Waking up and what we see.

How mindfulness of the changing nature of feeling tone (vedana) can help to reverse the escalation of stress and suffering

Handling the currents of the mind with kindness and mindfulness.

Just as one refines gold, we temper the restless thoughts and moods of the mind. We listen and deepen awareness in joyous silence, peaceful and benign. It's a noble healing of every harm we may have suffered in life. Instead of running from pain, we are freed from it – seeing its cause and its falling away into the luminosity of pure consciousness. Awareness of fear is not fearful – is not burdened by any darkness in the mind. So we walk intrepid, daring to forge our path to awakening.

An introduction to A Map of Awareness from the Thai Forest Tradition: Sati-Mindfulness-Mahi Sati (Great Mindfulness), Sati Panna (Mindfulness Wisdom), Panna-Vimutti (Wisdom which leads to release). Includes teachings on how to approach teachings and practices of awareness, how to use the Three Characteristics, (impermanence, unsatisfactotoriness, not self) to decrease and release activity of the Defilements (greed, hatred and delusion) and a fun experiential exercise based on a teaching from Ajahn Chah about letting go. For more information about these teachings, visit Heather's website and look up Talks, Retreat Schedule and ongoing trainings on MahaSati.

This talk explores the journey of the heart. What happens as we cultivate metta practice, both the obstacles, challenges, gifts and fruits.

The Buddha spoke of waking up as going "against the stream" in order to see things with fresh eyes. One essential ingredient of the spiritual journey is courage required to grow and be willing to step outside of our comfort zones. Being a spiritual warrior means facing our deepest fears, dealing with loss, opening to the places inside we'd rather not see and trusting that your awareness can meet any moment that arises. We explore this topic in our dharma practice as it manifests on and off the cushion.

John shares stories of his own personal lineage of practice from elders of the Thai Forest Tradition, including teaching based on Ajahn Chah's 'taking the one seat'.