Two essential types of meditation with Robina Courtin
In this presentation, Venerable Robina Courtin challenges the idea that meditation is solely focused on calming the mind.
She delineates two essential types of meditation: concentration, which hones the mind, and familiarization, which acquaints one with reality and virtue.
Emphasizing the importance of physical posture and preparation, Robina highlights relaxation and balance as prerequisites for effective meditation.
Guiding practitioners through a transformative meditation practice, Robina addresses the conversion of negative emotions, like anger, into positivity.
Utilizing visualization and breathing techniques, she advocates for cultivating a clear and calm mind.
Robina explores the idea of equinity and explains how it contributes to the cultivation of bodhicitta, a deep sense of compassion and loving-kindness.
She questions the boundaries of traditional love and compassion, which are based on attachment, and instead promotes equanimity as a deep acknowledgment of all beings’ mutual wish for happiness and relief from suffering.
Finally, Robina underscores the importance of cultivating love and compassion for all sentient beings through meditation.
By employing the four immeasurable thoughts of loving-kindness, she guides practitioners towards a profound sense of compassion and equanimity.
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Concentration meditation involves focusing the mind on a single point of attention, such as the breath, a mantra, or an object. This practice aims to cultivate mental clarity, stability, and focus.
Research studies have demonstrated the benefits of concentration meditation on cognitive functions, including improvements in attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.
Familiarization meditation, also known as insight or mindfulness meditation, involves developing awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment.
This practice aims to deepen understanding of the nature of reality and cultivate virtues such as compassion and equanimity.