How Our Heart Shapes the World

[Photo by Jade on Unsplash]

“Metta functions … to transform our way of seeing, to transform something in the very way we feel and perceive the world and our existence”   ~ Rob Burbea

The practice of loving-kindness meditation (or ‘metta bhavana’ in the old language of the Buddha) is one of the ‘superfoods’ of the meditation world. The cultivation of a kind attitude, towards ourselves, towards others, and towards our experience, not only leads to happiness and wellbeing, but also allows our other meditations to further deepen and take root. Perhaps most strikingly, as Rob Burbea points out above, practising metta can even transform the way that the world appears to us, changing how we see and sense existence.

On this 6-week course we will explore some of the ways that metta can be developed. People are different, and this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. We’ll be looking at various ways in, encouraging creativity and play, so that hopefully you can find a way of connecting to the practice that feels good and onward-leading, and personal to you.

Each weekly session will include a short talk, a guided meditation, and plenty of time for questions and discussion. The course is suitable both for beginners and for more experienced meditators, and pilgrims of any and all (spiritual/meditative/secular) paths are welcome.

Dana

Mark is part of a Buddhist tradition in which teachings are offered freely, within a culture of ‘dana’ or generosity. For that reason there is no fee for this course. If you would like to support Mark in his livelihood, and support the continued free sharing of these teachings, he will gratefully accept any donations, large or small. He will give details during the course of how donations can be made. Those not able to contribute financially are just as welcome onto this course as those who are.
 

Course Dates

All sessions will be held 7-9pm UK time:

Wednesday 25th February
Wednesday 4th March
Wednesday 11th March
Wednesday 18th March
Wednesday 25th March
Wednesday 1st April

Mark Ovland

Mark began practising meditation in 2008. Since then he has lived and worked in various monasteries and retreat centres around India and the UK, and spent a further two years on intensive silent retreat. He was a close student of meditation master Rob Burbea and was blessed to have lived with and assisted Rob during the last years of his life.

Aside from offering retreats and teachings in traditional Buddhist settings, Mark has also taught in schools, universities, prisons, and the workplace. In 2013 he co-founded Freely Given Retreats, a charity in the UK that runs weeklong silent meditation retreats on a donation basis. He believes that no one should be excluded from these opportunities and teachings due to a simple lack of money.

Mark's relationship to psychedelics
The path Mark teaches does not involve the use of psychedelics, and by leading courses for the Psychedelic Society he is not intending to make any link between psychedelics and Buddhism. He does however recognise that Buddhist philosophy and practice can potentially help to contextualise experiences that are brought about by psychedelic use and is happy to speak with participants on this question should it be raised within the context of the course material. 


Mark's website: markovland.uk 

Below is a clip of Mark speaking briefly about this course (for its first iteration in 2024). The clip is taken from a fuller interview about Mark's journey into teaching meditation.

REFUNDS: Please note that we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. We welcome swapping or reselling your tickets with people you know.