[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] follow-up on Sunday's talk

Dear dharma friends,

Thanks so much for joining together this Sunday evening, amidst the rain and muck, to sit together and keep dry under a karmic umbrella :)

We talked a bit about meditation supports, and I wanted to reprint the list for anyone who might benefit. I've also added a few at the end!

• Note inhale / exhale, in / out, rising / falling, etc 
• Count the breaths to 10, restarting whenever the mind is distracted (Or choose another number)
• Use a mantra, or repeated phrase(s)
• Practice metta (a form of mantra rooted in lovingkind wishes)
• Try anchoring mindfulness in one of the other senses - taste, touch, hearing, smell, sight
• Noting practice - rest in open awareness and regularly note where the attention is going (taste, feeling, hearing, smell, sight, emotion, thoughts)
• Adjust the posture based on what's most helpful - laying, sitting, standing, walking
• Eyes open and soft or closed. Eyes closed decreases stimuli, which can be helpful. Some even like an eye mask! And many people sit with eyes open. 
• A soothing ambient soundtrack, fire, rain, ocean or bird sounds, etc. Alternately, ear plugs.
• Guided meditation
• Add interval cues during longer sits. If sitting 20 min makes you anxious, it can be helpful to have a cue half way through (like a small bell, or blocks hitting together). Then the mind sees it as two 10 min sits, which may feel easier. 

Mipham Rinpoche described the mind as a horse in Turning the Mind Into An Ally, and Shunryu Suzuki told us to give our sheep and cows a large, spacious pasture in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.  If you want to dive deeper into the painting I sent before (a Tibetan thangka), I thought this was a helpful article from Venerable Thubten Damcho.

If you are moved to offer dana (generosity), words and offerings are always welcome. You can PayPal shawnshafner@gmail.com or venmo @shawn-shafner. A portion is shared back to the community. 

Thanks so much! Happy lunar new year to all, and looking forward to being together again soon. 

🙏🏻❤️🌈

Shawn

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Shawn Shafner

Weekly body-positive movement classes, meditation, group facilitation and more! www.ShawnShafner.com

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