Guided Meditations and Other Resources

Guided Meditations (please scroll down for the Resource List)

Shakyapada leads a Metta Bhavana (Loving-Kindness) Meditation  This meditation helps us to notice negative views that we hold of ourselves and others and, by acknowledging them fully, begin to let go and develop more positive and loving states of mind. It is a radical practice which can ease our own suffering in the world and that of the people around us, and ultimately leads to a more contented life.

Shakyapada leads a Self-Care Meditation We are not always kind to ourselves, in fact sometimes we can hold very negative views about who we are. Yet we are always doing our best and though we might be imperfect at the moment, it is where we are starting from. So this meditation is about developing a more positive and wholesome relationship with ourselves which in turn will help us to transform our lives and find more peacefulness.

More meditations to follow

More Guided Meditations from our Archive 

These meditations were recorded during our lockdown meditation sessions

Shakyapada leads a Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation In this meditation we concentrate on following the breath. It is in four stages: first we follow the out-breath (this helps us to relax the body and mind), then we follow just the in breath which brings energy into the practice. In the third stage we follow the whole of the breath in the upper body, noticing what this feels like, and finally, we being our attention to the point where we breathe in - the nostrils, the upper lip of the back of the throat. This helps us to concentrate our attention on one point.

Shakyapada leads a Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation In this meditation we concentrate on following the breath. It is in four stages: first we follow the out-breath (this helps us to relax the body and mind), then we follow just the in breath which brings energy into the practice. In the third stage we follow the whole of the breath in the upper body, noticing what this feels like, and finally, we being our attention to the point where we breathe in - the nostrils, the upper lip of the back of the throat. This helps us to concentrate our attention on one point.

Joanne leads a Body Scan or Body Awareness Meditation  The sensations in the body are very important in meditation. Really experiencing what we can feel in the body, takes us away from the chattering mind and helps us relax. This is also a good meditation to do when sleep is difficult.

Kate (now Amalasara) leads a Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation In this meditation we concentrate on following the breath. It is in four stages: first we follow the out-breath (this helps us to relax the body and mind), then we follow just the in breath which brings energy into the practice. In the third stage we follow the whole of the breath in the upper body, noticing what this feels like, and finally, we being our attention to the point where we breathe in - the nostrils, the upper lip of the back of the throat. This helps us to concentrate our attention on one point.

Abhayamani leads Self-Care Meditation based on the metta bhavana or loving-kindness meditation We are not always kind to ourselves, in fact sometimes we can hold very negative views about who we are. Yet we are always doing our best and though we might be imperfect at the moment, it is where we are starting from. So this meditation is about developing a more positive and wholesome relationship with ourselves which in turn will help us to transform our lives and find more peacefulness.

Shakyapada leads a Self-Care Meditation We are not always kind to ourselves, in fact sometimes we can hold very negative views about who we are. Yet we are always doing our best and though we might be imperfect at the moment, it is where we are starting from. So this meditation is about developing a more positive and wholesome relationship with ourselves which in turn will help us to transform our lives and find more peacefulness.

More will be added soon.

Resource List
Useful Websites
www.thebuddhistcentre.com – website for the Triratna Movement as a whole. Contains a wealth of news and information on Triratna practice and activities, our history, etc. You can sign-up for information, podcasts etc. 

www.wildmind.org – Triratna meditation website bursting with tips and information about practising, plus articles and blogs. 

www.freebuddhistaudio.com – The place to find hundreds of talks and study materials on all aspects of Dharma practice. Free. Includes many talks by our
founder, Sangharakshita. 

www.windhorsepublications.com – the publishing arm of the Triratna Community – books for beginners and experienced practitioners alike

www.sangharakshita.org – Our founder’s personal website with lots of information about his life plus audio, video and articles written by him.

www.accesstoinsight.org – Not part of our movement but this is an excellent site if you want to explore the historical Buddha’s teachings as passed down in the Pali Canon (in English!). Facebook: 

Suggested Reading
These books are usually available to buy in our Centre Shop:

Wildmind: a Step-by-Step Guide to Meditation by Bodhipaksha – a lucid and comprehensive guide to all our main meditation practices. 

Buddhist Meditation: Tranquillity, Imagination and Insight by Kamalashila - a comprehensive and practical guide to Buddhist meditation, providing a
complete introduction for beginners, as well as detailed advice for experienced meditators seeking to deepen their practice. 

Life with Full Attention: a Practical Course in Mindfulness by Maitreyabandhu – In this eight-week course on mindfulness, Maitreyabandhu gently guides readers, teaching them how to pay closer attention to their experience.

Introducing Buddhism by Chris Pauling – a lively and engaging guide for Westerners who want to learn more about Buddhism as a path of spiritual growth. 

Buddhism: Tools for Living Your Life by Vajragupta – the perfect Dharma guide for those seeking a meaningful spiritual path whilst leading
busy, modern lives. Very comprehensive and accessible. 

Sailing the Worldly Winds – a Buddhist Way Through the Ups and Downs of Life by Vajragupta – a very readable book dealing with our little (and large) cravings and aversions in life. All the things that ultimately make us unhappy. 

This Difficult Thing of Being Human: The Art of Self-Compassion by Bodhipaksa - We all long for someone to offer us unconditional love and
support. But what if that person is us? The practice of mindful self- compassion creates the space we need so that observation, acceptance, and real love can enter, no matter how judgemental or disconnected we may feel

Retreat Centres

goingonretreat.com has a comprehensive list of all our retreat centres plus places for solitary retreats.

adhisthana.org is in Hereford and is Triratna's biggest retreat Centre. It was the home of our teacher, Sangharakshita, in his final years.

www.dhanakosa.com is based north of Glasgow by a beautiful loch 

alfoxtonpark.org.uk is in Somerset and was once the home of William Wordsworth and offers a variety of retreats including work retreats 

rivendellretreatcentre.com is a charming retreat centre based in an old Victorian vicarage and grounds in East Sussex 

vajraloka.org is in North Wales and specialises in meditation retreats

londonbuddhistcentre.com/retreats are held at Vajrasana a purpose-built retreat centre in Suffolk

taraloka.org.uk is a women's retreat centre in the Welsh Borders 

tiratanaloka.org.uk  is a retreat centre for women who are training for Ordination based near Brecon in South Wales

padmaloka.org.uk is a men's retreat centre in Norfolk