Strengthening the Heart: Loving-kindness retreat
Insight Meditation Society, Barre, Massachusetts
14-19 February 2020
Talks from the whole retreat here: Dharma Seed – 2020 IMS Metta Retreat
Metta, sometimes translated as unconditional kindness or universal friendliness, grows from our capacity for basic human warmth. It is the first of four sublime states known as the Brahmavihara, that encompass lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity. Developed together, these four qualities provide a powerful support for wellbeing, concentration and the deepening of insight practice. In this silent Brahmavihara retreat, open to all, we will explore a range of techniques for developing these skillful qualities of heart, as well as ways to release the obstacles that often get in the way of living with more ease, happiness and peace.
Jill’s talks
2020-02-15 Instructions and guided meditation practicing mindfulness of breathing 32:35
Settling into retreat by beginning with mindfulness of breathing, to steady the awareness before we move into Metta practice
2020-02-15 Overview of the Four Brahmavihara qualities 44:21
Exploring how kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity work together to heal afflicted mind-states
2020-02-16 Instructions and guided meditation using the “radiating energy“ method of metta practice 45:05
Cultivating the embodied energy of warmth and kindness, radiating it in different directions then all directions simultaneously to “encompass the entire world”
2020-02-17 Instructions and guided meditation cultivating mudita 44:23
Using the “reciting phrases” method of practice to develop mudita for a good friend whose life is currently going well
2020-02-18 Instructions and guided meditation cultivating equanimity 39:17
Using the “reciting phrases” method of practice to develop equanimity for a difficult or so-called “sticky” person, someone who we would like to be different in some way, or someone we wish our relationship with them was different in some way
Jill Shepherd: insight meditation 