Dear all
This week’s reading is pages 207-218 (from MINDFULNESS THE EVERYDAY-LIFE MEDITATION to OBSTACLES TO EVERYDAY AWARENESS).
In this section Darlene points out that most people do not come to meditation in order to achieve enlightenment (or, as she puts it, ‘become yogic adepts’) but instead to deal with their struggles in life more effectively. I imagine most of us here with chronic illness can identify with that. Although I began meditating in my teens, I really got serious about practice when illness struck in my mid-20s. Although Soto Zen talks about goalless practice, when most people begin meditating, there is usually a goal in mind, and something they would like to improve in their life.
She talks about how our on the cushion practice seeps into daily life, allowing us to have more presence by developing the ‘muscle’ or awareness to stay present rather than be swept away by a river of thoughts and sensations. Returning to the physical body (such as the breath or the feeling of our feet on the ground) provides us with a visceral anchor to the present moment. Doing everyday tasks from the perspective of bodily sensations can give us a break from the endless flow of thoughts.
Darlene talks about teaching people with chronic pain to focus on each of their senses in turn. Each of them can act as an anchor for us and allow us to perceive sensory information that we might usually be shutting off (especially if we are focussed on the pain itself. As I write this, the muscles in my arms are burning but I can also hear the whirr of the laptop fan and feel on my fingers over the keyboard).
In this section Darlene offers a number of exercises for us to do, from p210 to 213. These include eating mindfully, paying attention to sensations when you are bathing and taking three deliberate breaths when you first wake up.
Attention is given to a question that is asked about how to stay present when a situation is difficult, especially when it comes to a job working long hours or ongoing pain. Darlene suggests that actually being present and letting yourself feel what is happening and then letting it go is the best way to deal with these situations (although remember earlier that she does also extol the virtues of distraction at times, so it is not a question of pushing yourself to your limits, this is a practice to be developed). She says that when faced wholeheartedly, suffering burns up the moment it is felt and we need to give it space and have open, spacious awareness to let suffering arise and pass through us.
Darlene talks about her husband who is a street therapist working with homeless people, and all of the difficult emotions he experiences when doing that. She says that he is able to experience all of the emotions that arise for him without judgement and that is how he is able to do his job and make it through each day.
She concludes this section by reminding us that mindfulness is not about self-improvement, rather it is the paying attention to our everyday life and all that is in it.
Question prompts
1. Pick one or more of the practices (up to three) and try them out. How do you find it?
2. What do you think about Darlene’s perspective about suffering burning out the moment we are completely with it? Do you feel this is the case? Does it still work if there is ongoing suffering?
Wishing you all a healthful week.
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-
This week’s reading is pages 207-218 (from MINDFULNESS THE EVERYDAY-LIFE MEDITATION to OBSTACLES TO EVERYDAY AWARENESS).
In this section Darlene points out that most people do not come to meditation in order to achieve enlightenment (or, as she puts it, ‘become yogic adepts’) but instead to deal with their struggles in life more effectively. I imagine most of us here with chronic illness can identify with that. Although I began meditating in my teens, I really got serious about practice when illness struck in my mid-20s. Although Soto Zen talks about goalless practice, when most people begin meditating, there is usually a goal in mind, and something they would like to improve in their life.
She talks about how our on the cushion practice seeps into daily life, allowing us to have more presence by developing the ‘muscle’ or awareness to stay present rather than be swept away by a river of thoughts and sensations. Returning to the physical body (such as the breath or the feeling of our feet on the ground) provides us with a visceral anchor to the present moment. Doing everyday tasks from the perspective of bodily sensations can give us a break from the endless flow of thoughts.
Darlene talks about teaching people with chronic pain to focus on each of their senses in turn. Each of them can act as an anchor for us and allow us to perceive sensory information that we might usually be shutting off (especially if we are focussed on the pain itself. As I write this, the muscles in my arms are burning but I can also hear the whirr of the laptop fan and feel on my fingers over the keyboard).
In this section Darlene offers a number of exercises for us to do, from p210 to 213. These include eating mindfully, paying attention to sensations when you are bathing and taking three deliberate breaths when you first wake up.
Attention is given to a question that is asked about how to stay present when a situation is difficult, especially when it comes to a job working long hours or ongoing pain. Darlene suggests that actually being present and letting yourself feel what is happening and then letting it go is the best way to deal with these situations (although remember earlier that she does also extol the virtues of distraction at times, so it is not a question of pushing yourself to your limits, this is a practice to be developed). She says that when faced wholeheartedly, suffering burns up the moment it is felt and we need to give it space and have open, spacious awareness to let suffering arise and pass through us.
Darlene talks about her husband who is a street therapist working with homeless people, and all of the difficult emotions he experiences when doing that. She says that he is able to experience all of the emotions that arise for him without judgement and that is how he is able to do his job and make it through each day.
She concludes this section by reminding us that mindfulness is not about self-improvement, rather it is the paying attention to our everyday life and all that is in it.
Question prompts
1. Pick one or more of the practices (up to three) and try them out. How do you find it?
2. What do you think about Darlene’s perspective about suffering burning out the moment we are completely with it? Do you feel this is the case? Does it still work if there is ongoing suffering?
Wishing you all a healthful week.
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-
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