The Four Virtues of the Heart
The Four Immeasurable Qualities of Lovingkindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity
Hi I’m Jenny, your home yoga hype girl. Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I curate and share valuable resources, inspiration, and support to help you establish a meaningful, personal yoga practice in the comfort of your own home.
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This issue of Root&Rise is the 4th, and final, installment in a month of themed issues for February. The theme is “Matters of the Heart”.
Last week we learned about lovingkindnes. This week, we are expanding on that topic and discussing “The Four Virtues of the Heart” or “The Four Immeasurables”. They are:
Compassion
Sympathetic Joy
Equanimity
Lovingkindness
Our “Put it into Practice” section features a few yoga asana classes to use in conjunction with the meditations I shared last week.
Let’s get into it!
Last week, we tackled the topic of resentment and how practicing lovingkindness can help to overcome the bitterness that often accompanies it.
Lovingkindess is a lifelong practice. Initially, it is used to soften, and open, a guarded heart. Eventually, as the practice deepens and the internal well of lovingkindness grows, the practice extends outward into the world.
Lovingkindness is one of four virtues, or boundless qualities, of the heart. They are called “The Four Immeasurables”.
In Buddhist traditions, the qualities of lovingkindness, sympathetic joy, compassion and equanimity are considered immeasurable because the more you practice them, the more they grow. They are limitless and give us an opportunity to expand our capacity for love by approaching It from different angles.
I came across some beautiful perspectives on “The Four Immeasurables” during my research for this issue. I thought it would be nice to share them, as they were written, rather than trying to paraphrase them.
Here are a few of my favorites interpretations, along with the articles they were originally featured in:
The Four Flavors of Love - Vinny Ferraro
When I think about the four heart practices: these qualities of loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, it’s like the four chambers of the heart. Right? These four flavors of love, that we’re training ourselves to respond with. Whatever comes up, we’ll be able to trust the heart’s response, when we get back into relationship with it.
The Four Qualities of a Wise and Open Heart - Bart Mendel
What are the Four Immeasurables? They are qualities that can be developed by anyone with a resolutely kind heart. The term comes to us via Mahayana Buddhism, where the Four Immeasurables are presented as the four sublime or noble attitudes of the wise.
The Four Elements of True Love - Thich Nhat Hanh
The Brahmaviharas are four elements of true love. They are called Immeasurable, because if you practice them, they will grow every day until they embrace the whole world. You will become happier and those around you will become happier, also.
Working With The Four Immeasurables
According to Lama Jampa, the Immeasurables are interconnected like a wheel, with each one driving the others forward. So, it doesn't matter which one you choose to work with. They all expand your capacity for love and strengthen each other in the process.
It is possible to work with all of the qualities at once, using The Four Immeasurables Prayer, which is quite similar to the lovingkindness phrases we used last week.
May all beings have happiness And the causes of happiness.
May all beings be free from suffering And the causes of suffering.
May all beings never be separate from the supreme joy That is beyond all sorrow.
May all beings abide in equanimity Free from attachment and aversion.
You can also work with the Immeasurables individually, a powerful way to explore the attributes of each virtue. Every immeasurable has its own unique qualities. They all also have what are called "Near and Far Enemies”.
Near enemies are states that appear similar to the desired quality but actually undermine it. Far enemies are the opposite of what we are trying to achieve.
Let’s take a deeper look at each of the Immeasurables through their unique characteristics and near/far enemies.
Equanimity - It’s simply caring for, and about, every being with a tender, caring heart
Near Enemy: Indifference
Far Enemy: Hatred
Equanimity, in this context, is the practice of loving all beings equally, without preference for one over another.
It is human nature to have preferences. We are attracted to some people and repelled by others. We naturally love our friends and family the most.
Unless you are the Buddha, you’re not likely to achieve true equanimity in this lifetime. But, with a little practice, you can learn to spread more of that love around, to more people outside of your innermost circles.
Sympathetic Joy - Rejoicing in Other’s Happiness and Wellbeing
Near Enemy: Hypocrisy (disingenuous or insincere joy)
Far Enemy: Jealousy
I think most of us are naturally inclined to root for others. Although, just like with equanimity, we are human. Competitiveness and envy get the best of everyone, once in a while. Practicing sympathetic joy helps curb jealousy and comparison, leading to more contentment and gratitude for the blessings in our own lives.
Compassion - The Desire to Relive Other’s Suffering
Near Enemy: Pity
Far Enemy: Cruelty
The article “Understanding the Four Immeasurables and Their Near and Far Enemies” talks about how the difference between the immeasurables and their near enemies can easily be felt by the receiver of the energy. I think this is especially true with compassion. No one likes to be pitied.
The article goes on to explain “the key difference is that true Compassion joins us with another; Pity subtly separates us.”
Pity implies inequality and makes the recipient feel small and inadequate. Whereas compassion, given with genuine concern, has the power to make someone feel seen and cared for.
LovingKindness - Goodwill and Friendliness Towards All
Near Enemy: Sentimentality
Far Enemy: Hatred/Ill Will
We covered this virtue in depth last week. To learn more, read The Power Of Lovingkindness
Put It Into Practice
The best way to work with the Immeasurables can be summed up with some sage advice from my grandpa: Keep It Simple Stupid. :)
If you’ve never heard that term before, please know that I am not trying to offend you. My point is, there’s a vast array of methods for tapping into the energy of each one of these virtues, and you can totally dive as deep as you’d like into any of them.
But, I think the best way to approach them, at least in the beginning, is the exact same way we practiced lovingkindness last week.
So, here’s my advice: pick the virtue that either a) feels the most accessible or b) you need the most help with. Then, get familiar with and focus on the qualities of that virtue as you work with the phrases of lovingkindness, or the four immeasurable prayer.
It really is that simple.
In the meantime, here are some heart centered, yoga asana classes to use in conjunction with your meditation.
Love Wins Yoga | Yoga With Adriene
21 Minutes | Beginner Friendly | All Levels
This was probably my favorite heart-themed yoga class, of all the classes I tried in February. Adriene’s presence is so warm and comforting. She not only cues heart opening poses, but guides us expertly into the energy of love.
This class is a winner!
10 Minute Heart Chakra Morning Yoga - Upper Body Yoga | Yoga With Kassandra
13 Minutes | All Levels
This short and swift class from Kassandra is perfect for busy mornings. It’s energetic and stacked with heart opening poses, along with some nice cues to help set a loving intention for the day.
Day 4 | Heart Chakra | 777 Chakra Challenge | Black Yogi Nico Marie
8 Minutes | All Levels
I really liked this short, sweet little heart chakra class. However, there are two poses at the end that were very uncomfortable for me. I’m sharing it anyway because I think it’s a good opportunity to practice modifying poses that don’t work for your body.
The first pose is boat pose. I practiced cobra pose instead. The second pose was fish pose. Occasionally, I like fish pose with the support of blocks. For this class, I just skipped it altogether and went straight to savasana.
Try it out, be mindful of the uncomfortable poses and modify when it feels right. Enjoy!
Final Thoughts
I hope that this month of heart-themed issues has served you well. Know that you can come back to these practices anytime you feel like you need a little extra TLC.
Next week, we introduce a new theme for March!
I’ll be sharing more about that, later in the week, on instagram! If you weren’t aware, I share a lot of sneak peak content on my instagram account. I also share videos of myself practicing some of the classes I feature here. Check out that page If you are interested. My username is: @homeyogahypegirl
Otherwise, I’ll see you next Sunday. Have a Great Week!!