Sunday 21 September 2014

Mary M. Purdy Compassionate Evolution: IMPROVING YOUR RATIO OF POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE EMOTI...

Mary M. Purdy Compassionate Evolution: IMPROVING YOUR RATIO OF POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE EMOTI...: I MPROVING YOUR RATIO OF POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS I hope you are enjoying the first step in practicing lovingkindness, by practici...


IMPROVING YOUR RATIO OF POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

I hope you are enjoying the first step in practicing lovingkindness, by practicing lovingkindness to yourself.
Now, let's move on to the next step, sending loving-kindness to family member or friend.When you have completed the first step which I wrote in the last blog, you continue by bringing to your mind, imagination a family memeber, or a friend, when you have that person in your mind, again with your hand or both hands on your heart say to this family member or friend

"May you be happy"
"May you be safe"
"May you be healthy and well"
"May you be free from all fear"
 (Or make up your own phrases )

Repeat two more times.

Take 3 deep breaths to really grow and feel these feelings in your body, and then release your hand and let it move forward as if offering to your friend/family member and then let the picture of your friend/family member go.




 Christine Carter , Ph.D wrote in her blog "Loving-kindness meditation does far more than produce momentary good feelings. Over a nine week period, research showed that this type of meditation increased people's experiences of positive emotions. (If you are working on improving your ratio of positive to negative emotions, start with loving-kindness!) The research shows compellingly that it actually puts people on "trajectories of growth," leaving them better able to ward off depression and "become ever more satisfied with life." This is probably because it increases a wide range of those resources that make for a meaningful and successful life, like having an increased sense of purpose, stronger social support, and less illness. Research even shows that loving-kindness meditation "changes the way people approach life" for the better.
I've blogged before about social connections and how important they are for health and happiness. Doing a simple loving-kindness meditation can make us feel less isolated and more connected to those around us: one study showed that a SINGLE SEVEN MINUTE loving-kindness meditation made people feel more connected to and positive about both loved ones and total strangers, and more accepting of themselves. Imagine what a regular practice could do!"

What a wonderful way to end your day with your child, cultivating more loving-kindness in your lives and sending it to others. Love to all.

 

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Mary M. Purdy Compassionate Evolution:

       Children Cultivating Lovingkindness 



Why do we need to support children in cultivating lovingkindness? It is innate in all of us, we are born with the seed of compassion, we need to cultivate it, to keep it growing. If we all were more compassionate practicing lovingkindness maybe the world would be a kinder, safer, more joyful world for all children, all of us to live in.

The first step in having more lovingkindness in our lives and in the world is to cultivate it within ourselves and to have a common understanding of what we mean by lovingkindness. Ask your child what love means to them, how they would define love. Give them time to come up with their own meaning/s.(Examples could be “hugs”, “family”)So now we sort of know what love is. Now, ask your child how they would define kindness. (Examples could be “when someone does something nice for me”,  "petting a cat not pulling its tail", “sharing toys”) Now we put these two experiences together, now we have this practice called lovingkindness.

 

To begin we will practice lovingkindness for ourselves.  You give the instructions and model for them, by placing your hand on your heart and asking them to do the same, now feel your breath moving your chest under your hand, pay attention to the feeling of your breath moving your hand up a little bit as you breath in and down a little bit as you breath out, do this for one more complete breath.
Now, if you are comfortable close your eyes and imagine that the love and kindness you (the child) described and how you would feel, and using your imagination see yourself standing in front of the mirror in the morning. See your reflection in the mirror.
With your hand on your heart repeat quietly to yourself
“May I be happy”
“May I be safe”
“May I be healthy”
“May I be free from worry”
Repeat 2 more times. Now, take 3 slow breaths to really allow these feelings to be felt in your body.
You can make up any phrases that have meaning to you/child. This is a wonderful practice at bedtime, or anytime of the day.
Next step coming soon. May your heart and mind be soothed with this practice. Love to all.