Week 1

1. Sensing & Listening into Open Awareness

In this practice, we begin by grounding in the physical sensations of the body and in the sounds of our environment. Sensations and sounds are constantly coming and going, shifting and changing. We can begin to cultivate a sense of effortless receptivity – noticing and being and aware of what we notice. We can then allow our attention to be open and receptive to everything in our experience. We don't need to control our experience in any way. We let our attention move around freely, while doing our best to stay awake and aware of what comes and goes. This can include awareness of: sounds, physical sensation, feelings / emotions / moods, thoughts – images or inner dialogue, awareness itself.

2. Get To Know the Present Moment

Settle in, and begin to familiarize yourself with all the aspects of your present moment. Similar to the orienting practice we did at the beginning of class, we’ll invite you to explore your surroundings and your inner world. Move through sensations, sounds, emotions, and thoughts. Get a feel for all that is here right now, in this very moment, and learn how to navigate your attention in a conscious way.

3. Relating to the Monkey Mind

We introduced the concept of “monkey mind”. When we sit in meditation, we often meet the never-ending craziness of our busy monkey minds. The goal is not to subdue the mind into silence, but to learn to relate to our minds in a different way. We can allow thoughts to come and go. We can enjoy the moments of waking up from thinking each time we notice we’ve been lost in thought. This helps us build the muscles of endurance and self-kindness that can deeply support our practice. No matter how many times the monkey mind pulls you away, you can start to recognize all the ways that your thinking mind hooks your attention and start to enjoy the 1,000 moments of waking up that can happen in each meditation practice

(20 mins)

Meet the Monkey Mind

“This is the nature of the restless monkey-mind. Generally we do not observe the mind itself, so this encounter with the monkey can be confusing. But actually we are beginning to recognize awareness and all the thoughts, feelings, and impulses that are constantly moving through it. If people come to meditation in order to get rid of thoughts, this encounter with the monkey-mind might be disheartening. But we do not have to get rid of the monkey-mind. Ignoring this thought-factory never works, and suppressing it is impossible. But we can befriend it. How do we do this? By hanging around. We’re not aggressive. We do not try to conquer or control our new friend, but if we want to get to know its qualities, we have to stay present for the encounter. When we begin to meditate, no matter what style or tradition we follow, we will surely meet the monkey. But with awareness meditation, we give the monkey a constructive job to do.”

-- Mingyur Rinpoche

Building a Meditation Habit

❏  Create dedicated space in your home with a meditation cushion, chair, or corner (not where you work, not where you sleep)

❏  Create space in your calendar by carving out the time in advance.

❏  Take a moment at the start of your sit to reflect on your motivation for practice and some gratitude you might have for the opportunity to work with your mind

❏  Keep a meditation journal to help you recognize patterns and track progress

❏  Start with small, achievable goals (i.e. 5 mins daily)

❏  Stack your habits to make them stick (i.e. meditate directly after brushing your teeth)

❏  Set up a Triple R Loop (Reminder → Routine → Reward)