Practice week

I have returned to my daily practice as of February 28th and it is a process to begin to declutter my brain again. I have also begun a daily journaling practice again.

On practice day, Judith led a śamatha of mahamudra practice for our vajrayāna class. The mantra that we kept returning to was "The past is gone, the future has not yet come, rest in the present moment" or "the present moment cannot be found." This was in line with my semester goal of not overlaying the past on the present or the future.

I have been returning to this mantra in my personal practice and I have found in extremely helpful in smoothing out any twitterpation of anxiety that I have been feeling.

Judith also brought in techniques that are meant to aid us in not over-exerting in our practice. Keep the posture upright and keep the gaze steady. Other than that, thoughts are clouds in the sky and let them pass. The simplicity and the short sessions allow the freshness to stay with the practice, rather than obsess over a rigid, religious timed practice that can be dulled.

This was perfect for my semester goal of relaxation in exertion.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Glimpse at possible samādhi

The one time that I felt that I moved through Patañjali's Mind Training, was at my Dharma Ocean meditation retreat two years ago. My posture was the first step and this was probably the most challenging part. My back hurt and it was painful to move through this. I would get up in the morning and stretch and work with it at night with my back massager. Once my posture was manageable and comfortable, I was able to really get into the somatic practice of pure awareness. I followed my breath through my belly, through the earth, and up my central channel. I did this slowly and with attention. My mind was able to stay with my breath and it got more focused every session. I was the most still that I had ever been practicing in these sessions, especially after I began noticing how calm my mind could become with this cycle of breath. I feel like my senses were withdrawn and I was in this state of settled and undistracted space. My teacher, Norman, who was also the man who trained me as a ...
Read more

Present in the bustle

Almost spring break, yet the days are still full. Today I woke up early to do faerie hair at a Daybreaker event from 6-9 am before meditating in the karma room at noon followed by three classes until 6 pm. Stopped to eat empañadas before the drive back to Denver listening to Michelle Obama in the book Becoming.  When I am blessing people before the faerie hair, I was present. Even with a line of 15 people waiting for my service, I can form a connection between me and the person receiving. This is a concentrated meditation for me. When I am in class, I am present and focused on whoever is talking. When I am eating, I am eating and I made sure to do that even though I was alone and could have easily spent the time on my phone. Everyday concentration in the busy life of the day.  The future planning is creeping in, however, as I figure out how to manage the 18 credit end of class projects and a business plan. Yet, as always, with right effort and right concentration, they ...
Read more

Presence

In class, we expanded, like the sky, into the infinite and merged with it as if it were none other than ourselves. Then we did not abandon our heart-minds at the center or leave it for happiness or suffering. Then we abandoned the thoughts that our mind might be fixed on. 93, 102, 129 Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra These three instructions together were instantaneously directive for me to be fully present. I have been coming back to these instructions many times in a day as I am driving or walking. Sometimes, I know that if I think of all that I need to do, I will be swept away into anxiety that is not relevant for the present moment to exist in its fullness. So, I come back to walking, walking. Or driving, driving. There is nowhere else to be. All accomplishing action will be done. To project fear of the future or leave my body for some other happiness trip, I will miss the joy that pervades this moment.
Read more