Heart practices are a set of meditations and exercises that focus on cultivating positive emotions such as love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. These practices can be helpful in difficult times by providing us with a sense of peace, strength, and resilience.

Heart practices can be a valuable tool for coping with difficult times. With regular practice, they can help us to cultivate a more loving, compassionate, and resilient heart.

Andrea Starn, LMFT (#33056)

Andrea Starn is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is currently completing the certification as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher in the 2-year intensive training program led by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield through Sounds True and the U.C. Berkeley Greater Good Institute.

The four heart practices are:

• Loving-kindness (metta): This practice involves generating feelings of love and goodwill towards oneself and others.
• Compassion (karuna): This practice involves feeling empathy and compassion for the suffering of others.
• Appreciative joy (mudita): This practice involves feeling happiness and joy for the good fortune of others.
• Equanimity (upekkha): This practice involves cultivating a balanced and impartial mind, even in the face of difficult circumstances.

Heart practices can be done in a variety of ways, including meditation, visualization, gentle touch, and acts of kindness.