We had the Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss yesterday:  two segments of formal sitting meditation and a period of mindful walking.  We brought awareness to the six points of posture as we “settled the body into its natural state.”  We followed the techniques taught by Alan B. Wallace of shifting awareness to the mental events that arise in the “space of the mind” and, eventually, focused on awareness itself.

We discussed what motivates us to meditate and the challenges we encounter in practice. Many of us shared the desire for more calm and equanimity and about the physical challenges of sustaining a seated posture for prolonged periods of time.  One of our master yoga teachers, Jonathan Bowra, describes advanced yoga practice as the ability to stay out of struggle.  We often push ourselves to conform to an ideal form of a pose – like lotus for example.   Many of us are not anatomically adapted to rotating our hips in this way and injure our knees in the process of trying.  Why?  The manner in which we approach our practice often reflects the way we move through our lives more generally.  Do we extend ourselves acceptance, patience, time and tolerance?  Do we allow ourselves a process of growth that’s authentic and truly nourishing? This is not to say we avoid challenging sensations. We can recruit our minds and our breathing to build resilience in building strength and flexibility.  We come together in class to encourage and support one another to learn and grow.

Continue reading →

We had the Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss yesterday.  We had had two segments of formal sitting meditation and a period of mindful walking.  We explored shifting our awareness from the most accessible tactile sensations such as following the breath to the more subtle space of the mind from which all thoughts arise and subside.

We had a fascinating discussion about how meditation can shift our perspective.  We agreed that it becomes most powerful when you can integrate it “organically” into daily life.  This begins with intention but also a great willingness to resist the pull of habit, to interrupt our patterns of doing, doing, doing so that we can stop even just for a few moments of mindful breathing.  It also involves being creative and flexible about what really works for you.  That’s what I mean by “organic mindfulness.”  Our intention and consistency fuels the power of the practice – it begins to work on us beyond the more “formal” periods of meditation.

Continue reading →

We had the Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss today. We drew on B. Alan Wallace’s Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness.  We had had two segments of practice: a period of lying down in which we rested awareness on the 1st close application: the tactile field of the body; and then a second period of sitting in which we rested awareness on the phenomenal field.

Alan explains that the is 4th close application of mindfulness concerns all phenomena:  ” . . . internal dialogue, mental imagery . . . emotions . . . somatic resonances in the heart . . . all arising as entangled experience.  Mindfulness of phenomena is all inclusive.”  We move our focus from the most easily perceived experience of physical sensation to the more difficult apprehension of the subtle realm of the “space from which thoughts arise. . . . the “substrate consciousness.”  He writes:  “As we direct awareness to the space of the mind and its contents – something new becomes real for us: the space of the mind that constitutes the ground of all experience.”

Continue reading →

“Let me respectfully remind you, Life and death are of supreme importance, Time passes swiftly by and opportunity is lost. Let us Awaken! Awaken!  Take heed: Do not squander your life.” Evening Gatha, Upaya Zen Center Jukai Book

Freedom is not a reward at the end of a long tunnel to nirvana or enlightenment we can develop it now. . . . freedom is . . . a dynamic process to be cultivated. Experientially, it’s obvious when the mind is in the grip of a powerful emotion . . .  A mind overwhelmed by anger or craving sees reality through a very narrow slit. With a limited perspective, poor decisions are made. At such times we’re not free.

This practice is to maintain mental spaciousness . . . while gradually cultivating a sense of freedom. By recognizing mental afflictions as they arise, we can cultivate antidotes such as loving kindness and compassion. When we are able to act most beneficially for ourselves and others, then we are truly free.

We had the Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss today. We continued working with the four foundations of mindfulness inspired by the teachings in B. Alan Wallace’s Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness. Alan suggests that this style of meditation can be useful in enhancing creativity and everyday problem solving.  It’s difficult to find innovative solutions or creative insights when you’re stuck in habitual ways of thinking.  He writes:

By dropping the problem, we don’t forget that a solution is needed. When the mind melts into fluidity . . . [one experiences]  a deep spacious mode of awareness in which connections are formed more easily. A solution often comes to mind in a spark of insight.

We centered practice around the experience of being still, awake and relaxed.  We created a spaciousness in which all experience could flow through awareness.  It was like opening a window through which pure being could emerge.  As in yoga we were in a posture of allowing. Continue reading →

We had the Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We continued working with the four foundations of mindfulness inspired by the teachings in B. Alan Wallace’s Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness.  I think of Alan’s book as a meditation “technology” manual.  He describes how to “do it” and includes a narrative that fills in the background and purpose of what we’re doing.  Like last week, we started by establishing awareness in the sensory field of the body and then we shifted attention to the domain of mental experience: ideas, thoughts, images, desires, emotions and aspirations.

Continue reading →

We had the Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss yesterday.  We continued working with the four foundations of mindfulness inspired by the teachings in B. Alan Wallace’s Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness.

We started by establishing awareness in the sensory field of the body.  During this time we were reminded to sense into the earth element.  After a period of walking meditation, we shifted attention to the domain of mental experience: ideas, thoughts, images, desires, emotions and aspirations. Alan encourages students to notice the movement of the mind – like the wind in its many directions and forces.

In his book,  Alan observes how our feelings are aroused by sensory experience, thoughts, and memories.  They always change depending on context, our life circumstances.   We do our best to navigate life’s sea of change.  We all want to be happy.  Alan asks:  what is the true source of happiness?  He draws from Buddhist teaching which distinguishes between “mundane” and “genuine” happiness.  We seek happiness in the every day concerns of acquiring material goods, pursuing sensual pleasure and seeking praise.  We avoid loss, pain and blame.  All of these pursuits are dependent on many circumstances beyond our control.

Continue reading →

We had our Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss yesterday. We continued working with the four foundations of mindfulness inspired by the teachings in B. Alan Wallace’s Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness.

We practiced with the third application: mindfulness of thought. We started by establishing centered awareness in the sensory field of the body. Then we shifted attention to the domain of mental experience: ideas, thoughts, images, desires, emotions and aspirations. Alan encourages students to experience the more nebulous, boundaryless nature of our minds.  He says the space of experience precedes any other space we can perceive.  He asks some provocative questions:

Is the space of your mind susceptible to outside influence? Might it contain events that are accessible to you and others simultaneously?  Perhaps the spaces of our minds interpenetrate.  To test with experience, release all grasping on to your own psych, fixated upon “I, me, and mine.” . . .  The psyche is a tiny cell in which to be confined – the substrate [“space of the mind”] is infinitely spacious.

Continue reading →

What a joy to return to our Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss!  We’ve been working with the four foundations of mindfulness: awareness of the body, feeling tone, thoughts, emotions and then all phenomena.   We drew our practice inspiration from B. Alan Wallace’s Minding Closely:  The Four Applications of Mindfulness. 

We practiced with the third application:  mindfulness of thought.  We started by establishing centered awareness in the sensory field of the body.  Then we shifted attention to the domain of mental experience:  ideas, thoughts, images, desires, emotions and aspirations.  Alan encourages students to observe how these formations arise and then dissipate. “No matter what arises within this mental space, simply attend to it and observe its nature – remaining alert, nonreactive.”

Continue reading →

We had our Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss yesterday.  We’ve been working with the four foundations of mindfulness:   awareness of the body, feeling tone, thoughts, emotions and then all phenomena.   We drew our practice inspiration from B. Alan Wallace’s Minding Closely:  The Four Applications of Mindfulness. 

We included two practice periods and a walking meditation.

We continued to practice with the second application:  mindfulness of feelings.  We focused on the elemental sensations of the earth, water, fire and air in our bodies.  You can feel them as solidity, firmness, wetness, fluidity, heat, warmth, expansion and lightness.  Then we observed the reflexive way sensations evoke feelings:  pleasant, unpleasant and neutral tones.  We explored how feelings evoke thoughts and the nature of thoughts.  We “self-identify” experience as “I, me or mine.”  If we stay with experience long enough, inevitably we observe the whole process arise, persist and then dissolve.  We see that there is no “there – there.”  This is a direct experience of the truth of being:  impermanence.

Continue reading →