Everyday Mindfulness

BioSattva, you have some very strong opinions, which of course is your right. Please, be courteous about laying out arguements as to why this or that way is "bullsh*t". We are all here to support one another, whatever our philosophical, religious, or cultural background.

Peace,
ZD

JonW wrote: It is like getting out of the car on the highway and realising how fast the traffic is moving."

Yes! Great quote, Jon!

A word of caution: the itching, the pain, the whatever, doesn't necessarily "disappear" when we put our attention there. Mindfulness will not make our issues or our pain disappear. It's NOT about running from things, it's about paying attention to them. What happens when we pour our attent...

JonW wrote:Loved the blog, Zendoe. Excellent stuff.

Very kind of you, Jon.

A starting place: http://zendoe.net/2011/09/25/what-is-zen/

"practical mysticism" That's wonderful!

I've practiced Zen for many, many years. "Mindfulness" is not so different in terms of practical application in each moment of our lives.

MonkeyMind (great name!) It's a REALLY common "problem". So, YES! there's hope. :lol: What happens when we first begin meditating is that our "stuff" gets really, really loud. This keeps happening over the long haul, but it becomes a little more subtle. Good to learn at the begin...

Oh my gosh, yes, Steve! I'm remembering now that I led a retreat once when there were flies! They'd land on our hands and faces. It became the entire focal point of the retreat! My other favorite was a midnight session on new year's eve. There were about 20 of us, and we were practicing in my home a...

JonW wrote:
40 years????!
If you don't mind me asking, at what age did you begin meditating?

Jon, I started sitting when I was about 15, maybe a little younger. After all this "practicing", you'd think I'd have it down by now!

Hi, FeeHutch. Thanks for the warm welcome.

This will pass. When we first start doing this kind of work, body and mind can resist a bit. Our mind habits are very strong! So, sometimes body/mind might jump in and say, in a way, "YIKES! This is different! I'm going to distract you so that you go back to the status quo!" So, some itchi...

First post here! Hi, everybody. Everyone has said it so well already! Practice on the cushion (or on your back - however you can manage it) is probably best called "formal practice", because it is this kind of practice that really teaches us how to steady our attention and work with though...