We had our first Introduction to Meditation class at Yoga Bliss today. We came together to learn and practice a skill that we can take off the mat to support our lives – lives that include our families, friends and communities.
It was an inspiration and a joy to see so many of us in the room. I could feel our collective energy and the power of something special, something sustainable, building among us. It felt like a quality of aliveness – I think we were truly awake!
As molecular scientist turned Buddhist monk, Matthieu Ricard, writes:
“We have the potential to be more kind, to practice mindfulness, and to experience well-being, but we only use a small fraction of the potential we have. So that’s what meditation is about: to cultivate the qualities that we have the potential for but that remain dormant, latent, unused, and to develop them to the best of our own potential.
In modern Western societies, happiness is often equated with the maximization of pleasure, and some people imagine that real happiness would consist of an interrupted succession of pleasurable experiences. This is far from what the Buddhist notion of sukha means. Sukha refers to an optimal way of being, an exceptionally healthy state of mind that underlies and suffuses all emotional states, that embraces all the joys and sorrows that come our way. It is also a state of wisdom purged of mental poisons, an insight free from blindness to the true nature of reality. Authentic happiness can only come from the long-term cultivation of wisdom, altruism, and compassion, and from the complete eradication of mental toxins such as hatred, grasping, and ignorance.”
Author and meditation teacher Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn writes eloquently about mindfulness. He says that “the overall tenor of mindfulness practice is gentle, appreciative and nurturing. Another way to think of it would be ‘heartfulness’.” It requires a willingness to pause long enough to come to know ourselves more intimately – to question our world view – to appreciate the gift of consciousness we share. The quality of our lives may depend on this willingness to acknowledge our true selves and each other. The power of mindfulness is in practice. We pay attention in a particular way: moment to moment with a sense of acceptance even loving kindness. How appropriate that on Mother’s Day, so many of us came together to nurture our ability to be intimate with life in a meaningful way.
In the coming weeks we’ll continue to explore ways that can help build our capacity to calm and concentrate our minds – including guided and formal meditation methods. I will also offer you homework to deepen and extend the exercises we do in class. You can find this week’s homework and other resources at:
Sunday Meditation Class 1 Homework
I am hopeful that we can support one another in nurturing the qualities of mind that will enable us to meet our life situations with compassion and wisdom. I am heartful imagining us all meditating in the days to come.