This talk, given opening night of the first annual Mindfulness in Education retreat and Training, overviews the current state of mindfulness in education in the U.S.
We explore the different ways of delivering mindfulness to teachers and kids, some of the key questions and future visions.
How do the mind and body relate and does this tell us something regarding our identification with the processes involved? How does "mine and yours" become established within this relationship of mind/body?
Through practice we learn to relate with non-attachment to the condition of the body and mind as well as the conditions of our lives. We do this through the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness, the cultivation of samadhi, and the gradual eroding of self-view. Then we are well-positioned for insight.
In the context of wise speech practice, we continue to explore being aware of feelings and needs and introduce skillful ways to identify "how things are" through "observations."
When we see the world through the veil of our ego, our love flows in distorted and confused ways. Through mindfulness and metta and insight we can begin to understand these conditioned patterns and transform them into love and connection.
For many of us, the most apparent junctures of spiritual transformation are spurred on by challenging life situations. This talk looks at how our conscious aspiration for awakening, and our practice of mindful presence, can help us find peace, compassion and freedom when difficulties arise.
After a review of last time, of the importance of speech practice and the ethical guidelines for wise speech, we explore two ways of cultivating mindfulness in our speech, concluding with an exercise to cultivate inner and outer attention at the same time.
Emotion Management Techniques (EMT) are various mindful and skillful ways of transforming difficult emotions into opportunities for awakening.
Through full understanding of the emotions and their true nature, we begin to open our heart and respond to the emotions with compassion and wisdom and thereby experience greater happiness and freedom.
Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 Meditation) What is necessary for maintaining our practice in daily life, through inspiration, silence, Sangha and informal practice of mindfulness.
