May these practices nourish your meditation and life.
These resources will be available on this (private) page until the end of the year.
Audios can be downloaded, or listened to on this page.
Thank you for practising, taking care of yourself and sharing your light.
Session 3: 4 November 2020 – Making Space for Ease
Session recording
Sitting Meditation 5 minutes (click to download via Dropbox)
Or listen here:
Walking Meditation 5 minutes (click to download via Dropbox)
Or listen here:
Invitation
* To rest in love and awareness. Sati (Pali) can be translated as presence or loving awareness (and is often translated as mindfulness, a quality in Buddhist teachings).
* Remembering apranihita (Sanskrit): aimlessness, wishlessness and perhaps the sense of freedom that comes with this?
* If you feel called, exploring seated or walking meditation in the coming month, simply with open curiosity, free of seeking.
The book I mentioned at the start of the session is After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, by Jack Kornfield.
Session 2: 7 October 2020 – Communicating
Session recording
Self-Compassion Meditation 13 minutes (click to download via Dropbox)
Or listen here:
Giving and Receiving Compassion Meditation 12 minutes (click to download via Dropbox)
Or listen here:
Invitation:
Deep Listening, a Buddhist practice. When in conversation with someone, can you listen with your full attention, presence and an open heart? Noticing if judgement creeps in, or if there is a desire to comment, interject, validate, interrupt or ‘solve’ a problem. Can you relax enough to do this, and truly be with the person opposite you, whether they are happy, sad or neutral? How does this feel? If this is difficult, perhaps first try it with someone with whom you have a positive or neutral relationship, and for short chunks of time. (Remember to develop the ability to listen deeply to yourself first. The process of identifying your needs in the Self-Compassion meditation above may be helpful for this).
Self-compassion. At any times of challenge or suffering, can you take a moment to acknowledge this and to be compassionate towards yourself? Perhaps placing a hand at your heart centre or another comfortable place, feeling the warmth moving into your body and a softening. Not only is this soothing and fortifying, it often provides clarity. If it is difficult to feel compassion for yourself, please gently acknowledge this without judgement. Gradually there can be a shift. It is worth noticing if we constantly put others’ wellbeing before our own, and the consequences of this, for ourselves and for others.
Communication. Taking care with our words and non-harming (ahimsa) or respect for all life. We can also practice saying positive things, rather than speaking in terms that are negative, critical or judgemental. It is worth noticing if there are particular times or situations in which our communication repeatedly becomes tense, irritable, impatient or aggressive. Can we soften in these times, breathe, be kind to ourselves and observe how this feels and affects the situation?
‘Just Like Me’ If you’re experiencing a tense moment with someone, can you come back to this phrase and to your common humanity? How does this feel, and how does it affect the situation or connection?
You may have your own take-aways from this session that you would like to make into an experimental practice in daily life.
Book suggestion:
One of many beautiful, inspiring books by Thich Nhat Hanh: The Art of Communicating
Session 1: 9 September 2020 – Finding Moments of Peace
Session recording (private YouTube video)
1. Body Weather Reading Practice 6 minutes (click on the link to download via Dropbox)
Or listen here:
2. Softening Attention Practice 6 minutes (click on the link to download via Dropbox)
Or listen here:
3. Breath Inquiry 3 minutes (click on the link to download via Dropbox)
Or listen here:
Invitation:
If you wish, to explore whichever practice(s) you feel a most natural connection with and/or are curious about during the coming month. Which is easiest for you? This can either be more formally e.g. sitting for meditation, or in daily life, for example when you’re outdoors or during some free moments at work. This supports our ‘off the mat’ experience.
It can be interesting to note if there is a particular time of day or location that works well for and fits in with your life. (Traditional times are dawn and dusk, in the same place.)
As these practices are short, you might find that you gradually remember them and feel comfortable enough to begin to explore guiding yourself over the course of the month.
It can also be helpful to pause at any time and notice where the mind has gone – is it spending time creating stories about the future, or going over stories from the past? Each time this is realised we consciously bring ourselves back to the present moment and to reality. Interesting.