Week One
Class notes:
Tibetan distinction of meditation practice:
Modern distinction of meditation practice:
Homework:
Off the cushion practice:
On the cushion practice:
Preliminary:
Meditation: Constructive/Che Gom/ Jok Gom
Forgiveness
Journal:
Consider what a mission statement might look like for your remaining days. Visit the Vow Museum for inspiration. Look at Buckminster Fullers first one in the West Wing and Eve Ensler in the South Wing.
Tibetan distinction of meditation practice:
- jok gom - single pointed
- shar gom – review
- che gom – analytical
Modern distinction of meditation practice:
- Attentional
- Constructive
- De-constructive
Homework:
Off the cushion practice:
- Morning Orientation - Gratitude - Put your hand on your heart and feel gratitude for another day: to smell, taste, risk, discover, uncover, learn, etc. Gratitude for the work of the heart and set an intention to use these rare and few remaining heartbeats for the expansion of compassion and clarity.
- Try to appreciate someones presence in your life daily.
On the cushion practice:
Preliminary:
- Set intention in practice.
- Admit where your at.
- Acknowledge issues that might arise.
Meditation: Constructive/Che Gom/ Jok Gom
Forgiveness
Journal:
Consider what a mission statement might look like for your remaining days. Visit the Vow Museum for inspiration. Look at Buckminster Fullers first one in the West Wing and Eve Ensler in the South Wing.
Week Two
Four steps towards dis-armoring:
- Identify areas of vulnerability.
- Set intention.
- Practice Disarmament.
- Respect Limits.
Class notes:
Homework:
Off the cushion practice:
On the cushion practice:
Journal:
Triveni - Where body and mind meet
Thank you everyone for being a part of this!
Pratyahara Triad
These first three niyamas (tapas, santosha, astikya) from the hatha yoga pradipika form a kind of tripod in which a strong foundation is set for pratyahara, the 5th limb of ashtanga (8 limb) yoga. (Not to be confused with the style of asana also called ashtanga).
5th limb –
Pratyahara –withdrawal of the senses from trivia and distractions.
“Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.”
– Howard Rheingold
Class One
Tapas – Discipline, Commitment to what’s important, spiritual austerity
“Discomfort is the price of admission to living a meaningful life.”
Dr. Susan David
In many ways tapas involves not moving; sitting still when we want to distract ourselves, staying in a pose when we want to come out, holding our tongue when we are triggered and want to be reactive, etc.
These first three niyamas (tapas, santosha, astikya) from the hatha yoga pradipika form a kind of tripod in which a strong foundation is set for pratyahara, the 5th limb of ashtanga (8 limb) yoga. (Not to be confused with the style of asana also called ashtanga).
5th limb –
Pratyahara –withdrawal of the senses from trivia and distractions.
“Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.”
– Howard Rheingold
Class One
Tapas – Discipline, Commitment to what’s important, spiritual austerity
- tap = To Heat (tepid, beltane)
“Discomfort is the price of admission to living a meaningful life.”
Dr. Susan David
In many ways tapas involves not moving; sitting still when we want to distract ourselves, staying in a pose when we want to come out, holding our tongue when we are triggered and want to be reactive, etc.
Class Two
“All adults need to learn how to soothe and anchor themselves rather than expect or demand that others soothe them.” - Resmaa Menakem
Continuing with tapas. The invitation is to explore the ways we tend to avoid discomfort. What are our "reflexive responses to existential threats" to use James Hollis's phrase.
Do we tend to try to control, avoid, distract, disengage, or manipulate situations to avoid the pressure of discomfort. Get familiar with what reflexive responses you are most prone to.
Santosha – Joy, pleasure, delight, satisfaction, happiness, contentment
There are two ways we can work with santosha:
1. Learning to open to what is arising in the present moment regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant.
2. Learning to enjoy the profundity of opening to what is arising in the present regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. We got a sense of this second one when Darren said, in regards to asana, that for him, 'discomfort is delicious'. See if you can notice that it is the places we are stretched beyond our capacity that we are most fed.
Astikya – Faith in higher things, thinking bigger, non-reified belief, faith in principles of truth.
"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."
–Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.” Speech given at the National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.
“All adults need to learn how to soothe and anchor themselves rather than expect or demand that others soothe them.” - Resmaa Menakem
Continuing with tapas. The invitation is to explore the ways we tend to avoid discomfort. What are our "reflexive responses to existential threats" to use James Hollis's phrase.
Do we tend to try to control, avoid, distract, disengage, or manipulate situations to avoid the pressure of discomfort. Get familiar with what reflexive responses you are most prone to.
Santosha – Joy, pleasure, delight, satisfaction, happiness, contentment
- san = very much (com, completely)
- tosha = satisfied, content (tushita)
There are two ways we can work with santosha:
1. Learning to open to what is arising in the present moment regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant.
2. Learning to enjoy the profundity of opening to what is arising in the present regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. We got a sense of this second one when Darren said, in regards to asana, that for him, 'discomfort is delicious'. See if you can notice that it is the places we are stretched beyond our capacity that we are most fed.
Astikya – Faith in higher things, thinking bigger, non-reified belief, faith in principles of truth.
"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."
–Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.” Speech given at the National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.
Class Three
Pratyahara = 5th limb of Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali
What we have been looking at these first three classes are the first three Niyamas of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. These first three niyamas help support us in going deeper into pratyahara. What does that mean?
Well if we look at pratyahara as kind of like becoming a connoisseur of pleasure, of beginning to become refined in what actually brings us deeper pleasure and separating that out from what just appears pleasurable but leaves us dried up and disconnected, than these three niyamas are supports for helping us re-orient our lives towards depth.
Tapas - We build up muscles for being able to endure discomfort. Again why? Because yogic depth and real joy are often found hidden on the other side of discomfort. (See Susan David above)
Santosha - Contentment - The basic idea that there is nothing at all that can enhance your present experience more than profound presence. Its not on amazon, its not in your phone, its not on netflix and its not in the art of tidying up. These are all fine and enjoyable as long as we dont confuse them expect them to enhance our present experience of being alive in the world.
"Om I have enough Ah Hum" - Lama Marut's mantra
Astikya - Bringing ourselves into a larger context. This is often mistranslated as belief in God. But really its more useful to think of it as shraddha (faith) in the idea that our small lives are part of a larger song, a loarger context and learning to surrender into that. Astikya is about learning to surrender and find a kind of refuge in the idea that our lives are a love story.
“Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.”
– Howard Rheingold
Hafiz -
Don’t surrender your lonliness so quickly.
Let it cut more deep,
let it ferment and season you as few human or divine ingredients can.
Something missing in my heart tonight
has made my eyes so soft
my voice so tender,
my need of god absolutely clear.
Pratyahara = 5th limb of Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali
What we have been looking at these first three classes are the first three Niyamas of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. These first three niyamas help support us in going deeper into pratyahara. What does that mean?
Well if we look at pratyahara as kind of like becoming a connoisseur of pleasure, of beginning to become refined in what actually brings us deeper pleasure and separating that out from what just appears pleasurable but leaves us dried up and disconnected, than these three niyamas are supports for helping us re-orient our lives towards depth.
Tapas - We build up muscles for being able to endure discomfort. Again why? Because yogic depth and real joy are often found hidden on the other side of discomfort. (See Susan David above)
Santosha - Contentment - The basic idea that there is nothing at all that can enhance your present experience more than profound presence. Its not on amazon, its not in your phone, its not on netflix and its not in the art of tidying up. These are all fine and enjoyable as long as we dont confuse them expect them to enhance our present experience of being alive in the world.
"Om I have enough Ah Hum" - Lama Marut's mantra
Astikya - Bringing ourselves into a larger context. This is often mistranslated as belief in God. But really its more useful to think of it as shraddha (faith) in the idea that our small lives are part of a larger song, a loarger context and learning to surrender into that. Astikya is about learning to surrender and find a kind of refuge in the idea that our lives are a love story.
“Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.”
– Howard Rheingold
Hafiz -
Don’t surrender your lonliness so quickly.
Let it cut more deep,
let it ferment and season you as few human or divine ingredients can.
Something missing in my heart tonight
has made my eyes so soft
my voice so tender,
my need of god absolutely clear.
Class Four
Ahimsa -
2.31 - jati-desa-kala-samayamanavacchinnah-sarva-bhauma-maha-vratam
These yamas are the great vow –they apply regardless of class, era, origin of birth, or any other fluctuating circumstances. They are universal.
2.33 - vitarka-badhane pratipaksa-bhavanam
When you are overtaken by mental afflictions and negative thoughts...try cultivating the counteracting thoughts.
The idea here is that you will be overcome by difficult emotions from time to time. We all will fall prey to a loss of love or concern for beings. We all will lose our vocation from time to time. We can expect it and not be too disheartened by it.
"Ultimately, the most singular feature of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is that it takes for granted the assumption that being good — humane, compassionate and kind — is the goal. Sarcasm and shock aren’t valued; love is. It’s surprisingly disorienting, which might lead you to question how, exactly, you’ve been orienting yourself." - Washington Post
The question of today is how do we orient ourselves from here on out.
Which also might mean taking a look at how we have been orienting ourselves.
Vocation – The joy of tending to the hearts of living beings
The joy is that it is our vocation to tend to living beings. Its in our DNA to care for others, to look out for others, and its what feeds and nourishes us the most.
Ahimsa -
2.31 - jati-desa-kala-samayamanavacchinnah-sarva-bhauma-maha-vratam
These yamas are the great vow –they apply regardless of class, era, origin of birth, or any other fluctuating circumstances. They are universal.
2.33 - vitarka-badhane pratipaksa-bhavanam
When you are overtaken by mental afflictions and negative thoughts...try cultivating the counteracting thoughts.
The idea here is that you will be overcome by difficult emotions from time to time. We all will fall prey to a loss of love or concern for beings. We all will lose our vocation from time to time. We can expect it and not be too disheartened by it.
"Ultimately, the most singular feature of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is that it takes for granted the assumption that being good — humane, compassionate and kind — is the goal. Sarcasm and shock aren’t valued; love is. It’s surprisingly disorienting, which might lead you to question how, exactly, you’ve been orienting yourself." - Washington Post
The question of today is how do we orient ourselves from here on out.
Which also might mean taking a look at how we have been orienting ourselves.
Vocation – The joy of tending to the hearts of living beings
The joy is that it is our vocation to tend to living beings. Its in our DNA to care for others, to look out for others, and its what feeds and nourishes us the most.
