We had the fourth meeting of our Willpower Instinct Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the third, fourth and fifth chapters in the Willpower Instinct: I Will, I Won’t, I Want: What Willpower Is, and Why It Matters. In these chapters Kelly describes how our brains mistake the promise of reward for happiness. We chase satisfaction from things and find they are empty – even harmful. She says that if we are to have self-control we need to need to identify the false promises of reward and aim ourselves toward that which has true value.
Compassion, Nourishment, Joy
We had the third meeting of our Willpower Instinct Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the second, third and fourth chapters in the Willpower Instinct: I Will, I Won’t, I Want: What Willpower Is, and Why It Matters.
In these chapters author Kelly McGonigal explores willpower as a biological instinct. She suggests ways of choosing and framing our challenges in ways that truly motivate us to choose wisely. She cautions us against viewing our challenges as measures of moral worth. She observes that we often reward ourselves for doing something “good” with an indulgence of doing something “bad”. She asks us to consider how we identify ourselves: Are we the person who needs to be controlled? Are we the person who is inspired and dedicated to pursuing a goal? Our perceived identity informs our choices for better or worse.
Nurturing our Natures
We had the second meeting of our Willpower Instinct Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the second and third chapters in the Willpower Instinct: I Will, I Won’t, I Want: What Willpower Is, and Why It Matters.
In these chapters author Kelly McGonigal describes the willpower as a biological instinct that evolved to help us protect ourselves from ourselves! She also compares it to a muscle that tires from use and regular use makes it stronger.
In our gentle movement practice we explored Kelly’s premise that self-control is a physiological state or in yoga-speak a body/mind state. We began by simply focusing awareness on our current state: bodily sensations, experience of energy and quality of heart and mind. We attended to how these expressions of life changed with breathing, moving and pausing. Kelly describes the self-monitoring system that attends to our thoughts, emotions and sensations that works to keep us safe from ourselves by detecting impulses to act in ways that undermine our wellbeing. She calls this capacity the pause and plan response. We cultivated this state by slowing our breathing, by moving intuitively and by pausing to experience a sense of equanimity.
I Will, I Won’t, I Want!
We had the first meeting of our Willpower Instinct Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss yesterday. This is truly a “yogic” book, in the sense that yoga is an awareness practice or even a way of living a conscious life. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the first chapter in the Willpower Instinct: I Will, I Won’t, I Want: What Willpower Is, and Why It Matters. Author Kelly McGonigal begins her book by asking whether you are clear about what matters most to you. This “I Want” is where we find our motivational power – the fuel we need to cultivate the resilient ability to either do the “harder thing” (I will clean the house) or to refrain from doing the “impulsive thing” (I won’t eat donuts for breakfast).
Kindness and Gratitude
This beautiful image is by Mara Friedman, one of my favorite artists and creator of New Moon Visions.
I’ve been reflecting on the many kindnesses I’ve received and witnessed over the last few weeks. I’ve been deeply touched by the caring my Mom received during her latest surgery and hospitalization. These memories take the form of a mandala – an archetypal circle – that can represent the entire universe or the self and inner harmony.
Sending and Taking One Breath at a Time
We had the last meeting of our Taking the Leap Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the next three chapters in Taking the Leap: Uncovering Natural Openness, The Importance of Pain and Unlimited Friendliness.
Making Friends With Ourselves
We had the third meeting of our Taking the Leap Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the next three chapters in Taking the Leap: Getting Unstuck, We Have What We Need, Rejoicing With Things As They Are.
In our movement practice we followed the shifting fluid energy of sensory experience moment to moment, observing how thoughts can distance us from direct sensation. We practiced labeling thoughts lightly as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral and returning to direct sensory experience. We tried recognizing our distractions with an inner smile.
Getting Off the Hook
Puget Sound Sunrise Photo by Tim
We had the second meeting of our Taking the Leap Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the next three chapters in Taking the Leap: Learning to Stay, The Habit of Escape and The Natural Movement of Life.
Feeding the Right Wolf
We had the first meeting of our Taking the Leap Meditation Book Group at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We came together for gentle yoga practice, meditation and discussion of the first chapter in Taking the Leap: Feeding the Right Wolf. In this chapter, Pema tells the story of a Native American grandfather speaking to his grandson about cruelty and violence in the world. He described how it comes about by saying it was like two wolves fight in his heart. One wolf is angry and vengeful and the other wolf is understanding and kind. When his grandchild asked which wolf would win the fight, Grandfather answered: “The one that wins is the one I choose to feed”.
Constellation of Caring
Tim’s Photo of the Whirlpool Galaxay
I like the word the constellation. It conjures imaginings of the night sky: vast, wondrous, mysterious manifestations of light that draw “me” out of “my self”. Gazing inward and upward I experience being beyond knowing. Out there alone together, together alone. Yes, another metaphor is coming on. I am part of a constellation of caring as family member, friend, body worker and human being. We shine alone and together in a myriad of different ways, intimate and distant, radiant and dim.