A Guide to Developing Self-Love With the Practice of Tummo and Metta
By Tor Arne Haave Master of Management and Aliveness Trainer
Introduction
A lot has been written about self-love and what it means to have a healthy, fulfilling relationship with oneself.
But what about putting this advice into practice? How can we develop self-love through tangible practices and exercises? This is where tummo and metta come in.
Tummo is an ancient Tibetan yoga and meditation exercise that helps us to access our inner fire and strengthens our self-love. Metta is a practice of unconditional love and kindness that helps us to develop compassion for ourselves and others.
Both of these practices can be used to great effect in developing a more positive relationship with ourselves. In this article, we’ll take a look at each of them in turn and discuss how they can help us to better understand and love ourselves.
An Introduction to Tummo
Tummo is a form of yoga and meditation that originates from ancient Tibet. It’s sometimes called “inner fire” or “the yoga of heat” because of the way it warms the body from the inside out.
The practice begins with developing self-love. You learn to become kind and accepting to yourself, faults and all. This is essential, because it creates a foundation of compassion that will be essential later on in the practice.
Once you’ve established a strong foundation of self-love, you move on to developing love for others. You start with people you know and care for, then gradually expand to include those you don’t know as well, and eventually those who you might even see as enemies.
The practice of tummo is based on the principles of metta, or Loving kindness. Metta is a powerful force that can transcend all boundaries, including those of race, religion, and political opinion.
How to Practice Tummo Meditation
So how do you practice Tummo meditation? The technique is simple but takes a lot of practice and patience to master.
You’ll need to find a quiet place where you can sit undisturbed for at least 30 minutes. Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight, your eyes closed and your hands resting in your lap with your palms up. Take a few deep breaths and relax your body.
Then, begin to focus on the area of your body just below your navel. Imagine a bright light glowing in this area and begin to focus on breathing in and out of this light. As you inhale, imagine the light entering your body and as you exhale, imagine the light flowing out from your body.
Continue to focus on the light and your breath for the remainder of the session. When you’re finished, sit for a few more minutes, take some deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.
Understanding the Inner Fire
The practice of tummo is all about igniting the inner fire. This is the fire that burns away our ego, our self-doubt and our fears. It’s a powerful and transformative experience that can help us develop self-love and compassion.
But it’s not something that happens overnight. It takes time and patience to learn to trust the inner fire and let it burn away our negative thoughts and emotions. We need to be prepared to face our fears and our doubts, and to be willing to let go of what no longer serves us.
Only then can we begin to develop true self-love and compassion. They must grow from the inside out, starting with ourselves and gradually expanding to include all others.
The Power of Inner Sound Meditation
Want to learn more? The ancient Tibetan teachings on the practice of tummo – also known as inner fire or inner heat – rely heavily on breathwork and meditation. One key element of this meditation is “inner sound,” which can be experienced through a process known as “sahaja yoga.” Through this practice, practitioners are able to use their breath to create inner sounds that help them focus inward and cultivate their energy.
The core concept here is using the power of sound to transform energy and emotions into compassion, which is the foundation for experiencing self-love. This type of meditation helps us to channel our emotions into a productive, creative source, tapping into feelings like joy, peace, and kindness. It gives us space to face our own thoughts and feelings, ultimately allowing us to cultivate an inner relationship with ourselves.
Developing Compassion Through Metta
Metta is a form of Buddhist meditation that involves cultivating feelings of universal love, kindness, and compassion. With Metta, you start with self-love and gradually move outward to loving all living beings, developing compassion for all sentient beings. The practice of Metta helps to break down the boundaries that our egos create between ourselves and others.
The goal of Metta meditation is to develop a feeling of peace with yourself and with the world around you. To do this, it’s important to let go of judgments, expectations, and worries that can keep us from truly being present with ourselves and our environment. Metta allows us to be more open to the good in ourselves and in others. This openness can help us become more aware of our emotions and how our thoughts shape them. As we cultivate more self-love through Metta, we can become better equipped to handle difficult situations without judgment or fear.
When combined with Tummo yoga and meditation – a powerful practice for connecting deeply with yourself – this ancient Tibetan yoga practice teaches you to tap into your inner fire and discover your fullest potential. Through the integration of Tummo and Metta meditation one can develop self-love which leads them on a path full of compassion for themselves as well as all living beings around them.
Going Deeper With Metta for Self-Love
To go deeper with self-love, you can practice metta. This ancient meditation practice is all about cultivating loving kindness and open-heartedness through a series of phrases like “May I be safe,” “May I be happy,” and “May I be healthy.” Metta is meant to help us build more empathy for ourself and others as well as to foster a deeper understanding of our motivations.
When you start to practice metta, you can begin by reciting these phrases inwardly to increase your self-love. From there, just allow yourself to observe the response inside your own body. After some time, it should begin to feel more comfortable for you to repeat these phrases out loud or even in written form. When that happens, you can start saying them in regards to yourself with genuine and sincere intentions.
By practicing metta with your inner fire created through tummo, you’ll be able to discover and reconnect with the essence of love that lies within yourself. And ultimately this will help bring more balance and compassion into your life.
Bibliography
It’s important to reference any sources you use to back up your points. Here are some bibliography entries that you can use in any APA style paper or project.
-Dhonden, T., & Lekshe Tsomo, K. (2016). Tibetan Medicine: The Buddhist Way of Healing. Snow Lion Publications.
-Hoffman, F. (2008). The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life. Paulist Press
-Rinpoche, T. (2011). Tibetan Meditation Songs: Teachings on the Nature of Mind from the Great Tibetan Masters. Snow Lion Publications.
-Schwartzberg, J., & Smith, C., Eds,. (2018). Living Buddhism: Mind, self and emotion in a changing world. Oxford University Press
Conclusion
Tummo and Metta are two powerful practices that can help us develop self-love. Tummo is a practice of generating inner heat and Metta is a practice of cultivating loving kindness. When we combine these two practices, we create a powerful force for change.
We can begin by developing self-love. This means accepting ourselves for who we are, and recognizing our own inherent worth. We need to be kind and gentle with ourselves, and forgiving of our mistakes. Once we have developed a strong foundation of self-love, we can begin to extend our love to others. We can start with those who are close to us, and then gradually expand to include all beings.
The practice of Tummo and Metta can help us to develop compassion for ourselves and for all beings. They are powerful tools for transformation and for creating a world of peace and harmony.