Metta (Lovingkindness) Meditation Practice Affinity Group
Facilitated by Dharma Practitioners Tim Cardoza and Priscilla Barton
Dates: Six consecutive Wednesdays: January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18 and 25 
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Registration: Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, though all are welcome.  Attendance for the full series or as much as possible is recommended.
To register, please email Tim Cardoza, timcardoza@gmail.com

Cost: There is no registration fee associated with this Affinity Group. Participants are encouraged to consider providing dana/donations directly to Mountain Stream to sustain our continuing programs, as the facilitators freely offer their time as a service to the community. Any level of generosity that is received is deeply appreciated ~ thank you.
Affinity Group Dana

Description: Metta (Lovingkindness) meditation practices are a powerful part of the Buddha’s legacy.  These practices have the ability to substantially deepen our feelings of love and connection with others and to help us transform difficult mind states such as fear and anger into more wholesome states of caring and kindness.  Scientific studies on lovingkindness meditation practices have shown that they have the ability to decrease depression and anxiety while increasing feelings of well being and improving both mental and physical health.

During the course of six weeks we will be reviewing traditional Buddhist practices and teachings on metta meditation and working through the different stages of practice, step by step, directing our caring intentions first towards a benefactor, then cumulatively including ourselves, people we love, people we have neutral feelings about, people we have difficulty with and finally to all beings.  We will also be practicing with the newly initiated Mountain Stream prayer list to send friends, family and community members who are seriously ill, injured, suffering or newly deceased our lovingkindness wishes.

The aims of this group are:
1) to share a basic level of knowledge about traditional metta meditation practices,
2) to provide a dedicated group practice environment for metta meditation,
3) to support a six-week intensive practice period of metta meditation,
4) to explore ways of bringing these practices into our everyday lives and 5) to connect as Sangha. 

At the end of the six week period, a regular Metta group practice at Mountain Stream, at least once a month, is planned to begin.

Suggested readings:  
Lovingkindness:  The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg
Lovingkindness in Plain English:  The Practice of Metta by Bhante Gunaratana
Awakening Through Love by John Makransky

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