judgments to their situation. Unlike sympathy and pity, which might categorize emotions as good or bad, karuna remains unattached to outcomes. By sharing in another’s feelings, we experience the profound interconnectedness of all beings.
Allow yourself to “feel with” someone who is presenting a challenge with Sally Kempton’s online meditation, Making Peace in a Relationship.
Embracing Positive Shifts: The Power of Mudita and “Fake It Till You Make It”
Being a little fake is not always the worst thing. If you find yourself stuck in a negative headspace and can’t seem to break free, try “faking it till you make it.” Though this modern mindset might seem contemporary, it’s actually rooted in an ancient concept known as pratipaksa bhavanas, or the practices of cultivating the opposite. This idea suggests that when we encounter an uncomfortable feeling, practicing the opposite feeling for a few rounds can help shift us onto a more positive path.
Experience the Joy of Mudita – Try David Wagner’s Web of Love Meditation
Mudita, or sympathetic joy, is the practice of feeling happiness at someone else’s success. Instead of succumbing to envy, mudita encourages us to recognize our interconnectedness and celebrate the successes of others. By doing so, we not only honor this connection but also open ourselves to more opportunities for joy. Limiting our happiness to our own achievements restricts our chances for feeling good. However, if we allow ourselves to share in the joy of others, we increase our own chances of experiencing happiness.
The next time you feel envious, give mudita a try. And if it doesn’t work immediately, remember: “fake it till you make it”! David Wagner’s Web of Love online meditation will get you started.
Cultivating Equanimity: Insights from Yoga Philosophy
We have some control over how we navigate the waves of our lives. Navigating life’s ups and downs, pausing instead of reacting, and practicing deep breathing through discomfort—all require deliberate effort. Equanimity’s steady composure does not come easily; however, through persistent inner work, we can gain glimpses of it.
Explore Equanimity with Felicia Tomasko’s Restorative Yoga Practice – Join Us
Many dedicated yoga students are familiar with these Divine Abodes, as described in the popular “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.” Notably, Patanjali uses the term ‘upeksa’ with a long ‘a,’ indicating a feminine rather than masculine declension. This choice was deliberate and significant, reflecting the historical Samkhya Philosophy, which describes an eternal play between masculine and feminine energies. In this philosophy, the masculine represents consciousness while the feminine embodies matter. Actualization occurs only when the feminine recognizes herself.
Achieving the divine state of equanimity involves recognizing and accepting our true selves. From this acceptance, we can find our sense of wholeness.
Ready to Embrace the Brahmaviharas? – Start Your Practice Today
Catch a glimpse of upeksa on your mat with Felicia Tomasko’s Restorative online yoga practice, Cultivate Equanimity.
Embracing the Brahmaviharas: A Practical Guide to Compassionate Living
What makes the Brahmaviharas so compelling is their apparent unattainability at first glance. While we might aspire to embody these virtues consistently, life often presents challenges that make it difficult. The Brahmaviharas teach us that these qualities are cultivated through persistent practice. This approach is the only effective way to achieve them.
For instance, how can one cultivate greater compassion? During moments of frustration or impatience, consciously pausing and making a deliberate effort to practice compassion is essential. Similarly, how can you transform jealousy into genuine happiness for someone else’s success? Start by taking small steps, focusing on one person or one instance at a time.
This principle is why the teachings of yoga and meditation are termed “practices.” We are meant to practice repeatedly, and even when progress seems slow, the benefits of our practice often emerge in unexpected ways. Perhaps you find yourself showing more kindness to a garbage truck driver blocking your driveway. Or instead of feeling envious of a friend’s exciting trip, you genuinely enjoy liking her photos. With repeated practice, qualities such as upeksa (equanimity) become second nature, allowing you to remain calm and centered even in stressful situations.
As we enter a new decade and reflect on our lives, it is crucial to reassess how we have spent our time and examine our value systems. Consider what impact you want your practice to have. Is your practice benefiting you and those around you? Is it contributing to the greater good? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, it is likely that you have been practicing the Brahmaviharas effectively all along.
Ready to invite the Sublime States into your practice? We suggest the following classes:
Twist, Twist, and More Twists with Marc Holzman
Vinyasa Flow – 60 min
Holding Onto the Fruits of Practice with David H. Wagner
Meditation – 30 min
Moving Into Stillness with Tias Little
Hatha – 45 min
Compassion Meditation with Tara Judelle
Meditation – 20 min
