Who Hates the Metta Bhavana?

A six-week course in Developing
Emotional Strength

Starts Wed 3 Apr | 7.15 - 9.30pm | In person and Online
Led by Jnanavaca and Dayanatha

In the face of world events, it’s easy to fall into anxiety, depressed helplessness, or wilful ignorance. What we need to do is consolidate, strengthen and develop our capacity to respond in ways that are creative (not reactive), compassionate (not morally indignant), and courageous (not timid).

We need to start by improving our relationship with ourselves. We need to become more optimistic, emotionally positive, and healthy if we are to effectively help those around us.

“There are hundreds of books on mindfulness, but for a practical guide I would turn first to Life with Full Attention by Maitreyabandhu...."

Alice O'Keefe

- The Guardian

Course Description

On this course, devised and led by Jnanavaca – one of the LBC's senior-most teachers – you’ll learn to cultivate emotional strength. And not in a theoretical way, but as an actual practice. The course aims to help you work with the Metta Bhavana practice intelligently and subtly so that it yields results for your sense of yourself and for your relationship with colleagues, friends, family and others. The course is suitable for those who have learned the Metta Bhavana meditation practice as taught at the London Buddhist Centre. Each week you will be supported by teachings, group discussion, and weekly emails with videos and guided meditations.

Structure of the Course

Week 1

Forget what you know

Week 2

Staying with sensations

Week 3

Facing difficult emotions

Week 4

Activating loving-kindness

Week 5

Discover a more subtle experience

Week 6

Surrendering to something bigger

Week 1

Grounding in the Body

We need to learn to stay aware of sensations in the body – particularly around the heart centre and the belly.

Week 2

Noticing and responding to emotions

Just by bringing more awareness to anything in our experience that we intuitively feel takes us deeper.

Week 3

Five stages of the Metta Bhavana

Exploring how life feels – the texture of life. These are the building blocks of our experience, moods, and emotions.

Week 4

Tips for Meditating

Understanding that everything we experience, we experience through the mind. Cultivating our mind towards greater happiness. 

Week 5

Metta in everyday life

Training ourselves to notice that when we act out of positive states of mind, we feel happier, more creative, tolerant, and expansive.

Week 6

Deepening our practice

Enriching our lives with art and beauty.  Mindfulness is about more life – we need to remember to appreciate and enjoy things.

Is this course for me?

This is a course with depth and breadth, that all meditators can benefit from. It is for you if you have learned the Metta Bhavana as taught at the London Buddhist Centre and are looking to deepen your practice. Despite the course's name, it's for those who struggle with the Metta Bhavana, as well as those who love it!

“There are hundreds of books on mindfulness, but for a practical guide I would turn first to Life with Full Attention by Maitreyabandhu...."

Alice O'Keefe

- The Guardian

Led by

Jnanavaca
Dayanatha

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get the most from the course?

Here are some top tips for taking part: 

Come every week – whether you feel like it or not. If you look for motivation before you do something, you reverse your motivation; mostly you only want to do something when you’re actually doing it. 

Come early – so you can lie down in the shrine room and have a nap, you probably need it and you’ll get more from the class if you do.

Do your ‘home practice’ every day – then each week you’ll be in a small group to check in about how that went.

What if I can’t make every session?

Do sign-up even if you know you can’t make every session, as you will be able to catch-up from the weekly emails.

If you are going to miss a class – email the home group leader so we know and can let others know. And do come back the following week. Don’t feel guilty for not having attended, just come back and start again.

How to take part if I bought the online element?

You will receive a welcome email with a zoom link and all the details, including that it will be a 7.15pm start. Part of the evening will include break-out groups – you will be with the same group of people each week.