We can easily lose our mindfulness when we are experiencing a transition from a change of activity in our daily experience to major shifts in our life. In truth we are always in transition. This talk explores the power of bringing consciousness to transition as focal point of our practice.

After a period of settling and general mindfulness practice, we invite noticing and being with any expressions of the judgmental mind (here called "judgments") if they occur. In the second part of the guided meditation, there is also a more direct investigation of a selected judgment, exploring it at the levels of body, emotions, and thought, and seeing whether any underlying painful or difficult experience can be noticed. We close with a brief three-part self-compassion practice (from Kristin Neff).

This talk explores metta and mindfulness as partners in liberation. It describes the abiding practice in 5 steps, and closes with 3 sacred going home stories.

In meditation we practice staying mindful in the presence of something. What are the things that are worthy of being “in mind”?

Devotion allows an openness which is beyond personality. We give back to our deepest selves through mindfulness of citta.

00:13 Q1 How can one develop self-love without being accused of being selfish? 08:33 Q2 How can I cope with repeating pain in the shoulders or back and strong surging of energy? Should one change position? 14:45 Q2 What is the purpose of being alive if not to experience the senses? Trying to dull out the senses to be mindful makes me wonder if we miss the true beauty of life. 27:40 Q3 I'm wondering about the effects of tension on the citta/ sensitivity. I'm aware of deep tension in my body which could have been there since childhood. Qigong and reclining meditation are good. 45:11 Q4 The manifestation of a category such as apple in your example, is that what is meant by nama? 47:25 Q5 What's a good balance of walking, standing and sitting?

A talk about what mindfulness is, it's relationship to concentration, and why it's useful to practice

Guided meditation

Part 1 of 2 days of instructions on mindfulness of thinking.

Reflections and guided practice on the third foundation of Mindfulness of the Heart-Mind (Cittanupassana).

Introduction to satipatthana with a guided meditation on sounds and breathing

Short teaching on the practice of mindful eating, including quote from Sonya Renée Taylor (author of The Body is Not an Apology).

We continue to explore how we might practice metta (and other heart practices) in a way integrated with mindfulness, wisdom, and insight, building on last week's session. We begin looking at some of the ways historically and culturally that the "mind" and "reason" have been separated from emotion, dating from Plato and the Greeks, and continued in the modern world with the understanding of reason and science as separate from emotion (and the body). This has been a major part of our social and cultural conditioning, evident in how mainstream education occurs, and also linked with gender conditioning. We also examine how, dating from Buddhaghosa's text, the Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification), from the 5th century, metta and compassion has been labeled as practices leading to concentration, and not as linked directly with wisdom and awakening. This has been the basis for the 20th century Burmese approaches to metta and mindfulness, which have been the main influences in the West. However, when we look to the Buddha's actual teachings, as well as later Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings, we find much more of a connection between metta, compassion, and wisdom. We can see this in a number of texts which we explore, including ones in which the heart practices are seen as leading directly to wisdom, and development in awakening. In the last part of the talk, we explore ways that we can, in our formal and informal practices, integrate metta and wisdom. The talk is followed by discussion.

We begin with about 10 minutes of settling with our mindfulness (or another) practice. This is followed by about 5 minutes of practicing metta where it flows as easily as possible, and then by a guided practice in radiating metta, extended to radiating in a boundless way. We then return to a brief way of practicing radiating metta without visualization, followed by returning to mindfulness, infused with metta.

Reflections and Guided Meditation

Continuing to explore freedom in the context of the Buddha's teachings, how mindfulness supports it, and some ways to maintain mindfulness in everyday life

Countless people live with shame and distress about their eating. Dr. Judson Brewer, scientist, professor and author of “The Hunger Habit” and many other groundbreaking books, is a thought leader in the field of habit change. He’s also a decades long practitioner of mindfulness, and a dear colleague and friend. In this conversation we explore how combining mindfulness practice with a basic understanding of habit change science can free us from unhealthy eating habits. We also look at the larger societal forces that drive overconsumption, as well as the shame that eating behaviors can evoke. Pick up your copy of The Hunger Habit at: https://drjud.com/the-hunger-habit/

We often hear that the heart of the teachings and practice is to connect wisdom and compassion, clear seeing and the kind heart, developing what Jack Kornfield calls the "wise heart." Yet such a connection or integration can be challenging in several ways. First of all, we have major conditioning in modern Western culture to separate the "mind" and the "heart" (or emotions), as well as the body. Also we find tendencies in the Theravada tradition to see Metta practice as separate from Insight practice, as in the way that Buddhaghosa in the influential text, the Visuddhimagga, lists Metta practice as a form of Concentration practice, and in some of the ways that Metta is taught as a complement to insight practice in the West. In this talk, we begin to explore what it might look like to integrate more fully Metta and wisdom, mindfulness, and insight, both in formal practice and daily life. The talk is followed by discussion.

We begin with the basic instruction in metta (lovingkindness) practice, using the silent repetition of phrases. Then we move to a period of mindfulness practice, followed by metta practice, where the metta is most accessible, followed by an invitation to return to mindfulness practice, integrated with the energy and intentions of metta practice.