In any moment, our intention - what we are energetically wanting - shapes our life experience. While our deepest intention may be to realize and live from loving awareness, we are often driven by egoic fear and grasping. This talk explores how mindfulness can recognize our prevailing intention, and by staying present, kind and accepting, we can reconnect with the deeper longings that carry us to awakening and freedom.

In our practice, we aspire toward a kind of wholeness, with no part of our life left out. In this talk, we explore two ways of developing more of such wholeness - (1) through connecting metta with mindfulness and wisdom, here examined especially in connecting metta and equanimity; and (2) through connecting formal metta retreat practice to everyday life practice.

Dharma Talk

Moving from reliance on sense bases to immediate practice, here and now, of mindfulness of body/breath - Aspects of attention.

Introduction to Mindfulness and Satipatthana Sutta as a training in freedom. Sakka's question to the Buddha about conflict.

Where mindfulness can get lost, dimensions of meditative practice

Four establishments of mindfulness in a nutshell

Discernment of Vedana as a key to healing and insight. (Sitting and walking instruction at the end)

This talk by Shaila Catherine explores the third establishment of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna)—mindfulness of mind—with emphasis on comprehending mental states as wholesome or unwholesome, developed or undeveloped. We learn to examine the condition of our own minds with discernment and non-identification. We develop the ability to clearly know what is present and what is absent. It is through an honest recognition of the state of our minds that we can purify the mind, nurture deep concentration, and realize liberation.

A) thoughts on practicing embodiment B) Guided Meditation

Discussing the basics of mindfulness meditation and why we do it.

Everyone seems to wish for world peace and inner peace, yet stress, agitation, and struggle may still dominate our lives. Are you seeking peace in ways that it can realistically be found? Satisfaction cannot be gained in the world of conditioned things, possessions, and identities. Enduring happiness and peace are found when we turn our attention inward, and let go of the causes of suffering and conflict. This talk by Shaila Catherine explores a number of Buddhist approaches to santisukha, peace and happiness, including 1) virtue, 2) guarding the sense doors with mindfulness, 3) concentration and jhana practices, 4) formless or immaterial attainments, and 5) the ultimate peace brought by insight, letting go, release, and final knowledge. The path of peace develops the mind and enables the adept practitioner to live joyfully, without clinging to anything in this world.

This talk brings together the awakened states of metta, compassion, joy and equanimity into our Four Foundations of Mindfulness practice. Filled with stories, laughter and song.

What can you take with you from the retreat? Using the occasion of retreat to develop wisdom of understanding - the 4 satipatannas / foundations of mindfulness; the transient nature of satisfaction; the rich man and the Porche; things are never finished; this is “mine”; seeing how conditions give rise to certain kinds of thinking; the release of the citta from clinging generally happens a little bit at a time; training the wisdom element.

Finding a place to rest; preparing a nest to allow the citta to settle with the body; breathing through the body; releasing the past, cleaning the house; mindfulness of death; forgiveness of oneself and others

Mindfulness is like a hand to hold things; how and why and want to hold? The need for correct application, correct object, correct way of holding. The breath and its vitality.

Sati - the quality that allows remembering; different types of bodies we can experience inwardly through mindfulness of our physical senses and the mind; cultivating feelings from honesty, calm, patience and metta/ loving kindness - cultivating the citta/ heart; four places to live in a complete practice; wise attention; what do I feel/ feel like? Sankharas or energies / vitalities in the body; feeing oneself from the trap of the senses using the body of the breathing ; what knows how to breathe? Cultivating the experience of anapanasati - purifying through breathing. Discovering and working with tensions in the body - widen and soften. Breathing calm and patience into the body, nursing the body.

Talk from the 4th daylong

This talk reviews the core elements of mindfulness and how we use it to uncover our intentions

A reflection on the "five Spiritual faculties", intrinsic capacities of the human mind, open and are known in spiritual practice. Howe the relate to balance and balance each other.