Notes:

The Practice and Session officially begin at 3:45.  Click on the pdf below for the book recs and healthy guidelines for the challenge.  Remember to try to incorporate three from the suggestions or three of your own guidelines.  Keep it simple, doable, and nourishing.

Homework: Today sit still for 5 minutes – tuning into the felt sense of your body in your seat.

Quote:

“You are the one Divine Consciousness made flesh.  Your task is simply to become aware of this miracle, this fundamental fact of your being.  Life has created a form by which it may know itself, and that form is you.  Take this statement in; absorb it in its fullness.  Become aware htat the disparate currents of energy in your being – what you call thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories, perceptions-are all simply vibrations of energy, flowing within a field of awareness.  You are awareness, and you are the vibrating patterns of energy that manifest within it.  Awareness and energy entwined in perfect union: that’s all that is ever happening, and that’s all that ‘you’ are.”  

The Recognition Sutras Christopher Harris Wallis

Quote:

“A poet is somebody who feels, and who expresses his feelings through words.

This may sound easy. It isn’t.

A lot of people think or believe or know they feel — but that’s thinking or believing or knowing; not feeling. And poetry is feeling — not knowing or believing or thinking.

Almost anybody can learn to think or believe or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. Why? Because whenever you think or you believe or you know, you’re a lot of other people: but the moment you feel, you’re nobody-but-yourself.

To be nobody-but-yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” 

Advice to Students

e.e. cummings

Homework:

Either do the 10 minute practice below or contemplate your own motive prayer.  What is the true expression of your heart’s desire to practice?

10 Minute Practice – broken up into three parts

1)5 minutes sit still try to relax into the stillness(more advanced 7-10mins)

2)3-5 minutes 4 part breath practice – remember only to hold the breath as long as there isn’t any tension.  If holding after the exhale is too challenging, drop that hold and only retain the breath at the top of the inhale.    

3)1-2 minute open sit be with your whole experience

Link for today’s yoga class:

Topic: Move & Mediate – 1/10/22
Start Time: Jan 10, 2022 08:29 AM

After our 10amPT Sunday call we will have ‘office hours’, we can chat about your experience of the practices and teachings.  If you prefer to schedule one-on-one time, please email me.  I am here to supoort you.  I want these 21 days to be the most beneficial for you.  

Homework: 

1)Do a second meditation practice – you can use the video or mp3 attached below as your guide.  

2)Contemplate your motive for practice if you didn’t do that yesterday.  Come up with a one sentence sankalpa/intention for your spiritual practice if you don’t already have one.

3) First thing tomorrow morning wake up in a place of inquiry – sukumāra – “who am I today?” “who is my partner today?” “who is my client or coworker today?” Relinquish your idea that the world and its contents are static. 

Technical difficulties occurred with the video this morning ? .  So, a complete recording of this morning’s mediation is on the mp3 below.   There is no pdf attachment today. 

Homework – Choose One

1. 25 Minute Yoga Practice – Link HERE – https://vimeo.com/373515203/3da95f226c
2. Second Meditation – use the Mp3 below or it could be a 5 min body awareness or 5 min open sit – make it doable. Body awareness is a daily practice.  We would like to work toward an effortless and genuine experience of loving awareness for the body. 
3. Contemplate First Order Reality which is everything you experience before you have a thought about it.  Slow down, get quiet, notice what is actually happening instead of your thoughts about what is happening.  I can explain this more for those who missed the call.

Susumnā-nādī  (graceful channel) or madhya-nādī  (central channel) is the focus of today’s practice.  The reading in the video is from Chapter 17 of The Recognition Sutras by Christopher/Hareesh Wallis.  If you purchased the book, I encourage you to read the few pages that make up Chapter 17.

Hmwk – Choose One

1)Second Meditation practice – If you’d like you can use the mp3 below as a guide.  Try to sit for 20 minutes if you are not using the mp3 or video as a guide. 

2) If you purchasedThe Recognition Sutras, I encourage you to read the few pages that make up Chapter 17 and take 10 minutes to contemplate.

Homework:

Set a timer for 24 minutes (or 12minutes if 24 minutes feels like too much)

1. begin by sitting still and practicing body awareness (5 mins or less)
2. Then introduce the technique/practice.  You can practice Visarga (the technique introduced in the today’s call mp3 recording of it below as well) or another technique that you learned this week.(8-12 mins)
3. Then dissolve into Being With What Is – perceiving everything in your field of awareness simultaneously
4. Then dissolve into Open Sitting – no technique at all
5. Close the practice with attention to your whole body cultivating a sense of gratitude and love if that is possible or gently place your hands all over your body.  Do this 1 – 3 times before Sunday’s call.

Homework (continued from yesterday):

Set a timer for 24 minutes (or 12minutes if 24 minutes feels like too much)

1. begin by sitting still and practicing body awareness (5 mins or less)
2. Then introduce the technique/practice.  You can practice Visarga (the technique introduced in the today’s call mp3 recording of it below as well) or another technique that you learned this week.(8-12 mins)
3. Then dissolve into Being With What Is – perceiving everything in your field of awareness simultaneously
4. Then dissolve into Open Sitting – no technique at all
5. Close the practice with attention to your whole body cultivating a sense of gratitude and love if that is possible or gently place your hands all over your body.  Do this 1 – 3 times before Sunday’s call.

Homework:

Second sit – use the mp3 below as a guide or practice another technique from earlier in the week.   Sit for 24 minutes if possible.  If not, do 5 or 12 mins.  Make it doable.

Homework:

Move your body, take a walk, do yoga, or whatever you like (those of you who stayed for the yoga class already did your homework :)) .  Take five minutes after you exercise to meditate using any technique you’d like.    If you do the Zoom yoga class from today at the link below, your brief meditation is at the end of the class.

Here is a 15 Minute Flow Class for you to enjoy anytime: https://vimeo.com/271615911/ce0009c16f

Monday Yoga Class Zoom Recording Info:

Topic: Move & Mediate – 1/17/22
Start Time: Jan 17, 2022 08:29 AM

Hmwk – Second Attention Practice

• Take a practice for a walk. Mindfully walk around and do a practice that you feel like you know well.  If you don’t know any well enough yet, safe this for later in the challenge and do one the practices that has resonated with you in a seated position

Homework – Choose One

• Move your body.  Here is a 20 min hip opening class if you’d like to use it: https://vimeo.com/346971613/a3e69a33f6
• Second Sit

“Awareness, free and independent, is the cause of the performance of everything.”

Sutra 1 Recogntion Sutras

Homework:

Spend ten minutes sitting with a sutra.  You can choose the one from today’s practice (above) or another one that inspires you; possibly from Tantra Illuminated or from your favorite poet or someone you know to be an awakened being. 

• Read sutra slowly three times
• Then sit with its vibration.  Thoughts may come.  Don’t hold onto the intellectual comprehension or thoughts.   Simply allow whatever arises to arise.  
• Drop into the place of inquiry: What experience of reality might give rise to this sutra?
• Experiential contemplation instead of intellectual understanding

Bonus Homework: Japa mala or the more esoteric Japa- remembering your essence nature several times throughout the day. 

We will practice yoga nidra on Sunday.  Please dress comfortably.  We will do this practice lying on the floor.  You may also want warm clothing, a blanket, something to put under your knees and a eye pillow or a something to cover your eyes.

Homework:

Micro Meditation – Pick any practice with which you feel familiar and try doing it for 5 minuutes, 3-5 times per day.   So between now and Sunday’ session, you can try to do between 5 – 9 micro meditations.  It sounds like some of your are doing micro meditation already and that it is happening spontaneously.  Perhaps you can set an alarm to go off throughout the day at moments when you know you can sit for a few mins.  

Homework:

Micro Meditation – Pick any practice with which you feel familiar and try doing it for 5 minuutes, 3-5 times per day.   So between now and Sunday’ session, you can try to do between 5 – 9 micro meditations.  It sounds like some of your are doing micro meditation already and that it is happening spontaneously.  Perhaps you can set an alarm to go off throughout the day at moments when you know you can sit for a few mins.  

After nidra today, these beings came to visit Kristy (see photo below they are just next to the right tusk)

Homework-Choose One:

1)Micro Meditation – Pick any practice with which you feel familiar and try doing it for 5 minuutes, 3-5 times per day.    Perhaps you can set an alarm to go off throughout the day at moments when you know you can sit for a few mins.  

2) Second Sit

3)Do Yoga

4)Try incorporating Yoga Nidra as your second practice (today’s practice mp3 is below)

Monday Yoga Class Link 

Topic: Move & Mediate – 1/24/22
Start Time: Jan 24, 2022 08:30 AM

Homework:

2nd practice – try something new, maybe yoga nidra or an open sit or revisit a practice that you haven’t done at lest twice.

Homework:

Lisa Feldman Barrett Video:

You aren’t at the mercy of your emotions (TED Talk)

Homework:

Second Sit or Yoga or Both.  Here is a link to a 30 minute yoga class: https://vimeo.com/376911977/191fbacf72

Homework:

Second Sit

Homework:

Second Sit

Yoga Class Recording Link:

Topic: Why we practice? 1/29/22
Start Time: Jan 29, 2022 08:58 AM