Settling into mindfulness for the month long retreat. Approaching sounds, body sensations, and the breath as a home base, with ease, patience, and kindness of attitude.

The list of the Five spiritual Faculties - Faith, Energy, Mindfulness, Concentration and Wisdom - is a helpful way to understand the unfolding of practice. Each of these are important issues of practice and each can be seen to build on the next for the full flowering of the awakened heart/mind.

Includes device renunciation

As we begin the journey of a long retreat, it is helpful to consider different ways to frame our practice .I offered an overview with a diagram that depicted this, and how we might talk about our practice in meetings with teachers. This begins with the biggest frame - wise attitude or wise view, supported by our intentions and aspirations. the next frame is continuity of mindfulness that supports whatever practice or technique we might be cultivating.

Practicing metta for an easy being and for oneself, with an emphasis in establishing loyalty to be kind to yourself in all conditions.