Be Sati

Engaged Buddhism: Precept 3 Do not force others, including...

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:46:58 -0400

Engaged Buddhism: Precept 3

Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrow-mindedness.

Because the elections are just around the corner in the US, I thought it might be time to revisit the Engaged Buddhism precepts. This one seems especially relevant given how hard everyone is working to change each other’s mind.

It’s tempting to think we should get to skip this precept right now. This election feels particularly important. But poll after poll shows that people are fed up with the increasing nastiness of our elections. Instead of giving ourselves a pass, perhaps we should dwell here a bit longer.

Is it too late to shift the discourse? To accept that we don’t all agree, and that we shouldn’t try to force our views or agenda? Can we do more than just co-exist? Can we thrive together?

We are pushing each other away when we should be pulling together. If we’re preoccupied with changing minds, then we are not listening. Listening is necessary for understanding. Understanding is necessary for compassion. Compassion is what brings people together.

Gandhi famously reminded us “to be the change” because change starts with one’s own heart and attitude. That is why these precepts are personal. We could cover a lot of ground starting right here with precept 3.

Engaged Buddhism is a way of applying the insights of meditation and Buddhist teachings to social action. The term was coined and then elaborated on by one of my most beloved Buddhism teachers, Thich Nhat Hanh.

Go Deep with Yin

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:31:00 -0400

Recognizing that there is no “pure” yin or “pure” yang, it is perhaps easier to describe Yin Yoga in contrast with active, yang styles of yoga. Consider the dynamic flow of movement and breath in a typical vinyasa class. We often begin our yang practice with tadasana, lifting the inner arches of the feet to draw up Earth energy through the inseams of the legs into the deep core of our belly. Using that energy as fuel, we inhale to stretch the arms over head, beginning a vigorous dance that generates internal heat, muscular flexibility, physical strength, and fortitude. We match movement and breath with rhythmic beats. We engage, we hold, we try harder, we strive for more, we change.

Nevertheless, many people with a committed yang-style practice find something missing, whether it’s never seeming to move past a certain level of flexibility or never quite attaining that inner peace that many yoga practices promise. One might suggest that the missing element is attention paid to the yin areas of the body and our inner yin nature.

Referred to as “The Quiet Practice” by Paul Grilley, Yin Yoga seeks to attend to the forgotten inner realms in body, heart and mind. While the approach may seem simple (holding floor-based postures for several minutes) the results are transformative. Yin Yoga offers a unique opportunity to ease and release deeply held tension in the physical body, unleash stagnant or blocked energy, and cultivate peacefulness in the heart and mind.

Though Yin Yoga postures look like recognizable asanas, we approach the practice with a different intention. Starting with the physical body, practicing familiar postures in a Yin way enables us to target connective tissue (ligaments, tendons and fascia). By relaxing muscles and holding postures for several minutes, we can, over time, increase the flexibility of our joints to the full range of our natural ability. Wider range of motion in the joints offers us more grace in movement and ease when we’re still, especially when sitting for long periods of time.

When considering the energetic domain of the body, Yin Yoga is especially effective for enhancing and invigorating our lifeforce energy (prana/chi). It is believed that chi flows within meridians that are housed in the connective tissue. By “exercising” the meridians through Yin Yoga, we can remobilize blocked or stagnant energy. When our chi flows freely, we feel more balanced, harmonized and experience increased vitality.

Unlike yang forms of yoga that emphasize physical precision, alignment and movement, the long-held postures of Yin Yoga offer a unique opportunity to marry physical practice with mind training. Whether through visualizations, contemplations or vipassana meditation, the quiet space created in a Yin practice is ripe for exploring our emotional and spiritual environments.

In the beginning, we notice an intensity of sensation in the body that evokes habitual patterns of reaction or suppression. By inviting us to dwell in a safe space outside our comfort zone, Yin Yoga allows us to practice and embody healthier mental patterns, what Sarah Powers refers to as “growing emotional maturity.” Ease in the physical, energetic and emotional realms unlocks a door for deep compassion and what Thich Nhat Hanh calls “interbeing,” the recognition that we are all interconnected in the human experience. In essence, Yin Yoga is an opportunity to cultivate our spirit body for “ever growing, deep knowing.” (Sarah Powers, August 2012 at Kripalu Yoga Center).

This article is an excerpt of an essay that I wrote following the Insight Yoga Teacher Training retreat with Sarah Powers that I attended in August of 2012. As a student of Sarah’s Insight Yoga Institute, we are required to demonstrate understanding and mastery of the material following each retreat by answering relevant essay questions. This was, essentially, part of my homework. I hope this article helps to illuminate what has become a deeply personal and rich practice for me.

Where Do You Go?

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 19:42:18 -0400

Where do you go for refuge when you need support?

This was the question offered to us to contemplate during butterfly pose, the Yin Yoga version of cobbler or bound angle (badha konasana). Such a simple question that relates directly to not only your external support system, but the kinds of internal resources that you may (or may not have) cultivated. The interesting thing about settling into a deep posture and then contemplating a deep question is that really clear images and thoughts can sometimes emerge. In this particular experience, it was like a door to a very bright room opened up - a touch more profound than just a light bulb going off.

Aaaand this is why you send yourself on a retreat… sometimes you need to eject yourself from your every day life in order to create the space for dramatic ah-ha moments.

What I ultimate came around to is that despite the fact that I have a lot of tools to help me navigate difficulty, somehow I have allowed myself to be drawn into circumstances where I no longer have even small increments of time to tend to myself on a deep level. Much of this situation is born of my own choices. I chose to get married and have a child. I chose to take on, perhaps, a bit more work than I can comfortably sustain. In many ways I choose a lifestyle that makes me exhausted at the end of the day.

And this is the normal landscape lately. When stress starts to mount, the lack of a refuge creates more stress. It’s like I don’t have a valve for my my internal pressure cooker. Then the snippiness starts, the impatience, the exhaustion… it’s a bad cycle.

But what we sometimes forget about choices is that we can unchoose many of them. I’m not going to take back the promises to my family, and nor do I want to. But I can certainly pull the throttle on other parts of my life. And in doing so, I can reincorporate personal time to take refuge, recalibrate my mood, and hopefully be a better member of my family in return.

And this is why I tell my yoga students that taking care of yourself is not selfish. When you are happier, centered, more grounded, and able to draw on your own internal resources without depleting yourself, then you have a heck of a lot more to give to those around you.

So, why not put yourself into butterfly pose and ask of yourself: Where do you seek refuge when you need support? Such a simple little exercise could change your life.

What Am I Doing Here? - Insight Yoga Training Day 1

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:08:08 -0400

“We use the postures to get to know our body, not use the body to perform postures.” - Sarah Powers, Insight Yoga Training, August 2012

Let me first just say that this is probably not a precise quote, but definitely very close to how Sarah introduced our first session on Yin Yoga today. I’m sending updates from a training program I’m attending at Kripalu Center because I wanted to create a framework for thinking about what I’m learning each day. Often when I attend these yoga intensives, I cram as much as I can into a little notebook hoping that one day I’ll review it. But mostly I end up just trusting that the essence will bubble up in my classes. And actually it does.

This is a more concerted effort to process, in real time, what I’m learning. I’m glad that I decided to do this because not a single word of what Sarah says is extraneous. I can’t possible write fast enough to capture her teachings. It is, at times, frustrating. I don’t want to miss anything or forget anything. So, I’m sharing in order to process and dial it in.

Back to the quote…

Even before this program, I have been spending a lot of time contemplating just exactly what we’re supposed to be getting out of asana (posture) practice anyway. On the one hand, it’s a no brainer because our practice feels good and sets us up for a healthier lifestyle. Quite a lot of health consciousness begins with that first child’s pose. Since I began practicing yoga, many aspects of my life are fundamentally different for the better.

But along with this emphasis on the postures comes this near obsession with the right way to do postures. Am I doing this right? Why don’t I look like that woman in this posture? She’s obviously a better yogi than me. My teacher isn’t going to like me because I can’t do this posture.” Etc. Etc. Etc. This isn’t yoga, and it certainly isn’t healthy.

It’s important to remind ourselves that our asana practice is not about marking off a checklist of how many poses we can do or even how precisely we do them (I believe there’s a reasonable amount of latitude for safety in most poses). Asana practice is an environment for self-inquiry and reflection by way of the physical sensation. Through asana practice, we initiate a process for knowing ourselves more intimately. Asana is not the end game.

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slaveryNone but...

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 08:22:59 -0400

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind”
~ Bob Marley

Happy Fourth of July, America!

Embracing the Feminine in Buddhism | Jack Kornfield

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 13:26:25 -0400

Embracing the Feminine in Buddhism | Jack Kornfield:

In light of the discussion of women in American society, I appreciate that Mr. Kornfield has opened the door to discussion about women in Buddhism. Frankly, I believe the most inspiring and uplifting Buddhist teachers in America ARE women. I don’t think I feel connected to them because they are women, but rather I think their feminine insight gives them a sincerity and openness that comes across in their commentary. This is a potent and very welcoming point of view that I believe can only bring the Dharma to more people.

springwise: Cardboard packaging includes directions for turning...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 07:40:48 -0400

springwise:

Cardboard packaging includes directions for turning it into something new

Product packaging is a perennial problem for sustainability-minded manufacturers, and we’ve seen a variety of different approaches designed to minimize its environmental impact. Dutch baby stroller manufacturer Joolz, however, has come up with a particularly charming solution. Specifically, each cardboard box that encloses Joolz products now includes printed directions on how to turn it into a brand new item. READ MORE…

I really love this. Amazon should do something like this.

Bully victim receives outpouring of support

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:24:08 -0400

Bully victim receives outpouring of support:

In my line of “work” as a yoga and meditation teacher, I often say that taking care of one’s own self is not selfish. We have a lot of work to do to bring harmony within. Delving inward is the cornerstone of compassion practice.

But it can be difficult to see the connection between what can seem like personal indulgence (to some) and a more civilized society. Yet, it’s so obvious to me when stories like this surface: more people need exposure to non-dogmatic, contemplative practices that encourage compassion. Even children because they are exposed to the same conflicting cultural messages in the media that adults are, only they don’t have the intellectual sophistication to filter harmful messages out.

In addition to sending money to Karen and punishing the bullies, we should send copies of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Planting Seeds to the children’s parents and teachers. In the Washington, DC area where I live and teach, one local non-profit seeks to bring yoga and mindfulness to children, YoKid.

“One who recites but few teachings Yet lives according...

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:29:16 -0400

“One who recites but few teachings
Yet lives according to the Dharma,
Abandoning passion, ill will, and delusion,
Aware and with mind well freed,
Not clinging to this life or the next,
Attains the benefits of the contemplative life.”

~ The Buddha, from the Dhammapada (19-20)

Engaged Buddhism: Precept 2

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:30:01 -0400

Precept 2
Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others’ viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.

Entrenching ourselves in our personal worldview starts early. I’m amazed at how resolute even my 3 year old daughter is in her thinking about things. In spite of her stubbornness, she is still very open and receptive. We can learn a lot from children.

Even Beginners Can Curb Pain With Meditation

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 13:24:00 -0400

Even Beginners Can Curb Pain With Meditation:

For a number of years now, neuroscientists have been looking at the brains of long-time meditators, monks and even the Dalai Lama. But there’s always this lingering impression that it can take years to realize the benefits. Even in my own experience, I have to look back over a number of years to track what I believe is a personal shift in my thinking, attitude and response to difficulty.

But newer research shows that, in fact, there are short-term benefits to meditation. This study looks at pain management. Pain is a very subjective experience, and some people just seem to be able to tolerate it more than others. But looking at pain centers in the brain, science can prove that reports of pain reduction after meditation isn’t just a simple shift in perspective.

Our World is So Beautiful! This is a National Geographic Photo...

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 13:29:28 -0400

Our World is So Beautiful!

This is a National Geographic Photo of the Day from about a year ago. This file has been sitting on my computer desktop for ages. These are REAL camel thorn trees, set in front of a gorgeous sand dune. Follow the link to NatGeo for a wallpaper of this photo.

When I see images like this, I feel so lucky to live on our beautiful and amazing planet. Then my heart aches a little because I feel like I’m the only one that sees it. Obviously not true because I didn’t take or even promote this photo to begin with. But when you look at something like this, why isn’t it your first instinct to take to the streets to defend our homeland? I’m not talking about America, I’m talking about our Earth.

How can you see something so stunning and not care?

I DO: Manipura Chakra

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 11:47:35 -0400

You are amazing. You are energetic. You are effective. You can do it. With mindful determination, you can do anything.

Manipura Chakra, the lustrous gem, is located at the center of the body at the solar plexus. Physically, it is the largest convergence of autonomic nerves in the torso. Energetically, it is the fiery, soul-ar battery. While the body processes food and nutrition, creating the vital energy for life, the third chakra is harmonizing your sense of self and personal power, giving you the get up that you need to go.

Manipura is the center of personal transformation. When balanced, you are spontaneous, you take risks, you assert yourself with confidence and kindness. You are warm and caring, and you move through life with the ease that comes from deep inner power. Building upon the structural stability of Muladhara and the creative flow of Svadhisthana, harmony in Manipura establishes an environment where ideas become action.

An overcharged third chakra can lead you into an endless cycle of striving for power, recognition and status. This leads to suspicion and an erosion of relationships, for you never know who might steal your throne. Stress, high-blood pressure, and poor digestion are slowly eroding your strength from the inside out. Take care because your fire will eventually burn out.

A depleted Manipura Chakra manifests in low self-esteem, turning you into a victim that can be easily manipulated by others. You seek fulfillment from external sources, drawing you into a roller coaster of hope, guilt and denial.

Yoga postures that stimulate Manipura focus on warrior energy and the deep core to fire up your strength and stamina: boat pose, sun salutations, and chair. Lower-torso twists are also invigorating. Passive backbends and cat/cow stretches can cool the fire.

Pranayama to stoke the fire include Kapalabhati and Bhastrika. Slow, diaphramatic breathing is calming.

"There is a Light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens, beyond..."

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:06:54 -0400

““There is a Light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens, beyond the highest, the very highest heavens. This is the Light that shines in our heart.””

- ~ THE CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD

I have a thing for round structures.

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 22:42:00 -0400

I have a thing for round structures.:

It’s true. I can’t resist them: round homes, round buildings, round living spaces. Mandala Homes come as kits, kind of how all those craftsmen houses were sold at the turn of the last century. I’d love, love, love to have one of these in the woods with lots of windows. 360 views. Wow.

Lemongrass: Tangy & Refreshing

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:23:13 -0400

I find lemongrass to be one of the most recognizable tastes in all of cooking. And it’s the lemongrass that particularly attracts me to Tom Yum soup from Thailand. I love, love, love, love, love it.

As an herb and essential oil, it’s quite useful and versatile. Like citronella, it repels bugs and is often added to bug sprays for its aroma. But it’s also anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and a sedative.

It’s also a key ingredient in the herbal bundles used in Thai massage. It’s considered a “hot” herb, which means it can be used to raise a depleted fire element. Lemongrass tea, which I also adore, is often recommended in Thailand for colds, congestion, and sore throat.

Engaged Buddhism: Precept 1

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 13:21:38 -0400

Precept 1:
Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.

What I find intriguing about this precept is that it seems to be encouraging us to dabble across faiths and philosophies.

Several things to love about this set up, besides the obvious:...

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:28:02 -0400

Several things to love about this set up, besides the obvious: who doesn’t want such an excellent teepee to nap in? I’m especially intrigued by the gutter-turned-planters nailed into the wall on the left. We have precious little space in which to garden behind our ticky-tacky townhouse. The only way to garden is up!

Check out this audio clip of the first three Yoga Sutras....

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:08:42 -0400

Check out this audio clip of the first three Yoga Sutras. Thanks to my friend, Stair, for the share!

STILL more stuff to do with a pallet. There is a Home Depot...

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:26:06 -0400

STILL more stuff to do with a pallet. There is a Home Depot near my daughter’s school that I drive by several times a day. They have towers of pallets just waiting for me to claim one. I need to call up the Home Depot.

This one happens to be a “free library” in Paris. Find out more below:

unconsumption:

We’re fans of free book exchanges, like the Little Free Libraries; the now-defunct-phone-booths-turned-mini-libraries (here, here, here, here, and here); shelves in London Tube and train stations and in airports that enable travelers to swap books; former newspaper racks; and a 1979 Ford transformed into a bookmobile from which free books are distributed in Buenos Aires, among others, that spring up in public spaces.

(We’re also fond of more traditional libraries that are housed in non-traditional settings like repurposed old buses and historic barns and churches.)

And now in Paris, there’s this communal book exchange sitting atop a tree cage:

Strasbourg-based street artist Florian Rivière is back with a new, neat urban intervention! Last weekend, Rivière installed a little library on a sidewalk near Gare du Nord … .

I don’t know if that’s a pallet or a crate (or both), but I like it!

See a couple of Riviere’s other urban interventions, a.k.a., “hacktions,” here.

(via Urban Hacktivist Launches Street Library — The Pop-Up City)