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Intervention vs Observation in Mindfulness Meditation
A short talk and discussion given at Spirit Rock during a Thursday morning yoga and meditation class. I talked about the difference between Bare Awareness styles of instruction and Cultivating Wholesome States styles, and how they relate to each other. Talked a bit about how understanding them as different ways of engaging in practice shines…
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Ditch your meditation timer (use it differently)
If meditation is part of your daily home practice, you probably keep time in some way. Peeking at the clock every 30 seconds is clearly not the point, so you have to have some structure for sitting with your eyes closed, right? Either you set an alarm (crickets seems to be a favorite lately, if…
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A new meditation and yoga retreat format
If you’ve sat a meditation retreat at Spirit Rock, IMS, Insight Retreat Center, or any of the other Insight Meditation spots around, you know the standard retreat schedule well: basically a day of alternating 45 minute sitting and walking meditation periods, dharma talk in the evenings. All in silence except for a 15 minute check-in…
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The practice of meditation
A series of talks looking at the practice of meditation in detail. We discuss different types of instructions, what’s happening in the nervous system, how to work with emotion, thought, and sensation, how the practice develops, and more. Part 1: Two broad styles of meditation instruction that differ in how we use our attention, and…
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The Discourse on Loving-Kindness (Mettā Sutta)
I’ve been wanting to do this series for a long time. We’re taking several weeks to study our way slowly through the beautiful Mettā Sutta, the Discourse on the cultivation of Friendliness, or Loving-Kindness. It’s a joy to discuss, and we’re learning to chant the sutta as well. Here are the talks and meditations from…
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Buddhist & Hindu Yogas are less separate than you think
A month of talks exploring the relationship between Buddhism and Yoga, or between the many “Buddhist and Hindu Yogas” plural. I wove in some history, but tried to stay close to actual practice issues. 1. Embodiment. (9.5.17) Meditation: Orientation through the senses 2. Focus & tranquillity: the practices of jhāna/samādhi, and the pleasure of Rapture…
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The 4 Divine Abodes (brahmavihāra), plus gratitude
The 4 blessed healing states known as the Divine Abodes, or Divine Abidings (brahmavihāra) are among the most beloved practices in the Buddhist system. We spent a month on them this summer, looking at the power of heart practice on the Liberation process. The meditations use a simple form of the “radiating” style taught by…
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Five Hindrances to Deepening in Practice
A talk on the 5 great demons the Buddha described that haunt meditators and anyone who wants to do inner work (or maybe good work of any kind): Sense Desires, Hatred, Sloth & Torpor, Restlessness & Worry, and everyone’s [least] favorite: Doubt. They’re painful, but Mindfulness of them is central to the path. When you…
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Michael Stone and the 4 Heavenly Messengers
After the sudden passing of Buddhist teacher Michael Stone. Meditation: Center of Gravity, breath
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Karma, past lives, identity, and interconnection
A talk on the deep layers of identity and history we all are/experience. Reincarnation. Meditation: body & spine