Yoga For The Physical And Subtle Body.









If you've been practicing yoga for any amount of time, you're well aware that it doesn't operate in a linear, clear-cut, or easily explainable manner. 

Despite the fact that yoga is both a science and a philosophical philosophy, its advantages go well beyond what the human eye can perceive. 



Yoga has an effect on our subtle bodies, which goes beyond what we know about anatomy and physiology in the West. 



The gross or physical body (Stula Sharira), the subtle body (Sukshma Sharira), and the causal body (Sukshma Sharira) make up each of us (Karana Sharira). 


The physical body is made up of the muscles and bones that we can feel and see. 

The Annamaya Kosha, the coarsest of the five sheaths, is formed by it. 

It's critical to develop a yoga practice that helps our whole body. 

The subtle body may be thought of as a blueprint for our physical body. 



Nadis are energy channels that transport energy throughout the body, just as electricity does in a machine. 


From the Muladhara (Root) Chakra to the Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra, the Sushumna Nadi travels down the spine. 

The Ida and Pingala, two other major Nadis, run through us in spiraling energy centers known as chakras. 

Chakras are Sanskrit for "light wheels." When we do yoga, we have an effect on our body, mind, and emotions on a subtle level. 



Different asanas and pranayama have an effect on how we feel, not only in our muscles and bones, but also in our whole outlook on life. 


We may feel different from the inside out by using various asanas and combinations of asanas. 


Dhanurasana (Backbend), for example, is a difficult position that strengthens and expands the spine, shoulders, and legs. 


  • This posture energizes and uplifts your mood by stimulating your Anahata (Heart) chakra and opening your Visshuda (Throat) chakra. 


Forward folds, such as Paschimottanasa (Seated Forward Fold), are more introspective asanas in which you open your posterior chain muscles while quieting your nervous system. 


  • So, if you're in a bad mood, try heart openers, and if you're in a bad mood, try folding forward. 

Understanding how asanas may help you keep your energy in check will help you remain healthy on all levels.



What is subtle body yoga, and how does it work? 


The subtle body is made up of focus points known as chakras that are linked by channels known as nadis that carry subtle breath known as prana. 

A practitioner may control the subtle breath to attain supernormal abilities, immortality, or freedom via breathing and other activities. 



In yoga, what is subtle energy? 


The subtle life force energy known to yogis as 'prana' is the basis of all life and the whole cosmos. 

From large physical motions to minute biochemical processes, this mystical energy runs through our bodies and produces all of our actions. 


What are the three subtle body elements? 


The yogi feels pleasure and suffering via the subtle body. 

A person is made up of three bodies, according to Hindu and yogic philosophy: the karana sharira (causal body), sukshma sharira (subtle body), and karya sharira (physical body) (gross physical body). 


What is the meaning of Sthula Sharira? 


The gross body, also known as Sthula sarira, is the material bodily mortal body that eats, breathes, and moves (acts). 

It is made up of a variety of elements that have undergone panchikarana, or the merging of the five primordial subtle elements, as a result of one's karmas (actions) in a previous incarnation. 



What are the Koshas and what are their functions? 




Koe-shuh is how it's pronounced. The food sheath, or the body made up of skin, eyes, and hair, is regarded the first kosha, or the outermost kosha, the annamaya kosha, which is literally what we consume turned into a functional body. 


How to become Aware and Activate the Koshas and The Subtle Body? 


Drink plenty of water and eat plenty of fresh, healthy meals. 

The physical body is what I'm referring to. 

The anandamaya kosha, or our joy sheath, is the last kosha, or the innermost kosha. 

This kosha is similar to a little portion of the Causal Body or Spirit, the entity that dwells inside us and is linked to something far bigger than ourselves and includes everything. 

Three middle koshas, pranayama kosha, manomaya kosha, and vijnanamaya kosha, sit between and overlap these. 

These koshas work together to filter information from our senses in such a manner that barriers and distractions are eliminated from our journey to samadhi, or enlightenment and joy, using the breath, mind and memory, intellect, wisdom, and intuition. 



Are koshas corporeal in the sense that they would rip or be visible if you split your body in half? 

No. 

(The kleshas are the same way.) 



Are they genuine in the sense that they are a shape and structure devised by ancient thinkers to assist us in comprehending how we possess all of the tools necessary to connect with the Divine Universe? 

Yes. 

However, it's worth noting that some individuals claim to be able to detect when the Subtle Body is functioning by a shift in energy that is visible or otherwise recognizable outside of the body. 



What is the best way for me to get access to my subtle body? 


There are a variety of active – and individual – methods to connect with your Subtle Body. 

All of the sheaths in between are accessible through consciousness, perception, cognition, and intuition. 


  • The Subtle Body is the link between our physical and causal bodies (AKA Universe, Spirit, God). 
  • The Subtle Body is constantly striving to integrate sensory information from the physical body and develop our connection to the Universe, but we may feel that deeper connection more immediately on and off the mat when we deliberately engage it during our yoga practice. 
  • On the mat, activating the Subtle Body is straightforward but not always easy. 




There are five easy actions you can do on and off the mat to deliberately engage the Subtle Body to get you started. 




1 – The word yoga literally means "to yoke," and tagging in the Subtle Body does not imply leaving the physical body. 


  • This implies that activating the Subtle Body does not need sitting and meditating. 
  • The first body is your food body, which you may activate for spiritual reasons by eating well. 
  • The happiness condition is experienced by the interior body. 
  • When someone is engaged in their love - painting, writing, singing, or cuddling a newborn – they may find themselves in that condition unintentionally. 
  • There are a variety of active – and individual – methods to connect with your Subtle Body. 
  • All of the sheaths in between are accessible by combining consciousness, perception, mind, and intuition. 


2 - Touch isn't only limited to the fingers. 


  • The skin is the biggest organ in the body, and it is not limited to the fingers. 
  • It is the initial responder for most of our perception. 
  • We may begin the process of connecting to the Subtle Body by grounding oneself on the mat, especially while we are on our mat. 
  • Take note of where the body makes contact. 
  • Feel the feeling of burying oneself in the ground and pulling energy from it into the body. 
  • This is heightened awareness, and it is here that we ground ourselves and begin the activation process by honestly and fully assessing where we are, where we are standing (or lying). 
  • This enables us to awaken not just the annamaya kosha, the outermost sheath, but also the inner three koshas, which process information at various degrees of consciousness. 


3 – The feet and hands include about half of the body's bones. 



  • The hands and feet (27 and 26, respectively) contain almost half of the body's bones, each of which is linked to a labyrinth of small muscles, joints, and ligaments. 
  • In addition to the 26 bones, the feet contain around 100 tendons, ligaments, and muscles, as well as 30 joints. 
  • Minor changes to your stance, how you point or flex your foot, and where you feel release in your body, as well as your feeling of lightness and balance on the mat, are all possibilities. 
  • Paying attention to these minute nuances goes beyond the senses and raises your Subtle Body awareness to new heights. 


4 – Softening is similar to stretching, but it's more effective! 


  • The cue to "soften" is one of the buzzword cues you may be hearing (or utilizing) more often in the studio. 
  • Because the cue is basically asking you to relax particular muscles while in a posture, enabling the emphasis to shift to activation of important bodily components – or the mind, memory recall, wisdom, and intuition that is the Subtle Body at action - this is a term that encourages the Subtle Body to awaken. 
  • When we “stretch” in a posture, we are reaching for something that is out of reach, pushing our limits, and perhaps attempting to achieve something that is beyond our capabilities. 
  • It's a concept that takes up room and demands attention, impeding our capacity to turn within and concentrate on the Subtle Body. 
  • When we "soften" in a posture, however, we are encouraged to relax into what is already natural to us, enabling us to experience a feeling of release that allows us to concentrate more on the Subtle Body's activation. 



5 – Breath is more than just air; it links the physical and subtle energy bodies. 


  • Too often, we speak about pranayama as if it were only the art and science of getting oxygen into the body. 
  • When we speak about yoga practice in general and Subtle Body activation on or off the mat in particular, we're talking about so much more: it's about directing life force or energy into the various sheaths utilizing the breath. 
  • Do you recall the three koshas that exist between the food sheath and the bliss sheath/Causal Body? These are traversed by using breath that is guided by awareness and intuition and propelled by purpose. 
  • This may be done in silence, as well as in any yoga position on the mat or in any circumstance off the mat. 

The Subtle Body may be accessed in any situation by combining the power of the mind and breath. It gets simpler and more accessible the more you practice it!



You may also want to read more about Yoga here.

You may also want to read more about Yoga Asanas and Exercises here.






Paganism & Wicca - Who Is ARADIA?

 






Aradia is the main character of Charles Leland's Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (1899), a  compilation of tales, charms, and poems gathered from "Maddalena," a Florentine fortune-teller in the late 1800s. 



Leland portrays her as the daughter of Diana, the goddess of the moon, and her brother Lucifer, the god of the day and light. 




  • Aradia was sent to earth, according to the Gospel, to educate the poor how to fight the wealthy's tyranny via sorcery and witchcraft. 
  • Aradia's name and mythology became important to theWitchcraftrevival because to Leland's efforts. 
  • Anidia was most likely the secret name of the Goddess in Gardnerlan Craft between 1950 and 1960 (it has since been changed); she has also given her name to a number of contemporary Witchcraft traditions. 




Leland's Anidia inspired a number of twentieth-century works of Pagan literature, including:






Aldan Kelly's The Gospel of Diana (a privately published electronic manuscript) and Leo Martello's Weird Waysof Witchcraft (Related to - Strega). 


Aradia is portrayed by Grimassi as a fourteenth-century Italian prophetess and resurrected Etruscan religion. 




Her teachings contain a number of prophecies concerning humanity's destiny and the restoration of the Old Religion. 

After her unexplained departure, her message was disseminated across Italy by twelve followers, according to Grimassi, and formed the foundation for contemporary Stregheria. 



Historical or ethnographic study has not supported either Leland's or Grimassi's views. 



The name Aradia does not exist in recorded sources prior to Leland's Gospel's publication, although it is most likely derived from Herodias, the name of a mythical person in Matthew's Gospel. 



Herodias, King Herod's sister-in-law and Salome's mother, pushed Herod to arrest John the Baptist and encouraged Salome to demand the saint's head on a platter in return for dancing for her uncle. 



Salome experienced a fit of regret and started to cry with repentance as she saw the head placed before her. 

Then a violent wind blasted from the saine's mouth, hurling Salome into the air, where she was sentenced to dance for the rest of her life as a penance for her cruelty. 

Herodias and Salome fused into a single mythical figure who was believed to soar through the skies at night about the eleventh century c. 

Herodias was linked to the goddess Diana and her nocturnal travels, as well as secret ecstaticdancer organizations in Friuli (northern Italy) and Romania. 


Women went out at night on the backs of animals to feast, sing, and dance under the protection of Herodias and Diana, according to European tales throughout the Middle Ages. 

During the Inquisition, several women suspected of witchcraft admitted to taking part in these meetings after being tortured. 




While the legends depicted a peasant utopia of egalitarian relationships, abundant food and drink that magically regenerated, and the fulfillment of wishes, they were misinterpreted by Inquisitors as evidence of diabolical witchcraft and became the foundation for the creation of the legend of the witches' Sabbat, which was responsible for the execution of tens of thousands of innocent people. 




Paganism & Wicca - What Is THE ADRUID FELLOWSHIP WITH ARNDRATOCHT FEIN (ADF)?

 





‘The Irish words arn ree-ocht ‘ane mean "our own Druidism," which is exactly what the ADFi is: a totally separate neo-Pagan Druidism lineage.



ADF, like other neo-Pagan organizations, is made up of polytheistic nature worshippers who are trying to resurrect the finest elements of their ancestors' paleo-Pagan religions in a contemporary scientific, artistic, ecological, and holistic environment. 




The ADF believes in striving for excellence in all areas of life, including physical, intellectual, creative, and spiritual. 


The author who founded the group - Isaac Bonewits: (Real Magic, The Druid Chronicles Evolved, Authentic Thaumaturgy). 

The current Archdruid of the ADF is Kirk Thomas, and the ADF conducts study and builds on existing knowledge on the ancient Celts and other Indo-European peoples in attempt to recreate what the Old Religions of Europe were. 

They hone their creative abilities in composition, presentation, and design, as well as their ability to conduct competent magical and religious rituals, in order to transform themselves and the world around them.



Members of the ADF adopt the poly-theologies and practices of both Indo-European paleo-pagans and neopagan traditions that have developed in the past fifty years. 




The ADF is a non-sexist, non-racist, organic, and "open religion" that incorporates environmental awareness, alternative healing arts, and psychic growth into everyday activities. 

The ADF has groves of Druids, which are local congregations. 

Oak Leaves, a quarterly magazine published by the organization, announces ADF policy, local grove activities, talks and other appearances, and changes to the study curriculum. 

ADF's magazine was founded in January 1997 to fill the news-oriented duties of News From the Mother Grove and the article-oriented purposes of Druids' Progress, both of which have now been merged into Oak Leaves. 



The ADF thinks that neo-paganism will ultimately grow into a mainstream religion with tens of thousands of adherents. 



As a consequence, one of the organization's objectives is to educate neo-Pagan clergy in conducting successful magical and mundane activities to rescue endangered animals, halt polluters, and protect nature. 

Unlike many other types of neo-paganism, adherents see neo-paganism as a worldwide religion that affects social, political, and environmental conditions. 

This view contrasts sharply with that of many neo-Pagans, who see small groupings as their ideal. 





The ADF claims to have over 700 members, making it one of the biggest neo-Pagan Druid groups in the world. 

It is a nonprofit religious organization with legal standing in the United States. 

Regional gatherings take place all year, but particularly in the summer. 





Paganism & Wicca - What Is The ATC - AQUARIAN TABERNACLE CHURCH ll?

 









Although The ATC AQUARIAN TABERNACLECHURCH ll has had a presence in France since April 24, 1999, France does not recognize any religious groups, including Catholicism, and has lately implemented severe legislation against all minority faiths. 



In March 1985, after Davis was hired as an expert witness by the Washington State Attorney General to educate a federal court in Tacoma about the tenets of the Wicca religion in a lawsuit brought by a prisner, the state department of corrections recognized Wicca as a religion worthy of recognition for inmates to practice. 

Wicca was soon included in the department's first edition of the Handbook of Religious Belief: and Practices, which was intended for institutional chaplains. 






The ATC was approved as the coordinating organization for the appointment of Wiccan delegates to the Inter faith Council of Washington (state) in 1992, and in 1992, Reverend Pete Davis was overwhelmingly chosen as the Inter faith Council of Washington's president. 

He was reelected unanimously twice, the first time towards the conclusion of his first term. 

The first outdoor circle of tall standing stones was constructed as a site of Wiccan worship inside the boundaries of the Twin Rivers Correctional Facility in October 2001. 





The ATC officially integrated a young people's natural lore and woodcraft program, which had been started in 1999 as a local activity for the mother church, on April 2, 2001. 





Spiral Scouts was founded as a worldwide organization in response to a desire for an alternative to the Boy Scouts of America's gender-biased, and often Christian, activities. 





Spiral Scouts was created by an Internet online committee with over 500 members, foreshadowing its extraordinary acceptance and development in the Pagan community across the globe. 

The curriculum was designed to be used as a vehicle to teach youngsters in a specific tradition by any minority religion-based community (or those 12 AR NDRAIOCHT FEIN: A DRUIDFELLOWSHIP (ADF) with no faith at all). 

Any non-hostile religious community may use the software. 

There are more than forty chartered Spiral Sconts organizations in the United States and Canada as of January 2002, nine months after Spiral Scouts "went public." The program is quickly expanding. 

The ATC's Woolston-Steen Wiccan Theological Seminary, which opened in April 1998, obtained approval from the Washington State Department of Higher Education's Degree Authorization Board in August 2000 to provide academic degrees in Wiccan ministry under the agency's religions exemption rules. 




Paganism & Wicca - What Is THE AQUARIAN TABERNACLE CHURCH?

 



Pierre C. Davis (aka Pete "Pathfinder" Davis) established the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) in Index, Washington, on November 1, 1979. 


Davis was born on March 22, 1937, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Joseph A. Davis, a Catholic, and Adele Claveloux Davis, a self-proclaimed Pagan, during a period when there was no prominent Pagan movement in the United States (1940s). 



The ATC is still headquartered in Index, Washington, where it built the Moon Stone Circle, an outdoor circle of tall standing stones behind the church buildings amid a forest of tall old cedar trees. 




This worship location was dedicated and consecrated on December 29, 1984, by twenty-nine Wiccans who traveled from three states for the event, which took place amid a blinding blizzard. 

Davis was initiated into the Craft for the first time on August 14, 1974, in Paterson, New Jersey, into the Dorpat tradition, a tiny, restricted, and highly clandestine ‘tradition. 

After moving to Seattle, Washington, he was initiated into the Kingstone branch of British Traditional Wicca (see Wicca) on September 21, 1983. 

Although his initial intention was to establish a small Wiccan retreat in the mountains near Seattle for local area Pagans to worship without interference, it quickly became his goal to establish a Wiccan church with federal government recognition, tax-exempt status, and tolerance—if not acceptance—by local mainstream religious bodies. 



The Goddess, on the other hand, had a far bigger picture in mind, and the ATC was officially recognized by the US government on November 12, 1988. 




On December 30, 1991, it received IRS group exemption umbrella certification as a Wiccan tradition. 

Through this ‘group exemption, every ‘congregation that the ATC recognizes as an associated organization in the United States gets immediate recognition as a tax-exempt church. 




The ATC was recognized in Canada on November 15, 1993, and was registered and recognized in Australia in 1994 via its affiliate there (which received its original recognition in 1984). 

The church was founded in Ireland on February 24, 1999, by Janet Farrar and Stewart Farrar, and was later recognized by the Irish government as the first (and only) legally Wiccan/Pagan church in October 2001, thanks to the work of the Reverend Barbara Lauderdale, presiding elder. 

The ATC was officially recognized by the South African government in August 1998, and was consecrated on December 29, 1984, by twenty-nine Wiccans who traveled from three states for the ritual, which took place amid a blinding blizzard. 




Paganism & Wicca - What Is ANOINTING OIL?



In general, anointing oils are prepared with a mineral oil base and a range of natural essential oils.


Without a foundation, the smell of pure, undiluted essential oils may be overwhelming. 

Every setting in which anointing oils are used necessitates a unique mix. 



A coven, for example, could have full moon oil, house-blessing oil, purifying oil, Lord of Summer oil, Maiden oil, and so on. 



As they enter the eltele, participants are often anointed on their foreheads as part of the sensory mnemonic that activates the frame of mind deemed suitable for a place "between the worlds." 

The material ‘components of a spell may be anointed with a suitable oil to enhance the spell's aim in spell work. 

This is especially common when it comes to candle spells. 

The affected region may be anointed with oil in magical healing to enhance the healing process. 

A small bottle of the oil may also be provided to the individual who is being healed and told to apply it to the affected region at regular intervals. 

Again, the fragrance is meant to operate on the subconscious mind, bringing forth the healing energy connected with that scent. 




Mindfulness Meditation - What Is Loving-Kindness Meditation?





     





    THIS FORM OF MEDITATION CONDITIONS HAPPINESS, PEACE, LOVE, AND MEDITATION WITHIN. 


    It also trains the mind to easily reach a state of loving-kindness and compassion for all creatures, including yourself. 



    These basic phrases underpins the practice: 


    May all creatures be free of pain. 

    May there be no ill will among all creatures. 

    May all creatures be imbued with compassion and love. 

    May all creatures experience true happiness. 




    Loving Kindness meditation  is divided into three sections. 



    To begin, you must mentally create these emotions as intensely as possible. 


    • Make the greatest effort you can, since this one portion determines the outcome of the whole exercise. 
    • It gets simpler to create these emotions the more you nurture them. 


    The second step is to create a strong desire for others to feel the same way you do. 


    • This will take up the most of your practice time and will include many visualizations. 
    • Begin by picturing the people and things for whom you have the greatest appreciation and affection. 
    • Then go on to individuals you don't know as well, then neutral people, and finally total strangers. 
    • Then there are the individuals you hate or have problems with. 


    Finally, broaden this desire to encompass all living things everywhere. 


    • Finally, remind yourself that you, too, need and deserve to feel comfortable, at ease, full with love, and joyful. 
    • Don't undervalue the significance of this; despite our proclivity for selfishness, we find it the most difficult of all people to genuinely love. 




    THE PRACTICE



    Set a timer for your meditation—say, 30 minutes to an hour—but feel free to modify it as needed. 

    Begin your meditation by following the four-step transition to the breath at the nose, counting ten breaths, and then tracking the breath until your mind is calm. 





    1. GENERATION OF INATE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS.


    • Allow the breath sensations to fade into the background of awareness until you are fully present with a calm, clear mind and well-focused attention. 
    • They should stay in place for the length of your sit, which will help you maintain your focus. 


    Make the following wish: 


    • May I be free of pain. 
    • Bring to mind, as vividly as possible, what it's like to be totally free of any sort of mental or bodily pain. 
    • Make a list of the ways you are now suffering-free. 
    • Reminisce over days when life was simpler and more comfortable. 
    • Make up your own story. 
    • Do whatever it takes to get a clear, powerful feeling of what it's like to be pain-free, fully relaxed, and at peace in both mind and body. 



    Then, without sacrificing your sense of ease and contentment, express the following wish: 


    • May I be free of malice. 
    • Bring to mind, as vividly as possible, what it's like to be totally free of all malice and at peace with everything and everyone. 
    • Pay attention to the calm you're experiencing right now. 
    • Remember, visualize, or do anything else you can to create a clear, powerful sense of being free of ill-will, with no residue of hatred, wrath, or resentment in your heart, as you did previously. 
    • Feel totally at ease with your surroundings. 



    Make the wish: 



    • May I be filled with loving-kindness, without losing these sensations of comfort and serenity. 
    • Bring to mind, as vividly as possible, what it feels like to be overwhelmed with beautiful, heartfelt emotions of love and compassion. 
    • Consider someone you care about and the feelings of tenderness and compassion that they evoke in you. 
    • Remember, visualize, or do whatever you can to create a clear, powerful sense of loving-kindness and profound care, just like you did previously. 



    Make the wish: 


    • May I be really happy, without losing these emotions of comfort, serenity, and love. 
    • Bring to mind, as vividly as possible, what it feels like to be really happy, satisfied, wanting and needing nothing, soaked with the sheer joy of being alive. 
    • Make a mental note of how happy you are right now. 
    • Remember, fantasize, or do anything else that helps trigger happy emotions, like previously. 
    • Sit for a few moments, soaking in the sensation of being free of sorrow, at peace, and overflowing with love and pleasure. 




    2. GENERATING WISHES FOR OTHERS.



    Say to yourself, 

    • "Just as I want to be free from suffering, free from ill-will, filled with loving-kindness, and genuinely joyful, so do all creatures wish for these things." 



    Consider someone you really care for and have positive emotions for, someone who has aided and soothed you in some manner. 


    Make the following wish while picturing this person as vividly as you can, wherever you believe they may be at this time, doing whatever they could be doing: 


    • May (name) be liberated from pain. 
    • May (name) be free of any malice. 
    • May (name) be surrounded by love and compassion. 
    • May (name) experience true happiness. 

    Send these emotions from your heart to theirs, from your thoughts to theirs, as you do so. 


    • Imagine this person's face as they experience a feeling of ease and comfort, peace and goodwill, lovingkindness, and genuine pleasure that appears out of nowhere. 
    • When you've done with this individual, choose another person you care about and do the same for him or her. 


    You may choose as many individuals as you want. 

    If the emotions you've worked so hard to develop start to dissipate, take a few minutes to strengthen them again. 



    When you're ready, consider individuals with whom you aren't as close and for whom you have less love. 


    • These individuals may be coworkers, neighbors, or casual acquaintances. 
    • Select one of them and envision where they are and what they are doing. 
    • Repeat the process of making the wish, sending your good emotions to them as a gift, and visualizing the look on their face when they become aware of those feelings when you can image them in your mind. 
    • Do it once or as many times as you'd want with as many different individuals as you'd like. 
    • Take the time to renew your emotions of comfort, serenity, love, and satisfied satisfaction if they diminish. 



    When you're ready, consider individuals you come across on a regular basis but don't know well, such as cashiers, waiters, or school crossing guards. 



    • Pick one and dedicate the loving-kindness practice to them. 
    • You can do this with as many people as you want. 
    • When you're ready, consider individuals with whom you've had problems or whom you hate. 
    • It may help to remember yourself that they, like you and everyone else, are susceptible to all kinds of pain. 

    Remember that whatever animosity you have against them causes you to suffer, depriving you of serenity and happiness. 


    Similarly, whatever animosity they have against you simply contributes to their own suffering. 



    • Whatever love they feel and whatever genuine pleasure they have can only benefit others around them. 
    • It may be difficult to practice loving-kindness with someone you hate, so start with someone you don't have strong emotions towards or with whom you have just had a dispute. 
    • Imagine him or her in your thoughts, make the wish, give them your good vibes, and watch as they are affected by your good vibes. 




    Carry out this exercise with as many tough individuals as you feel comfortable with. 


    Never forget to replenish your emotions of comfort, serenity, love, and satisfied contentment whenever they begin to diminish. 



    • It is just not effective practice to go through the motions without having these emotions in your heart. 
    • You may need to practice loving-kindness for weeks or even months before you're ready to deal with the most challenging individuals in your life, but that's the objective. 
    • It's essential not to hurry, but you should ultimately build up to those you despise the most—your greatest adversaries, people who have wronged you in ways you haven't yet been able to forgive. 



    When you've gone as far as you can with tough individuals during a session, go on to big groups of people. 



    • Consider the people who reside in your immediate vicinity. 
    • Create a wish for them. 
    • Send your best wishes to them. 
    • Imagine your whole neighborhood being filled with joy, love, serenity, and comfort at the same time. 
    • These priceless emotions are endless in your heart. 
    • They grow more powerful the more you send them out. 
    • Consider your whole city and do the same. 
    • Rep with the rest of your country. 
    • Then go to everyone on the globe, and finally to every sentient creature. 


    Finish by making the wish and giving these similar good emotions to every living thing in the cosmos. 




    3. DIRECTING THE WISH TOWARDS YOURSELF. 



    Now, focus all of your emotions on yourself. 

    Remind yourself that you, like everyone else, are deserving of peace, love, and happiness. 


    The most direct route to loving and accepting others is to love and accept yourself—with all your flaws and faults. 


    Say to yourself, 


    • May I continue to be free of pain since I am no less worthy than anybody else.
    • May I be free of malice for the rest of my life. 
    • May I be filled with loving-kindness in the future. 
    • May I be genuinely happy for the rest of my life. 


    Finish by expressing a strong desire for these emotions to persist, and resolving to behave in a manner that allows this to happen. 

    Make it your mission to embody these priceless mental traits so that you may share them with others. 

    Commit to utilizing this meditation as a model for loving-kindness practice in your everyday life. 




    ONE LAST THOUGHT.



    People often oppose to this technique because they believe it is artificial. 

    Please don't pass judgment until you've given it a go. 

    This is one of the most effective meditation techniques for changing the way your mind functions. 

    You don't have to think that the loving-kindness emotions you put out have any tangible impact on others, but it helps. 



    The idea is that we all have limitless reserves of patience, forgiveness, compassion, love, and happiness. 

    This exercise teaches the mind and heart to access those resources more readily, while also providing a sense of pleasure and delight.



    You may also want to read more about Mindfulness Meditation here.