What is TWIM—Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation?
TWIM meditation based on the earliest teachings of the Buddha. He taught it as the way to end human stress and suffering by experiencing (nirvāṇa-nibbāna). He called it awakening from causes and conditions for delusion, compulsion and aversion permanently.
TWIM practice cultivates the balance of insight (vipassana) and tranquility (samatha) using loving-kindness, compassion, and joy (brahmaviharas) as a meditative home base or object of meditation. The home base is a wholesome (kusala) feeling or sensation like kindness and friendliness. TWIM is a feeling meditation. It is done by simply by resting the awareness on a wholesome feeling. Begin with the feeling of loving-kindness. Maintain the wholesome feeling as long as possible.
At some point than ae attention will wander to another feeling, thought or mood. Once fully distracted, apply "right effort" (sammā vāyā). Right effort is can be easily learned using the "Six R Method". Use this method whenever the attention is completely distracted away from the feeling of loving-kindness. Applying the Six Rs gradually dissolves habitual distractions by de-conditioning their root cause.
TWIM practice cultivates the balance of insight (vipassana) and tranquility (samatha) using loving-kindness, compassion, and joy (brahmaviharas) as a meditative home base or object of meditation. The home base is a wholesome (kusala) feeling or sensation like kindness and friendliness. TWIM is a feeling meditation. It is done by simply by resting the awareness on a wholesome feeling. Begin with the feeling of loving-kindness. Maintain the wholesome feeling as long as possible.
At some point than ae attention will wander to another feeling, thought or mood. Once fully distracted, apply "right effort" (sammā vāyā). Right effort is can be easily learned using the "Six R Method". Use this method whenever the attention is completely distracted away from the feeling of loving-kindness. Applying the Six Rs gradually dissolves habitual distractions by de-conditioning their root cause.
Distractions are rooted in unwholesome (akusala) unconscious urges that trigger stress-reactions (tanhā) like anxiety, anger, etc. that are the causes and condition for bummers and suffering (dukka). Using the Six Rs does not control or suppress distractions but rather is a gradual dis-entrainment from the root causes for how they arise. As the meditation matures, contentment, joy (piti) and happiness (sukha) naturally arise in the stages of meditative understanding (jhāna) accompanied by equanimity (upekkha) and collectedness of mind (samādhi). With modest daily practice, clarity, contentment, and emotional resilience become the hallmark in active daily life.
Classes and retreats offer all levels of development guided by dedicated TWIM teachers. They include learning a balanced combination of loving-kindness (metta) and the Six Rs (right effort) with the goal to directly experience transcendental awakening as taught by the Buddha more than 2600 years ago.
- Maintain ethical code of conduct (sīla) that helps steady the mind and relax the body in preparation for meditation.
- Apply effective practice skills "right effort"—the Six Rs—to be the cornerstone for realization of the Noble Eightfold Path.
- Cultivate of the stages of meditative understanding known as (jhanas) or levels of tranquility (samatha) and insight (vipassanā) knowledge along with four sublime conscious states of loving-kindness; compassion; altruistic joy; and equanimity of mind known as the heavenly abodes (Brahmaviharas) or degrees of benevolence.
- Develop sublime mental qualities leading to collectedness of attention (samādhi).
- Experience the goal of complete relief (nirvāṇa) (nibbāna) from habitual stress reactions, hindrances, and suffering.
How to Practice TWIM with Loving-Kindness (metta)?
Home base: Sit comfortably with your back straight in a quiet and private place where you won't be interrupted. It's best set a timer for a minimum of 30-minutes minimum. Close the eyes and don't shift position or move. Relax as if you had just slipped into hot tub or your bed to rest. Direct your awareness to your whole body and relax. Before starting, take a few minutes to settle into the practice. Release and let go of all tightness or discomfort in the head, neck, and shoulders.
A feeling meditation in mind and body: Direct your awareness to a pleasant feeling of loving-kindness. To prompt the feeling, make simple wish for yourself to experience kindness and friendliness. Make it sincere. Example: "May I be kind", or "may I be happy" or "may I be grateful. Feel the wish. Place your attention to rest on the feeling as long as possible. This is your meditative home base. Enjoy it.
Another way to prompt the feeling of loving-kindness is to recall a time when you genuinely loving and kind. Example: when you were holding a baby or a pet. Enjoy being joyful and lighthearted. It energizes the practice while deepening the experience. Let the feeling of flow inwardly and outwardly. Don't push—relax into it. Don't try to control the mind—observe with awareness. The feeling will change intensity from very strong to barely noticeable. The intensity is not important. The goal is only to observe with awareness. If it completely disappears—begin again as described above.
How to deal with distractions?
The awareness will be distracted: Your attention will wander away from home base and think about something or get hooked into an emotional reaction or thought-loop. When this happens, use the "Six Rs" The Six Rs is a systematic set of actions that reset and rebalance conscious awareness. It works like an ani-virus software used in computers. It dissolves the root causes and conditions that trigger unwholesome reactivity leading to unhappiness and suffering. Applying the Six Rs automatically develop and perfect seven awakening factors that ultimately liberates the mind.
A feeling meditation in mind and body: Direct your awareness to a pleasant feeling of loving-kindness. To prompt the feeling, make simple wish for yourself to experience kindness and friendliness. Make it sincere. Example: "May I be kind", or "may I be happy" or "may I be grateful. Feel the wish. Place your attention to rest on the feeling as long as possible. This is your meditative home base. Enjoy it.
Another way to prompt the feeling of loving-kindness is to recall a time when you genuinely loving and kind. Example: when you were holding a baby or a pet. Enjoy being joyful and lighthearted. It energizes the practice while deepening the experience. Let the feeling of flow inwardly and outwardly. Don't push—relax into it. Don't try to control the mind—observe with awareness. The feeling will change intensity from very strong to barely noticeable. The intensity is not important. The goal is only to observe with awareness. If it completely disappears—begin again as described above.
How to deal with distractions?
The awareness will be distracted: Your attention will wander away from home base and think about something or get hooked into an emotional reaction or thought-loop. When this happens, use the "Six Rs" The Six Rs is a systematic set of actions that reset and rebalance conscious awareness. It works like an ani-virus software used in computers. It dissolves the root causes and conditions that trigger unwholesome reactivity leading to unhappiness and suffering. Applying the Six Rs automatically develop and perfect seven awakening factors that ultimately liberates the mind.
- Recognize the awareness is no longer on home base—the feeling of loving-kindness.
- Release abandon whatever the mind it doing—don't keep you attention on it.
- Relax soften your entire body from head to toe—especially and tightness in the head, neck, and jaw.
- Re-Smile Smile with your lips, smile with your eyes, smile in your heart center.
- Return Redirect your attention to home base and the feeling of loving-kindness.
- Repeat: Do this every time your attention has been completely distracted away from home base.
How do the Six Rs work?
It takes a few sessions to learn how to do the actions represented by Six Rs. Each step requires and action. Do each action once and then move on to the next. Do them in a flow—like touching keys on a piano. it takes 2–4 seconds to go through the process. As with learning anything, practice makes perfect. Taken together, they decondition habitual unconscious entrained reactivity rooted in craving clinging that produce anxiety, anger, fear, and other unwholesome states in the mind.
The Six Rs gradually cultivates harmonious mental states while it dissolves habitual distractions. The combined actions reset the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. The PNS regulates certain brain hormones like dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin, mood, heart rate, breathing, and other autonomic functions. It inhabits brain functions that that produce adrenaline and cortisol—known as the "flight or fight" default defensive mode of the central nervous system (CNS). By resetting the PNS, habitual stress reactions can consciously decondition each time the Six Rs are activated.
The Six Rs gradually cultivates harmonious mental states while it dissolves habitual distractions. The combined actions reset the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. The PNS regulates certain brain hormones like dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin, mood, heart rate, breathing, and other autonomic functions. It inhabits brain functions that that produce adrenaline and cortisol—known as the "flight or fight" default defensive mode of the central nervous system (CNS). By resetting the PNS, habitual stress reactions can consciously decondition each time the Six Rs are activated.
How to share metta with a spiritual friend?
After meditating for about 10 minutes, begin to share loving-kindness with a spiritual friend. A spiritual friend is someone who is alive that you respect and admire. Begin by thinking of their name or picture them smiling. The feeling of loving-kindness that you have cultivated for yourself with them. Or make a wish for their well-being and happiness. Example: "May feel kindness" or "May you be peaceful" or "May you have joy". Keep your wish sincere, simple, and to the point. Remember that it's feeling that you are prompting. Once prompted, enjoy sharing the feeling with your friend as long as possible even if the feeling is very faint. Start again if the feeling of loving-kindness completely disappears. Six-R when you recognize the awareness has wandered off into a distraction.
- Observe the minds movements but do not to control it.
- Seek advice if you get stuck.
- DROPPS: Don't Resist Or Push Soften Smile.
Introductory Videos by four TWIM Teachers
These videos provide practice instruction described by well know teachers. Three of the four are published authors and teach residential retreats in Europe, Asia, North and South America. More videos of their talks are available on YouTube.
Basic walking meditation
Choose a secluded and safe place to walk that is quiet with minimal distractions. For best results walk at a moderate pace keeping your eyes cast downward to avoid visual distractions. Continue with sharing loving-kindness to your spiritual friend. Keep the feeling in your heart center while you walk. Simply make another wish for loving-kindness for your friend if the feeling completely disappears. Use the Six Rs whenever your awareness is distracted away from the feeling of loving-kindness just as in sitting meditation.
Frequently asked questions
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Common Questions from Meditators using the TWIM system only with Time Stamps below: 0:25 I have a knot in my forehead. I have a headache. Is that tension? What should I do?
2:46 Related to above: When I 6R the feeling of tension in my forehead, it just won’t go away, and I really want to get rid of it. 6:24 I can’t bring up the feeling of lovingkindness or keeping it going. What do you suggest? 9:31 Does smiling really work? 12:16 Do you use the 6Rs to get “rid” of hindrances or how do you use them? 14:19 How long should I do the release and relax step when I 6R? . . . minutes? . . . seconds? 17:57 I get sleepy while meditating- what solution is there? |
20:32 How much attention should be on visualizing the spiritual friend or on watching the feeling?
21:17 I am used to watching my breath. Shall I synchronize the breath to making the wishes for lovingkindness?
22:22 I can’t really do the lovingkindness and would rather go back to breath. I used to do a lot of breath meditation and am more comfortable with that. Can I just do breath?
24:46 What if I have a lot of doubts about the practice? What to do?
28:14 When I pick a spiritual friend does he or she have to be perfect or a kind of a saint?
29:07 How strong does the feeling of Metta have to be to progress?
28:13 Once I get a feeling of Metta do I keep repeating the phrases?
30:40 I am feeling some joy now. What to do next?
33:04 I feel like my hands or parts of my body are missing. The body is very calm. What do I do?
34:11 The feeling of lovingkindness has moved up to my head. What do I do now. (These are more advanced Instructions.)
37:06 How do I Radiate to the directions?
39:32 It's really hard for me to send lovingkindness to each direction. Sometimes I get a headache?
41:51 Do I keep sending lovingkindness no matter what feeling comes up?
21:17 I am used to watching my breath. Shall I synchronize the breath to making the wishes for lovingkindness?
22:22 I can’t really do the lovingkindness and would rather go back to breath. I used to do a lot of breath meditation and am more comfortable with that. Can I just do breath?
24:46 What if I have a lot of doubts about the practice? What to do?
28:14 When I pick a spiritual friend does he or she have to be perfect or a kind of a saint?
29:07 How strong does the feeling of Metta have to be to progress?
28:13 Once I get a feeling of Metta do I keep repeating the phrases?
30:40 I am feeling some joy now. What to do next?
33:04 I feel like my hands or parts of my body are missing. The body is very calm. What do I do?
34:11 The feeling of lovingkindness has moved up to my head. What do I do now. (These are more advanced Instructions.)
37:06 How do I Radiate to the directions?
39:32 It's really hard for me to send lovingkindness to each direction. Sometimes I get a headache?
41:51 Do I keep sending lovingkindness no matter what feeling comes up?
About Jhanas
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Drew Litchy leads an on-site retreat of the year at Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center after being a online meditation guide for a number of years. The practice is TWIM or Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation with the object of loving-kindness—metta. Practicing in this way is based on the earliest Buddhist suttas and leads to the ultimate supra-mundane state Nibbana. He commnets on a sutta and explains the Jhanas and the full Path leading to Nibbana and awakening. Each Jhana and its characteristics are explained and described. These are the "Ariya" jhanas and not concentration described in other sects which is one-pointed. Using the relax step and 6Rs ones attains a tranquil Jhana which progressively eliminates craving. Finally there is no Tanha (craving) left and the mind comes to a stop. Then something amazing happens.
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