Meditation: Embodied Metta (19:37 min.)

Many recognize that love is the antidote to the suffering in our divided world, yet finding the path to an open heart can feel more challenging than ever. This talk explores the full spectrum of love—both tender and open, as well as fierce, protective, and engaged. When we cultivate this courageous love, we are able to hold even those we see as enemies in our hearts. In its true form, this love is not passive or soft. As Martin Luther King Jr. described, it is a powerful soul force, capable of bringing healing and liberation to all beings. In this talk, Tara explores: how mindfulness serves as a powerful tool for cultivating compassionate awareness the importance of unarming our heart as a pathway to Radical Acceptance, the deep connection between courage and an awake heart the true connection that arises when we fully arrive in the moment. the power of the “sacred pause”—how presence allows us to open to love in difficult times

Lovingkindness becomes full when it is energetically experienced in our bodies. This meditation guides us in awakening the receptivity, warmth and openness of metta through our body, and then invites us to rest in the space of loving presence, as we open to whatever arises.

While meditation is widely practiced in today’s world, many miss the opportunity to tap into its profound potential to awaken the heart and mind. Beyond its surface benefits, meditation can guide us to the radiant light, boundless love, and pure awareness that is our true nature. This reflection explores how we often lose touch with the deeper possibility meditation offers, and guides us in approaching practice and daily life in a way that opens us to the timeless freedom and awakening of a Buddha. In this week’s talk, Tara explores: Ways that deepening our meditation practice can help us navigate personal and collective challenges with greater ease. The power of mindful presence to awaken compassion and build resilience in the face of difficulty. Self-compassion as an essential practice for healing and reconnecting with our inner goodness. The transformative role of spiritual community (sangha) in nurturing belonging and shared purpose. How the practices of mindfulness and self-compassion can help us awaken from habitual reactivity and find a greater sense of connectedness and freedom.

This guided meditation practice brings attention to the continuous space within and around the body, and the aliveness of sound, sensation and feeling that lives through us. While it’s natural for attention to get distracted, the pathway home is a relaxing back into presence – the awake space that is aware of this changing life.

Drawn from Tara’s book, Radical Compassion (2020), these three talks explore how the RAIN practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) awakens the active, embodied caring that heals and frees our hearts. Through the framework of this practice, we look at how we can reconnect with the gold of our true nature, navigating life’s challenges with mindfulness and love.  In Part 3, Tara explores: How the RAIN practice fosters compassion and connection by dismantling barriers to belonging. The three primary blocks to compassion: self-centered attention, creating a "bad other," and fear of overwhelm. How "stealth metta" and the mantra "We are friends" can soften our habitual biases and awaken kindness. The transformative power of seeing the "goodness behind the mask" in ourselves and others. The practice of Tonglen - breathing in suffering and breathing out care, to transform pain into a source of strength and connection.

Our habit is to try to manage our experience from a mental control tower. This meditation awakens us through the body, and then invites us to rest in that vast presence that includes the changing flow of life. When we inhabit that openness, there’s a natural arising of peace, wakefulness and tenderness.

Drawn from Tara’s book, Radical Compassion (2020), these three talks explore how the RAIN practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) awakens the active, embodied caring that heals and frees our hearts. Through the framework of this practice, we look at how we can reconnect with the gold of our true nature, navigating life’s challenges with mindfulness and love.   In Part 2, Tara explores: How unmet needs and emotional reactivity block authentic connection in relationships. The "limbic controller" and its strategies, such as blame, avoidance, and pretending, that create distance in relationships. The transformative power of the RAIN practice in healing relational patterns and fostering deeper intimacy. The importance of recognizing the "goodness behind the mask" in ourselves and others to bridge separation. Stories and reflections that illustrate the healing potential of Radical Compassion in even the most challenging relationships.

In this guided meditation we begin with a body scan, and rest in awareness with our senses awake. The key practice is to recognize when the mind immerses in virtual reality, reawaken our senses, and surrender again and again into the immediacy, vibrance and mystery of living presence.

Drawn from Tara’s book, Radical Compassion (2020), these three talks explore how the RAIN practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) awakens the active, embodied caring that heals and frees our hearts. Through the framework of this practice, we look at how we can reconnect with the gold of our true nature, navigating life’s challenges with mindfulness and love.    In Part 1, Tara explores: How the RAIN practice weaves mindfulness and compassion to release self-judgment and awaken our hearts. The story of the "golden Buddha" as a metaphor for discovering our inner radiance beneath protective layers. The shift from "I" to "We" as an essential movement toward connection and wholeness. The importance of self-compassion in transforming the trance of unworthiness and reconnecting with our true nature. Practical ways to bring mindful presence to our daily lives and relationships, creating space for healing and growth. 

This meditation calls on the image and felt sense of a smile as we scan through the body, and invites a receptive and caring presence, as we open our attention to the changing flow of life.