(Brief intro:) Mindfulness without Pali - psychological aspects of sati. What can go wrong even if we get what we want; Forms of desire east of the western map for this term (kāma-taṇhā, bhava-t, vibhava-t.)
Relational analogies with differing human senses – seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling – Questions to connect more deeply with the breathing experience.
The Nature of Aversion; Why we have it, when it’s helpful, and when it’s not. I’ll focus on the nourishing and healing aspects of turning towards the stuff that agitate, irritate, and even repulse us. We’ll explore how important this is to the awakening of our happiness and greater understanding.
We bring our imaginary trunks full of stuff to a retreat. Through the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness clarity and wisdom arise, leading to freedom in our hearts and minds.
The sacred feminine expresses the realization of our belonging, our innate interdependence with all of life. These two classes explores inner practices that help us open to our longing to belong, and awaken the power of prayer.
After a brief review of the general nature of ethical practice, we look at outer, inner, and social dimensions of practicing the Second Precept - not taking that which not given - including a song and discussion of some of the challenges of such practices.
Sati as attuned attentional relationship. Two dimensions of training mindfulness: (i) temporal continuity (ii) spatial stability. Preferences and inclinations of meditators for one above the other are natural but need challenging. Instructions for a day's practice of kāyānupassanā.
There is an acceptable tension we each carry and are reluctant to address spiritually. That tension holds our thoughts, attitudes, self-beliefs, and projections together in a systematic self-serving way. It is the collection of aggregates laced together with our narrative that we will protect at all costs, and it is all tied to our current worldview.
