This time we look at a reliable sense of safety more through the lens of neuroscience/modern psychology as well as introduce the Buddhist practice of lovingkindness-- which was originally taught as an antidote to fear.   Discourse on Good Will From teachings of the Buddha, complied by Jack Kornfield May all beings be filled with joy and peace.  May all beings everywhere, The strong and the weak, The great and the small, The short and the long, The subtle and the gross: May all beings everywhere, Seen and unseen, Dwelling far off or nearby, Being or waiting to become: May all be filled with lasting joy. Let no one deceive another, Let no one anywhere despise another, Let no one out of anger or resentment Wish suffering on anyone at all. Just as a mother with her own life Protects her child, her only child, from harm, So within yourself let grow So a boundless love for all creatures. Let your love flow outward through the universe, To its height, it’s depth, it’s broad extent, A limitless love, without hatred or enmity. Then, as you stand or walk, Sit or lie down, As long as you are awake, Strive for this with a one-pointed mind; Your life will bring heaven to earth.

How do we learn to meet ourselves, just as we are, in a way that provides an internal sense of safety?   Erich Fried, translated by: ANNA KALLIO  It is nonsense says reason It is what it is says love It is calamity says calculation It is nothing but pain says fear It is hopeless says insight It is what it is says love It is ludicrous says pride It is foolish says caution It is impossible says experience It is what it is says love

We look again at the necessary nourishment of an internal sense of safety that is not dependent upon having things be the way we want them to be-- this time primarily from a spiritual standpoint, drawing from leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, and the writings of Etty Hillesum.   Please note: Bad audio distortion from 13:49-14:10.

This meditation draws heavily from Amanda Blake of Embright Organization and the field of somatics. Much as we would know we can rely on the support of a strong mature tree, this mediation uses the imagery of learning how to lean back and rest upon the tree of our spine.

We come back again to safety, connection and respect this week-- this time with inquiry questions to consider these qualities for yourself. Consider a time in your life where you know something about these 3 qualities, some place with a palpable sense of these qualities. What is that felt sense of being met in this way for you? How do these come up in your practice? How are you practicing safety, connection and respect with your own self? How might you cultivate each of these more?   First Lesson- By Philip Booth Lie back, daughter, let your head be tipped back in the cup of my hand.  Gently, and I will hold you. Spread your arms wide, lie out on the stream and look high at the gulls. A dead-  man's-float is face down. You will dive and swim soon enough where this tidewater  ebbs to the sea. Daughter, believe me, when you tire on the long thrash to your island, lie up, and survive. As you float now, where I held you and let go, remember when fear cramps your heart what I told you: lie gently and wide to the light-year stars, lie back, and the sea will hold you.

Again, drawing from the field of Somatics’ understanding that an inner sense of safety, connection and respect are foundational for our well-being, we use the body as a focus in cultivating these qualities within ourselves.

Just as sunlight, water and soil are basic nutrients for plant life well-being, safety, connection and respect are basic nutrients for our own human well-being. In this sharing we explore how we might offer this kind of nourishment towards our own selves in order to be more available for meeting these needs in our world.

This meditation considers how opening in the direction of safety, connection and respect is useful in our formal practice.

This week we explore inquiries around the challenges that arise in practice and what skillful ways we might be learning to work with them.

Your hand opens and closes, and opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds' wings. -Rumi

Chenoos are Native American mythological angry monsters. Looking at a Chenoo story from Joseph Bruchac is a beautiful lesson in how we might use mindfulness to meet both our anger and fear.

From the Tao Te Ching, translated by Ursula LeGuin: ...Hard and easy complete each other long and short shape each other high and low depend on each other note invoice make the music together before and after follow each other... The things of this world exist, they are; you can't refuse them.

Today was an opportunity for an inquiry exercise to explore the intersection of mindfulness practice, spirituality and prayer. This includes how Thich Nhat Hanh’s poem, Call Me By My True Name, might be considered as a prayer.

Today’s sitting practice includes a body scan Informed deeply by wisdom and kindness for what’s here.

We continue our exploration“connection with spirit,” which Polyvagal Theory names of as one of the 4 foundational connections needed for human well-being.  Today we look at this through the lens of prayer.  Where might these words, prayer, devotion, sacred get hung up for you?  Where might they be useful in pointing to an aspect of mindfulness practice worthy of your cultivation?  How might you invite this into your practice? Helpful Resource:  Thich Nhat Hanh, The Energy of Prayer

This practice is about greeting what is here, not trying to force ourselves into what we think should be here instead. What does that look like for you?

Drawing from Suleika Jaouad, Jon Batiste and Rumi, we look at how we can be wise and compassionate with the challenges that arise.

Bringing curiosity to whatever happens: Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace. -Frederick Buechner

Drawing from a sharing from Byron Katie about doing the dishes, we look at learning to love whatever we need “to do.” We can use this to skillfully navigate the joys, the sorrows, the challenges and the mundane in a way that life becomes a practice of care.

This is an opportunity to practice being receptive to your own being. Koshin Paley Ellison:  Being receptive is essentially being open to learning from everything. Some people hear this and are frightened. Others hear it and are excited … But true receptivity is a lot harder than it seems. And yet, if you can stay open to the lessons that are the most difficult to grasp, you can learn to swim, not drown, in the ocean of life.