Mindful Path Meditation

The Way of the Physical Senses

2012-02-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

The way of the Physical Senses is a tangible strategy for contacting the Power of Now.

The basic idea is to anchor yourself in the present moment by focusing on physical sight, physical sound and physical body sensations.

The ultimate aim is to experience oneness with the outside world.

1. See Out: Work with physical sight

With your eyes open, let your line of sight freely float from direction to direction, object to object, or place to place within an object. Each time your line of sight shifts, note "See Out." It does not matter if the shift is spontaneous or intentional. Neither does it matter if the shift is due to a physical movement of the eye or just a movement in attention.

If, as your line of sight shifts to a new sight, you happen to note the preceding sight drop away or drop off, note "Gone."

If at some point you need to rest, it's okay to briefly defocus your eyes. Note that experience as "See Rest."

2. Hear Out: Work with physical sound

Whenever you're aware of sound , note "Hear Out." If all or part of the sound drops away or drops off, note "Gone." If there is no sound in any direction, note "Hear Rest."

3. Feel Out: Work with physical-type body sensations.

Whenever you're aware of a physical sensation, note "Feel Out." If allow part of that sensation drops away or drops off, note "Gone."mIf for a period of time you are unaware of physical sensation in your body, note that as "Feel Rest."Recall that in this case "Out" means that a sensation is of physical origin. It's location may be anywhere within or upon your body.

4 Focus Out: Work with all objective arisings.

Let your attention broadly float between physical sights, physical sounds, and physical body sensations. If more than one is available at the same moment, just choose one to note. It does not matter which. If something you have been noting drops away or drops off, note that moment as "Gone."

February Classes

2012-01-29T22:31:00.001-08:00

I have a new Mindfulness Meditation series starting...still time to sign up or let someone know!

Glendale Community College, Community Services

under personal development

http://cse.glendale.edu/wconnect/ace/home.htm

Mindful Meditation

Are you curious about meditation and what it can do for you? Take this class and you'll enjoy the many benefits of Mindful Meditation. Mindfulness is about having more awareness in the present moment and about being less in the past and in the future. It is aout having a gentle and non-judgemental curiosity about yourself. It is about learning different ways to focus and develop your own wisdom. The meditation techiques you will learn in class will help you to develop skills in concentration, equanimity and clarity -- resulting in reduced stress, more happiness, self-knowledge, and a more balanced relationship between your thoughts, emotions, mind and body. Feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to move forward with a lighter step! Jeanne Townsend started her meditation journey over 30 years ago, and has over 10 years of training in Mindfulnes Meditation under the guidance of teacher Sinzen Young. Jeanne works with beginners new to meditation and also coaches experienced meditators who wish to deepen their practice. Hours: 9.00

There are still openings remaining at this time.

Instructor: Jeanne Townsend Location: Hoover High School 3102

Code Begins Ends Meets Fee
12WFH063 02/01/2012 03/07/2012 W from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, 6 Sessions 75.00
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New Classes

2011-10-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be offering new meditation classes at Village Counseling and Wellness in Burbank, and Choices - A Counseling Center in Sierra Madre.

New 6 week series at Glendale Community College , Community Services Education

2011-08-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be continuing my classes at Glendale Community College, Community Services Education! My new series starts September 21. You can register online. My class is called Mindful Meditation and is under Personal Development. http://seco.glendale.edu/cse/

"Nurture Positive" Meditation Class August 27

2011-08-02T16:33:00.001-07:00

August 27 Mind in Body yoga studio, Burbank 10am to 11:30

Introductory Mindfulness Meditation Class August 20

2011-08-02T15:53:00.001-07:00

August 20, Mind in Body yoga studio, 10am to 11:30

Nuturing Positive

2011-08-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

"Nurturing Positive" as a meditation technique is a"constructive"one, as opposed to many techniques that are focusing on and deconstructing aspects of our moment to moment experience.

"Nurturing Positive" is an opportunity to be creative and purposeful in our focus of something positive in our lives...be it a positive aspect or emotion, behavior change, thinking, ideal, situation, or sending it to someone or something outside of ourselves.

Working in this positive way helps us to have a balanced and complete meditative process and experience.

It can also be very fun and enjoyable......... so relax and enjoy the process

The instruction for "Nurture Positive" meditation

1. First choose a specific theme.

for example: a positive feeling or emotion, a behavior you want to change, a goal you want to achieve, a personal ideal you'd like to aspire to, a positive situation you would like to see for yourself or someone else, a more positive thought pattern, etc. You get the picture.....just decide on one for this period of meditation. Don't get overwhelmed...you can keep it simple.

2a. For a few minutes you mentally repeat a word or phrase that represents the specific theme you have chosen. At the same time, tuning into any pleasant sensation that may be related to that positive theme.

Then....

2b. For a few minutes, you create a mental image that represents the specific theme you have chosen. At the same time, you focus on that mental image and any pleasant emotional body sensations related to that positive theme.

3. Based on your experience of 2a and 2b, decide on working in a way that comes most naturally.

a. in Image

b. in Talk

c. in Emotional body feeling

d. Image and Talk

e. Image and Emotional body feeling

f. Talk and Emotional body feeling

g. freefloating between Image, Talk and Emotional body feelings

4. Hold the theme in your chosen mode of working for a set period of time

Feeling Flavors

2011-05-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Feeling flavors is a meditation technique that is part of our" feel in " subjective experience . When we are aware of emotional type body sensations we say that we" feel in".

By using the feeling flavor technique we focus on observing and noting particular specific emotions as we experience them in our moment to moment experience.

It can be very enlightening to bring such a focused awareness to this part of ourselves. We are often aware of big emotions, but perhaps not aware of the subtler ones or combinations of feelings that we experience.This information is helpful in self knowledge and with it the opportunity to see what we are feeling, how it changes and how it drives certain behaviors.

1. Bring your awareness to the area or areas where you experience emotional sensations in the body. We call this "Feel in."

2. See if you can name by noting with a label(word) a particular feeling that you are experiencing and where. Example: happiness on the face. Fear in the belly .....gratitude chest and fear in back.

you might be aware of experiencing more than one emotion at a time.That is fine . Just include it with "and" .If there is no emotional feel then there will be a label of "feel rest" and enjoy the rest. Guessing is perfectly ok

Every couple of seconds check in and label your experience unless it disappears first and then you can note "gone."

The Way of Thoughts and Emotions

2011-05-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

This technique involves tracking your subjective experience in terms of visual thoughts(mental images), internal conversations(mental talk) and emotional body sensations.

In a psychological sense, this technique allows you to break up negative states into smaller manageable pieces, thus loosing their hold on you. By negative states I mean things like difficult emotions, limiting beliefs, judgements, urges leading to unproductive behaviors, etc.

Learning to focus on just one area at a time in a given moment will reduce the sense of overwhelm.

#1 Working with mental images.

Position your attention in the area where you experience visual thinking or mental images. When you become aware of an image you will note that as"see in" If there is no image you will note "see rest" . If all or part of an image (or rest) drops away, note that as "Gone"

Every few seconds observe and note.

#2 Working with mental talk.

Position your attention in the area where you hear self talk, usually in your head or around your ears. Pay attention to see if you can detect the presence or absence of mental talk. If you detect metal talk you will note "Hear in" When it is quiet you will note "Hear rest". When a burst of talk comes to an end ,note "Gone"

#3 Working with emotional body sensations

At any given time you might experience strong, mild, or no emotion in the body. If it is strong it will be easier to detect than if it is subtle. You can guess , subtle is significant.

Place your awareness in the body and see if you can detect emotion....from negative to positive.

If you detect something you will note "Feel in"

If you detect nothing you will note"Feel rest"

If the emotion or rest suddenly goes away note "Gone"

#Free float between the three

If you would like to work in the whole subjective state then broaden your awareness to include it all and note what arises or what calls to you noting as above

Meditation Reading

2011-04-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Some of my students are interested in reading more about Mindfulness Meditation, so I have compiled a list of some of the books I have found to be beneficial to expanding this knowledge.

I hope you find them useful.

Although some of the later titles sound challenging.......they are very positive and extremely helpful!

Wherever you Go There You Are.

Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon-Kabit Zinn

Peace is Every Step

The PAth of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh

Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabit Zinn, PhD.

Break Through Pain by Shinzen Young

The Wisdom of No Escape and The Path

of Loving Kindness by Pema Chodron

When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

The Art of Happiness by His Holiness The Dalai Lama

and Howard C. Cutler. M.D.

Garfield Campus class

2011-04-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

For all my Glendale City College students,

I will be starting a new six week series at the Garfield Campus 12:30 to 1:30 . room 10. Wednesday April 20.

Hope to see you there!

New Class schedule

2011-04-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Introductory Mindfulness Meditation Class

2010-11-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

If you or someone you know has been curious about meditation, but did not know where to find out more, this is a great opportunity.

On Saturday December 11th, I am offering a free introductory class on Mindfulness Meditation.

It is a relaxed, user friendly and easy approach for the very beginner.I also invite all of my students to come and join in the class for a "meditation boost" and break from a busy December.

Class will be 10:30 am to 12:00 noon

Mind in Body yoga studio. 2312 Olive Ave. Burbank, CA 91506

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

There will be no meditation class Wednesday NIGHT November 24th at Mind in Body Studio because of Thanksgiving.

Wednesday night class will resume December 1st.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday and send you much metta and loving kindness!

New Class at Glendale City College

2010-09-29T00:09:00.000-07:00

It is great to be back at GCC for another series of meditation classes on Wednesday's at 12:30.

Nice to see familiar faces and new ones. Please check on older posts for reminders of the techniques I am teaching in class. I hope everyone has a good experience and email me if there are any questions.

New Wednesday Evening Class

2010-09-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce a new ongoing Wednesday night Mindfulness Meditation class beginning October 6 at Molly Hagan's beautiful Mind in Body yoga studio in Burbank. I am very honored to be a part of this wonderful center for health and well being.

In this class we will be exploring several applications of mindfulness meditation techniques to help reduce stress, gain self -knowledge, have more happiness and obtain a more balanced relationship between our thoughts, emotions, mind and body.

The class is appropriate for beginners as well as experienced meditators.

Address: 2313 Olive Ave. Burbank, CA 91506 (just east of Buena Vista St.)
drop in any Wednesday as it is not a series
Time: 7 to 8:30
chairs and zafu cushions available for floor sitting
fee $15 cash or check

contact me with any questions and be sure to check out the website at Mind in Body for information about great yoga classes and workshops.

http://mindinbody.net

New Students

2010-04-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

To my new students...welcome. I am happy to support your meditation practice here with reminders of the techniques.If you don't find a particular technique, make sure to check the older posts! It should be there.

Focus In Technique

2010-03-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Keep track of your subjective experience in terms of visual thoughts("Images"), mental conversations("Talk") and emotional body sensations("Feel").

At the psychological level this clear tracking allows you to break negative states into small manageable pieces, thus loosening their power over you. By negative states I mean things like difficult emotions, limiting beliefs, judgments, urges leading to unproductive behaviors and so forth. By manageable pieces I mean individual images, individual self-talk phrases and specific body locations where the emotional sensations are arising. Learning to focus on just one of these at a given moment will reduce your sense of overwhelm. You stop being like a ping pong ball pummeled about by words in your head, emotions in your body and pictures on your mental screen.

At the spiritual level FOCUS IN allows you to become free from the "small self." The small self is the sense that your identity is limited to your mind and body. When you can clearly separate your subjective states into Feel, Image, and Talk, those states will be a home where you can live, but from which you can venture out....venture out into a deeper, broader sense of identity. On the other hand, when Feel, Image and Talk get tangled and meshed, they become a prison that confines your identity. With enough practice, the FOCUS IN technique will allow you to break free from the prison of small self.

The name FOCUS IN comes from the fact that you are turning your attention inward to our thoughts and emotions, monitoring them as tangible sensory events. This technique represents a modern reworking of the early Buddhist "divide and conquer" strategies such as the Five Aggregates or the Four Foundations. In terms of modern neuroscience, it is a way of detecting when your brain's "default attentional network" has become active, pulling you into memory, planning, fantasy and judgment.

The Technique "FOCUS IN"

1. Start by positioning your attention in Subjective Space

Bring some attention to Image Space(in front /behind your eyes) and some attention to Talk Space(in your head/at your ears) and some attention to Feel Space( your body experienced in terms of the presence or absence of emotional-type sensations).

2. Now begin to note the active states.

If all you're aware of is an emotional-type body sensation, note "Feel."

If all you are aware of is a visual mental impression, note "Image."

If all you are aware of is mental talk, note "Talk."

If at any given moment, more than one of these experiences is available just choose one to focus on. It doesn't matter at all which one.

Focus on that Feel, Image or Talk for a few seconds unless it disappears before that.

After those few seconds(or its immediate disappearance) note again , either the same experience or a different one.

3. Let other things be in the background.

As you note Feel, Image, Talk other things (Touch, Sight,Sound) may arise. That's perfectly okay and natural. You don't need to get rid of them. Let them occur but in the background of your attention. Keep yourself lovingly fascinated with the Feel, Image, Talk in the foreground of your attention

You may get pulled away into Touch, Sight, Sound activity. If so , gently return to Feel, Image, Talk as soon as you realize this has happened

4. If nothing seems to be happening in Subjective Space, acknowledge that.

If, for a moment, nothing much seems to be going on in Feel, Image, Talk, note "All Rest" and be aware that your body is emtionally peaceful, your mental screen is blank and your head is quiet all at the same time.

So every few seconds you'll be focusing on one of four things: Feel. Image, Talk or All Rest. Anyone of them is as good as any other. You 're not trying to get any of them to happen. You're not trying to prevent any of them from happening. A certain amount of guessing and groping may be involved in this process. That's perfectly okay.

5. Remember you have options

You can speak or think labels or note without labeling, whatever works for you in a given moment.

You can zoom in, or out or zoom both ways or not intentionally zoom, whatever works for you in a given moment. The zooming can be done in Feel , Image or Talk.

When you note All Rest, zoom out and be simultaneously aware that your body is emotionally peaceful, your mental screen is blank and your head is quiet.

You can intentionally restrict what you note to just...

Image, Talk, Both Rest
Image, Feel, Both Rest
Talk, Feel ,Both Rest
Feel, Peace
Image, Blank
Talk, Quiet

from Shinzen Young 2008

Meditation in Daily Activities

2009-12-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some ideas for mindfulness practice in daily activities. It has come up in several of my classes where the opportunity to find time to meditate is sometimes a problem. In addition to formal sitting practice, I encourage people to have a meditation experience in the activities that they do every day.
Mindfulness meditation is something we do to develop concentration, clarity and equanimity.
So do your activity mindfully!

For example: driving

1. make an intention when you get in the car to have this be a meditation
2.do not multi task. no radio, music. no phone.
3.for the time that you set aside to drive, do just that
4. be aware of how it feels to sit in the seat , notice how your hands are on the wheel, look at your mirrors....almost like the first time that you got behind the wheel. Be aware of the experience of driving. What does the road look like. What cars are in front ,to the side, in the rear. What does the car, the traffic sound like. How does it make you feel? Where in your body do you feel it.
Whatever comes up in your moment to moment experience of driving, just make an observation.
5. when your mind wanders into memory, planning, fantasy.....gently return to observing the driving experience. This might happen often as the mind gets bored and wants something more interesting to to think about. How many times do we arrive somewhere where we really don't know how we actually got there.We put the driving on auto pilot and our mind went somewhere else.
6. When you arrive at your destination, see if there is a difference in how you can pay attention to other experiences that follow.

This can be done with so many activities..... cleaning, walking, washing, brushing teeth, eating, etc.
Try one or many. See what happens. Be open and gentle.

Mindfuness Meditation Resources

2009-11-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

WAYS TO ACCESS THE MEDITATION TEACHINGS OF
SHINZEN YOUNG

Video youtube channels:

“ShinzenInterviews” (contains videos of interviews
Stephanie Nash has done with Shinzen, some personal
experiences, sometimes she asks questions a person new to
meditation might ask. Fun and interesting.)

“ExpandContract” (contains videos of dharma talks
Shinzen has given on retreats, as well as answers to
questions that have been sent in.)

Websites:
www.Shinzen.org (info about retreats,CD’s,written
articles)
www,BasicMindfulness.com(info on home phone retreats,
articles)

OTHER MINDFULNESS SITES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN L.A.
WEBSITES:

www.insightla.org
www.againstthestream.org
www.MindfulPath Meditation.com ( Jeanne Townsend’s site and blog, email for classes)

Meditation Focus on Rest: Easy Version

2009-11-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

This week I will be teaching a meditation called" focus on rest: easy version" It is a great meditation for calming and quieting . I find that it really helps to relax the body and quiet the mind when one feels too busy, overwhelmed and worried. It was developed in this form by my teacher, Shinzen Young.

Meditation Focus on Rest: Easy Version

1. Start by positioning your attention.

* Place some attention on the darkness/brightness in front of/behind your closed eyes . We will refer to this as "Blank". Place some attention over your whole body detecting relaxation wherever you find it. We will refer to this as "Relaxed"

2. Now begin to note"Blank" or "Relaxed"

* If all you're aware of is Blank, note "Blank."

* If all you're aware of is Relaxed, note "Relaxed."

* If at any given moment, both are available just choose one to focus on. It dosen't matter which one.

* Focus on that Blank or Relaxed for a few seconds (unless it disappears before that).

* After those few seconds (or its disappearance) note again, either the same experience or a different one.

3. Let other things be in the backround.

* As you note Blank or Relaxed, other (Touch, Sound, Feel, Image, or Talk) may arise. perhaps quite intensely. That's Perfectly okay. Let them arise but in the backround of your attention while the foreground of attention is fascinated by Blank or Relaxed.

* If you get pulled away into a distraction, gently return to the Blank or Relaxed.

4. You can still focus on rest even when there is a lot of "unrest."

* Remember that to experience Blank does not require that mental images be absent. And to experience Relaxed does not require that your body be free from all discomfort, tension or agitation. You can have a lot of unrest in your mind and body and still be doing the technique perfectly!

5. Remember you have options.

* You can speak or think labels or note without labeling, whatever works for you in a given moment.

* You can zoom in, zoom out or zoom both ways or not intentionally zoom, whatever works for you in a given moment.

* You can intentionally restrict what you note to just Blank or Relaxed, or you can use the basic form of free floating between them.

* You can find restful states...

Just look at the darkness/brightness in front of/behind your closed eyes to find Blankness.

Tune into the sense of settledness that automatically accompanies being seated or lying down to find widespread Relaxation.

Tune into the muscle relaxation in your ribcage and abdomen that automatically accompanies each out breath.

* You can creat restful states...

You can try opening then closing your eyes to enhance the darkness/brightness.

You can try to intentionally relaxing individual body parts to create local relaxation, or straightening up and settle in to create whole body Relaxation.

The Natural Warmth of Heart

2009-11-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

The Natural Warmth of the Heart

In the difﬁculties of your life, says PEMA CHÖDRÖN, you will discover your natural love and warmth.

Before we can know what natural warmth really is, often we must experience loss. We go along for years moving through our days, propelled by habit, taking life pretty much for granted. Then we or someone dear to us has an accident or gets seriously ill, and it's as if blinders have been removed from our eyes. We see the meaninglessness of so much of what we do and the emptiness of so much we cling to.

When my mother died and I was asked to go through her
personal belongings, this awareness hit me hard. She had kept boxes of papers and trinkets that she treasured, things that she held on to through her many moves to smaller and smaller accommodations. They had represented security and comfort for her, and she had been unable to let them go. Now they were just boxes of stuff, things that held no meaning and represented no comfort or security to anyone. For me these were just empty objects, yet she had clung to them. Seeing this made me sad, and also thoughtful. After that I could never look at my own treasured objects in the same way. I had seen that things themselves are just what they are, neither precious nor worthless, and that all the labels, all our views and opinions about them, are arbitrary.

This was an experience of uncovering basic warmth. The loss of my mother and the pain of seeing so clearly how we impose judgments and values, prejudices, likes and dislikes, onto the world, made me feel great compassion for our shared human predicament. I remember explaining to myself that the whole world consisted of people just like me who were making much ado about nothing and suffering from it tremendously.

When my second marriage fell apart, I tasted the rawness of grief, the utter groundlessness of sorrow, and all the protective shields I had always managed to keep in place fell to pieces. To my surprise, along with the pain, I also felt an uncontrived tenderness for other people. I remember the complete openness and gentleness I felt for those I met brieﬂy in the post ofﬁce or at the grocery store. I found myself approaching the people I encountered as just like me - fully alive, fully capable of meanness and kindness, of stumbling and falling down and of standing up again. I'd never before experienced that much intimacy with unknown people. I could look into the eyes of store clerks and car mechanics, beggars and children, and feel our sameness. Somehow when my heart broke, the qualities of natural warmth, qualities like kindness and empathy and appreciation, just spontaneously emerged.

People say it was like that in New York City for a few weeks after September 11. When the world as they'd known it fell apart, a whole city full of people reached out to one another, took care of one another, and had no trouble looking into one another's eyes.

It is fairly common for crisis and pain to connect people with their capacity to love and care about one another. It is also common that this openness and compassion fades rather quickly, and that people then become afraid and far more guarded and closed than they ever were before. The question, then, is not only how to uncover our fundamental tenderness and warmth but also how to abide there with the fragile, often bittersweet vulnerability. How can we relax and open to the uncertainty of it?

The ﬁrst time I met Dzigar Kongtrül, who is now my teacher, he spoke to me about the importance of pain. He had been living and teaching in North America for more than ten years and had come to realize that his students took the teachings and practices he gave them at a superﬁcial level until they experienced pain in a way they couldn't shake. The Buddhist teachings were just a pastime, something to dabble in or use for relaxation, but when their lives fell apart, the teachings and practices became as essential as food or medicine.

The natural warmth that emerges when we experience pain includes all the heart qualities: love, compassion, gratitude, tenderness in any form. It also includes loneliness, sorrow, and the shakiness of fear. Before these vulnerable feelings harden, before the storylines kick in, these generally unwanted feelings are pregnant with kindness, with openness and caring. These feelings that we've become so accomplished at avoiding can soften us, can transform us. The openheartedness of natural warmth is sometimes pleasant, sometimes unpleasant -as "I want, I like," and as the opposite. The practice is to train in not automatically ﬂeeing from uncomfortable tenderness when it arises. With time we can embrace it just as we would the comfortable tenderness of loving-kindness and genuine appreciation.

~Pema Chodron

October VSI Saturday Sit

2009-10-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

It was my great pleasure to host the October Vipassana Support International Facilitator led Saturday Sit. The theme for the day was focus on positive and loving kindness.
I thank everyone for their support and kindness during the day. I really loved teaching the students new to meditation. They are so open and willing to explore. I think it is always a good idea to remember to have a "beginners mind" no mater how long we have been meditating.

Metta Loving Kindness Meditation

2009-10-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Metta or Loving Kindness Meditation is a very special meditation practice. It cultivates compassion, friendliness, appreciative joy and equanimity. It bring about positive changes in attitude as it systematically develops a quality of loving acceptance.

What better gift can we give to ourselves, the people around us, and to the world. It is a chance to take an action when you feel overwhelmed by difficulties and negatvity.

Loving-kindness is a meditation of the heart and should be taken outside" to the streets" so to speak and not just a formal practice. Applying the practice to daily life is a matter of directing a friendly attitude and having openness toward everyone you come in contact with, without discrimination.

The Loving Kindness Meditation:

1. Settle into a relaxed posture with eyes closed
2. Bring attention to the heart area
3.Imagine a warmth and softness there
4. Say to yourself"May I be safe from internal and external harm." and really try to imagine that feeling
5. Next say"May I be happy, at peace, content." Use images, internal talk, memories, etc. to help with the feel
6. Next say " May I be healthy, strong, balanced."
7.Next say "May I be free from worry and live my life easily"
8. These are said to onesself. then to someone we love, then to a person we feel neutral about, and then to someone that we have difficulty with.
9. It is then said radiating out into the world in all directions to all beings.

breath meditation reminder

2009-10-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

For all of those who attended the first meditation class at GCC ,
Thank you for your attendance! I think there were about 40 people there. I hope that all of you had a good experience! I am going to give you a review or reminder of the technique that we used in case you forgot or got confused. I hope you find time this week to practice.
I want to let you know that I will not be there next Wednesday , but I have a wonderful teacher coming, George Haas. He has a lot of teaching experience and is currently teaching at Against the Stream. Check out his classes at againstthestream.org

Guide to Restful Breath Meditation

1. sit comfortably and straighten your spine
2. relax and settle into the posture
3. bring your attention to your breath
4. soften the belly
5. breathe normally in a relaxed manner
6. notice where you experience the breath
7. on the out-breath notice a relaxing quality and relax with it
8. if your mind wanders, gently return to the breath when you are aware of it
9. you can make a mental note of "relax" saying it to yourself or aloud on the out-breath to help with focus

New Meditation Class

2009-10-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about teaching a meditation class at Glendale City College ! The first class is Wednesday Oct.7 from 12 to 1 , and is open to both students and faculty at the college.It will be a great opportunity to share some very wonderful and powerful techniques that I have learned over the years.