Equanimity Practice: Guided Meditation
This week’s podcast episode is an Equanimity practice. Join me for a guided meditation, exploring the potential for steadiness in the heart and mind.
Episode Details:
Equanimity, or Upekkha (in Pali), is a natural by-product of Mindfulness Meditation. We grow our steadiness a little bit every time we come back to our anchor in the present moment. And, our steadiness also gets stronger every time we’re able to observe our reactive thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in them.
Equanimity practice is also a form of meditation in itself. It is one of the Four Brahma Viharas, or Divine Abodes, along with Loving-Kindness, Compassion, and Altruistic Joy. These are sometimes called “heart practices” within Mindfulness or Insight Meditation.
As we develop Equanimity, we are developing the capacity to meet life fully, with all of its joys and challenges.
In this meditation, we will cultivate equanimity through the felt sense of groundedness and spaciousness in the body, through imagery, and by using Equanimity phrases.
This Equanimity practice uses the following phrases:
- May I feel steady and grounded.
- May my view be wise and spacious, free from reactivity.
- May I care AND let go.
- May I know what to do.
For this meditation, it is helpful to be upright and to feel your feet or sitting bones touching the support of the floor or chair. Make sure to choose a sitting position that is supportive and comfortable!
Resources & Links from this episode:
- Episode 21 was a “Deeper Dive” podcast episode on Equanimity. That talk covers some important nuances to Equanimity practice, like how it is different from apathy or numbness, and the connection between Equanimity and states like courage or confidence.
- For more inspiration, read “The Power of Equanimity” by Ruth King on the Ten Percent Happier blog. She talks about the importance of mental balance in turbulent times, and offers some lovely Equanimity phrases.
P.S. Did you know there is a Free Membership Tier of the Moved To Meditate Class Library? Learn more about the Class Library and sign up for your Free Library Card to access the five featured classes from the catalog each month.