Sitting Meditation

Sitting meditation is a way for us to return home to ourselves. Each time we sit, we bring our awareness to our breathing, allowing it to anchor us in the here and now, as if we are sitting under the bodhi tree. Sitting meditation is very healing, just a few minutes of sitting can restore our peace and well being. The purpose of sitting meditation is to establish our freshness and stability, being fully present and alive.

Walking Meditation

Walking meditation is to just enjoy walking, with no destination in mind. In our everyday life we spend most of our time running from one place to another, with no awareness of the steps we are making. Walking without arriving is the technique of walking meditation. With each step we inhale, with the next step we exhale, walking in full awareness of the contact of our feet with the Earth. As our breath and steps are in harmony, our mind begins to quiet and we begin to feel at ease.

The Bell

The bell shapes our practice and is our call or reminder, to come back to our breathing, and come back to the present moment. When we hear the bell we pause and breath in and out three times…breathing naturally, not forcing the breath, just letting it flow as it is. Our meditation sessions are framed by the bell, allowing us to drop fully into the present moment.

Bowing

We greet each other with a bow, in doing so we recognize the Buddha nature in each other. Buddha nature is our capacity to wake up and become a fully aware human being. We bring our hands together in front of the heart forming the shape of a lotus bud, and give a gentle bow from the hip. This is done to fully acknowledge the other person and is our practice of greeting, as well as, during our Dharma sharing time.

Gathas

Gathas are short verses that help us to practice mindfulness in our daily lives. Often we go through our life on automatic pilot with not much awareness. The mindfulness verses help us to be present to the activity we are engaged in…there are verses for brushing your teeth, washing dishes, drinking tea, sitting down, walking and many more. You are also encouraged to create your own Gathas to help you become more mindful in your life.

Mindful Eating 

Eating can be a very meditative practice. When we eat we should try to give our full attention to the food on our plate. Noticing the colors, textures, where the food came from, how many people are responsible for getting that food to your plate, become aware of the sun, rain, soil, all the conditions that came together in order for that food to manifest and give you nourishment. We eat slowly, fully giving our attention to each mouthful becoming aware that the whole universe is supporting our existence. 

The Five Mindfulness Trainings

“The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding, and true love, leading to healing , transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice The Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or right view, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on the path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or fears about the future. “

Excerpt from “The Five Mindfulness Recitation Ceremony”