40 Mins of mettā practice with aspects of compassion and forgiveness.

What happens when I'm *not* mindful? (i) Loss of fluency in our attention — (ii) Loss of the here & now (iii) Loss of the space: collapsing into things. (iv) Loss of embodiment (vI) Loss of the other

Hindrances – a glance at the list of troubles and how they manifest . The different starting points of Buddhist and Western psychology. The Buddhas vision of freedom Different types of troubles: soteriological hindrances (samyojana), afflictions (kilesa), inflations (āsava). A detailed look at the 5 nivāraṇa, the five psychological obstacles to the cultivation of stillness as the basis for insight and understanding. The phenomenology of their manifestation.

Morning instructions

Short Reflection on the Four Vipallasa & Guided Meditation | Earthworm Practice for the Anthropocene III | Online Wednesday-Morning

We begin with a review of the nature of samadhi and of samatha practice, in which we develop greater samadhi. Samadhi is understood as a natural quality (including with other species) that we may know through times in which we are deeply immersed and absorbed in an activity, such as being with another, art, music, or sports. Samatha is one of the two main forms of meditation taught by the Buddha, along with insight practice. We also give an overview of how samatha practice deepens, going into some depth on the model of the five jhanic factors, and pointing to the experiences of the first two jhanas (as taught by the Buddha). The talk is followed by discussion.

We review at the beginning the basic instructions for cultivating concentration (samadhi), including attention to posture, a variety of possible areas of focus (with most attention given to the breath, including the technique of practicing with the "three-part breath"), and balancing "not too tight" and "not too loose." We also review the main challenges that can arise in such practice, and how to work with these challenges. Then we practice mostly in silence, with a discussion period at the end of the sitting.

Detailed advice on posture, sitting and connecting with the body. Followed by guided body contemplation exercise using the 6 sense channels.