Still sitting, and back to pretty much daily, though not back to the same time every day - which feels best.
I'm trying very hard to write more - not daily, but more regularly, and thinking about writing every day, even if not doing it. This does seem to use some of the same muscles as meditation, so it's a challenge to keep up both - but necessary, because they need one another.
Thinking of you all at this often cold, often busy time of year.
We seem to be in a bit of a lull here. I wonder why? I feel like my practice is in complete disarray, and it's boring to talk about it, so I haven't been saying much. Also it's a very busy time of year, and rather sad for many of us. But I've been thinking of everyone and hoping you're all OK. How about everyone else? Maybe we can all give a little update and get some group-energy going!
I think "lull" describes it nicely, Beth. There are no big traumas in my life right now...I'm just busy with the boring details of teaching, which doesn't provide much in the way of interesting "stuff" to talk about.
(Believe me, y'all do not want a play-by-play account of how many papers I graded today!) :-)
When my work feels boring, so do my life & practice. I know that things will improve when I've submitted grades & gotten my life "back"...but in the meantime, things are pretty ho-hum...
"Complete disarray" would be my watchword as well, Beth.
I had a delightfully renewing time with my sangha tonight, however. (Just got home.) It is a small group of five souls, all of whom are struggling to establish a "respectable" practice. I use that silly term here because the members have a wonderful sense of humor and are often hilariously funny about the toils and tribulations of trying to meditate regularly and bringing the practice into life's little weird encounters. We really guffawed tonight as we each reported on our efforts to make the seasonal hassles into "an opportunity for spiritual practice."
My in-person sangha and my on-line sangha are two anchors for my efforts to remain conscious and aware.
We meditate together, report individually on how our practice is going (this part is frequently accompanied by mirth), and then talk about books we've assigned ourselves. The books are usually about spiritual journeys. (Buddha and suchlike.)
Tonight we had a lively discussion about the Jefferson Bible (an interesting tome created by Thomas Jefferson, in which he took the four gospels and edited them by literally cutting them up and repasting them together in one single narrative. He removed all the supernatural miracle stories, focusing only on where Jesus went, what he did, and what he said.)
I'd be interested to hear more about any in-person meditation groups that others of you have and how you interact with them.
Definitely lulling: no energy, no motivation, blah. There's nothing wrong, I just can't seem to do anything more than the absolutely necessary. Also going through a phase of recurrent insomnia (3 hours last night, with neither yoghurt nor hot chocolate in the house, disaster!) which doesn't help. Bah. Perhaps I will sit tonight before going to bed.
6 Comments:
Still sitting, and back to pretty much daily, though not back to the same time every day - which feels best.
I'm trying very hard to write more - not daily, but more regularly, and thinking about writing every day, even if not doing it. This does seem to use some of the same muscles as meditation, so it's a challenge to keep up both - but necessary, because they need one another.
Thinking of you all at this often cold, often busy time of year.
Likewise, thinking of you during this often cold, often busy, often complicated time of year!
Trying to sit with intention, not finding peace at this time.
We seem to be in a bit of a lull here. I wonder why? I feel like my practice is in complete disarray, and it's boring to talk about it, so I haven't been saying much. Also it's a very busy time of year, and rather sad for many of us. But I've been thinking of everyone and hoping you're all OK. How about everyone else? Maybe we can all give a little update and get some group-energy going!
I think "lull" describes it nicely, Beth. There are no big traumas in my life right now...I'm just busy with the boring details of teaching, which doesn't provide much in the way of interesting "stuff" to talk about.
(Believe me, y'all do not want a play-by-play account of how many papers I graded today!) :-)
When my work feels boring, so do my life & practice. I know that things will improve when I've submitted grades & gotten my life "back"...but in the meantime, things are pretty ho-hum...
"Complete disarray" would be my watchword as well, Beth.
I had a delightfully renewing time with my sangha tonight, however. (Just got home.) It is a small group of five souls, all of whom are struggling to establish a "respectable" practice. I use that silly term here because the members have a wonderful sense of humor and are often hilariously funny about the toils and tribulations of trying to meditate regularly and bringing the practice into life's little weird encounters. We really guffawed tonight as we each reported on our efforts to make the seasonal hassles into "an opportunity for spiritual practice."
My in-person sangha and my on-line sangha are two anchors for my efforts to remain conscious and aware.
We meditate together, report individually on how our practice is going (this part is frequently accompanied by mirth), and then talk about books we've assigned ourselves. The books are usually about spiritual journeys. (Buddha and suchlike.)
Tonight we had a lively discussion about the Jefferson Bible (an interesting tome created by Thomas Jefferson, in which he took the four gospels and edited them by literally cutting them up and repasting them together in one single narrative. He removed all the supernatural miracle stories, focusing only on where Jesus went, what he did, and what he said.)
I'd be interested to hear more about any in-person meditation groups that others of you have and how you interact with them.
Definitely lulling: no energy, no motivation, blah. There's nothing wrong, I just can't seem to do anything more than the absolutely necessary. Also going through a phase of recurrent insomnia (3 hours last night, with neither yoghurt nor hot chocolate in the house, disaster!) which doesn't help. Bah. Perhaps I will sit tonight before going to bed.
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