Week 7: Engaged Mindfulness
“The source of wisdom is whatever is happening to us right at this very instant. How we relate to it creates the future. What we do accumulates; the future is the result of what we do right now.”
Pema Chodron
We can apply the lens of mindful awareness to all aspects of our lives.
As we build greater awareness—knowing more closely our reactive patterns—we see more clearly and identify opportunities to step out of automatic habitual patterns.
We are learning to be at home wherever we are at.
Life Practice:
Experiment without recordings in daily practice. Aim for 45 minutes of total daily practice time, dividing up the time as it feels most supportive. For example: 10 minutes of yoga, followed by 35 minutes of sitting practice. Or 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes of body scan, 25 minutes of sitting practice. If practicing without recordings it too difficult, alternate recordings every other day.
Continue with informal practices. Approach informal practice with curiosity and playfulness, being as aware and awake as possible during the day.
Continue to work with ‘what you take in,’ perhaps choosing one new action or area to bring awareness to, to investigate what might be supportive and nourishing around this specific area.
See if you can capture moments of craving and simply label them. For example, noticing that you want to eat a third cookie, to pour a glass of wine, or to check your phone for another message.
Feel the sensation in the body of the craving.
Notice any thoughts or feelings associated with the craving. What happens if you don’t do anything but watch the arising and possibly fading away of sensations, if you don’t chase or feed them?
Next week is the last class… notice any patterns around endings. What are you seeing?
For next week’s class feel free to bring something to share: A reflection, a poem or quote—that represents your experience of practice and/or the community. It is also fine to bring just yourself, as you’ve been doing for the whole program.