Setting The Foundation For A Life Of Love

Love heals, and love is essential for a vital, fulfilling life. Yet almost none of us learned to love perfectly growing up, and most of us suffer to some degree from a Love Wound - a wound to our sense of our own lovability and a wound to our experience of a loving connection to something greater than ourselves.

In this 9-session course we review the nature of love and the benefits of love. We explore the nature and origin of the Love Wound and the painful impact it has on our lives.

We then explore the 3 As of Awakening to love, a practice for healing, mastering the art of loving, and realizing a life of love.

This course sets the foundation for a life of love. It is meant to prepare you for course two, "Practicing the Art of Loving," in which we explore in detail the practice of 31 different love practices. But this course can also stand on its own. Through the practice of the 3 As, you too will heal and realize a life of love, as many of Michael's patients have done over the years.

Leçon 1: What Is Love?

In this session, Michael describes the nature of love and the many benefits of love. Since most people have confusing ideas about love, this session will help clarify exactly what love is. He explains that love is an implicit skill that can be developed thorugh practice. He introduces "The 3 A's of Awakening to Love" as a method for realizing a life of love, as a primer in laying the foundation for a life of love.

Leçon 2: The Love Wound - Trauma & Neglect

In this session, Michael discusses the nature of the Love Wound, which arises from trauma and neglect and manifests as shame, self-hatred, feeling unworthy, inadequate, or broken. He shares about his own love wound and the process of his own healing using the 3 As of Awakening to Love. He shares some stories of his patients' healing of their love wounds by practicing the 3 As.

Leçon 3: The Love Wound - Disconnection, Shame & Adaptation

In this session, Michael discusses the two aspects of the Love Wound, an experience of being unlovable and a sense of dissconnection from a larger loving community. He talks about the strategies people use to soothe the pain of the Love Wound.

Leçon 4: The 3 As Of Awakening To Love: Attending

In this session, Michael discusses the first A of awakening to love: attending. Attending is the first and most important of the three As of awakening, because attending leads to appreciation, which then leads to wisdom and reference, which inspire us to live a life of love. He discusses the different aspects of attending, what to attend to, and how to attend.

Leçon 5: The Practice Of Presence

In this session, Michael discusses the core attending practice which is the prerequisite for other heart-mind practices, the practice of presence. He guides the listener through a presence practice and talks about the practice of presence in daily life.

Leçon 6: The 3 As Of Awakening To Love: Appreciating

In this session, Michael discusses the practice of appreciating, which, when combined with attending, results in the practice of "appreciative attending." In this way, we cultivate loving awareness. He talks about how appreciation leads to both wisdom and reverence, inspiring us to love and then, helping us love skillfully and effectively.

Leçon 7: Releasing Judgments & Cultivating Loving intent

In this session, Michael discusses two core practices for healing the love wound and living a life of love. The first is attending to and letting fall away the many negative judgments that arise, replacing them with discernment. The second is the cultivation or purification of loving intent, from which loving actions arise.

Leçon 8: The 3 As Of Awakening To Love: Acting With Love

In this session, we provide a brief overview of the 31 love practices. Michael starts with the first and perhaps most important practice, abstaining from harm. Then, he goes on to discuss compassion, forgiveness, empathy, collaboration, and the many other love practices that weave together to make the tapestry of a life of love.

Leçon 9: Practicing The 3 As Of Awakening To Love

In this session, we explain that love is a skill that can be developed through the practice of the 3 A's of Awakening to Love. He then discusses what to practice and how to practice in order to realize a life of love.

Reviews

Thank you for this loving course on loving 🙏
I now have a firmer foundation on my meditations in the morning and more awareness during the day of my intentions on loving everything that’s happening to me.
Blessings of gratitude🙏

Wonderful introduction to love! Very eye opening! Only recently have I come to see that I may not really know what love is. Michaels course shows me what I have missed and is well thought out and easy to understand.

Thank you Michael