Meditation Mini-Retreat, September 1-10
September mornings are my favorite mornings of the year. Still warm enough to be comfortable, and just starting to get cool. Please join me for 10 days in a row of sitting and walking meditation, Buddhist psychology and meditation technique, Taoist principles and Yogic breathing (pranayama). No experience necessary. Appropriate for total beginners, anyone looking to boost their daily practice, or to experience the powerful energy of group meditation.Pre-register online at http://yogacenterofchico.com/
Sacred Sunday Cacao Ceremony
Please join Kaycee Green and I for our second Sacred Sunday Cacao Ceremony. No matter if you missed the last one or would like to come again, we have been preparing to create and hold a healing and peaceful space for all of you to experience this deeply heart opening ceremony.Our Sacred Cacao ceremony will begin at noon and will be followed by a very gentle and restorative yoga practice, a guided meditation and group reiki healing.Please come with your favorite mug and maybe a cozy wrap.Please see the post from October for a full list of contraindications as well as the healing benefits of Cacao.There is limited space, only 20 spots available. To secure your spot, please visit yogacenterofchico.com and go to "enrollments". You can also sign up in person at Yoga Center of Chico, before or after any class.Many blessings from us to you!
Meditation Mini-Retreat
Please join our 10-day Meditation Mini-Retreat in December!We will meet at Yoga Center of Chico from 6-7am the first 10 days of December. The objective of this mini-retreat is to give new meditators a solid foundation of different techniques to practice meditation, as well as infusing the experience with a level of commitment and discipline which will help create more consistency in a home practice.This mini-retreat is also appropriate for anyone wishing to develop or deepen their existing meditation practice and give an opportunity to practice in a group setting. We gain support, inspiration and momentum when we practice as a group, and can often create a deeper sense of connection to each other.We will be learning some Buddhist terminology and psychology concepts, as well as practicing sitting, walking, mindfulness meditation and breath work (Pranayama). We will explore a number of other techniques that one can use to calm and center oneself in the midst of perceived chaos, techniques that are used to ground oneself and access deeper awareness and wisdom.Please pre-register at http://www.yogacenterofchico.com/YCC-Workshops.htmlAnd check out this wonderful article written by a past mini-retreat participant, describing her experience! http://kristinwillard.com/lessons-learned-from-my-mini-meditation-retreat/Hope to see you December 1st!
Sacred Sunday Cacao Ceremony
Please join Kaycee Green and I for a blissful Guatemalan Cacao Ceremony followed by a gentle, heart opening yoga practice, chakra meditation, and Reiki group healing. We feel so blessed to bring this offering to the Chico community.Cacao is chocolate in it's purest form. It has many spiritual and physical benefits- aiding in meditation, and assisting in opening the heart center, helping facilitation a deeper connection to oneself as well as creating a magical group energy. It's no coincidence that chocolate is given as a symbol of love; a warm cup of ceremonial cacao can help to open and heal the most tender heart. Cacao is totally safe for most people, but as with anything so powerful, there are some contra-indications to be aware of. First, let's start with the benefits and how cacao actually works inside the body.(Excerpts taken from http://cacaoceremonies.com)"When you consume cacao prepared for ceremony using high quality raw cacao beans, all the mood enhancing neurochemicals in cacao become particularly active. There is increased blood flow and nutrition to the brain, heart and skin, the whole body is nourished, awareness and focus is heightened and sensations are intensified."Cacao contains the neurotransmitters serotonin, tryptophan and dopamine which assist with feelings of wellbeing, resilience to stress and anxiety and contribute to healthy motivation."It also has the neuromodulator phenylethylamine (PEA) which helps the body create feelings of excitement and euphoria. It also assists us to pay attention and stay alert. With healthy amounts of PEA we stay focused, time slows down and we are not distracted by hunger or excess stimulation from the ‘outside world’. PEA also increases the effectiveness of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter related to joy."Anandamide is a type of lipid (oil). The word ‘ananda’ (from which this chemical was named) translates from the Sanskrit language as ‘bliss’. This naturally produced chemical (which is part of the endorphin group) is most concentrated in the body after moderate exercise – also referred to as the runners high. Anandamide results in feelings of bliss and euphoria, but also plays a vital role in moderating pain perception and the memory of pain, as well as assisting in regulating appetite and mood. Cacao contains both anandamide and anandamide re-uptake inhibitors, which are molecules that slow the break down of the anandamide. This allows the anandamide to remain longer in the brain and with it the associated blissful feelings."One of the most utilised major minerals in the body is magnesium. Magnesium assists in all metabolic processes. It helps relax all the muscles in the body and is thereby essential for the effectiveness and vigor of the pumping of the heart muscle, the management of stress and exercise recovery, the motility of the bowel, regulating the muscles pre-menstruation among many other functions. Magnesium is also utilised in almost all key functions in the brain, including those involved in memory and concentration. Cacao is the highest natural food source of magnesium."Cacao is also one of the highest sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants clear corrupt cells from the body. The specific antioxidants in cacao are Flavonoids, from the Phenolics group. Primarily, this class of antioxidants are important as they both trap free radicals and chelate redox-active metal properties. This results in a reduced risk of cells in the body, such as lipids (fats, and fats often lining the artery walls) undergoing oxidation (corruption)."The flavonoids also support clearing of the blood vessel walls, flexibility of the arteries and a thinning of the blood, all contributing to a reduction in blood pressure and build up of fatty deposits (plaques) along the artery walls, as well as a reduced load on the heart muscle."Please read the contra-indications/ conditions list below to see if Cacao Ceremony would be appropriate for you!*Fasting (take smaller dose)*Migranes (take smaller dose- Cacao contains caffeine which can aggravate migranes)*Pregnancy or breastfeeding (safe in half ceremonial dose, very commonly used in Guatemala by mothers and midwives during long or difficult labor)*Anti-depressants (USE CAUTION/ Not Recommended- Many Anti-Depressants do not mix well with the Tryptophan and MAO inhibitors in Cacao)*Heart Conditions (USE CAUTION- Cacao can increase heart rate and blood flow by up to 40%, and is a vasodilator)*Low body weight or Children (Not Recommended, or very small dose)*Chemotherapy (Not Recommended) Preparation/ What to BringPlease avoid large doses of caffeine before the ceremony and eat a light breakfast beforehand.Wear comfortable yoga clothes and a warm wrap or cozy blanket for meditation.Bring your favorite mug :)Bring water to drink during ceremonyOptional- Bring your favorite power object or meditation object. We feel so humbled to be able to share this heart expanding experience with you. Please reserve your space at http://www.yogacenterofchico.com/YCC-Workshops.html
'The Bodhisattva Path' by Jack Kornfield
Lecture Series: The Roots of Buddhist Psychology Part 08 - The Bodhisattva Path by Jack Kornfield
'Loving-Kindness' by Jack Kornfield
Lecture Series: The Roots of Buddhist Psychology Part 09 - Loving Kindness by Jack Kornfield
'Intention' by Jack Kornfield
Lecture Series: The Roots of Buddhist Psychology Part 07 - Intention by Jack Kornfield
Navigating Heartbreak and Loss
I don’t write very often. I don’t write because everything has already been said, and at least one person has said it better than I ever could. But despite the lack of original ideas and original words, and despite the fact that this particular topic has already been cooked until soggy, I am writing you today, dear readers, to talk about heartbreak. But first, let’s talk about meditation.I have a daily practice. I wake up, go to my little puja table, set my timer, sit down and say my daily meditation prayer*. Usually, the dreams from the night before will be the first morsel of distraction after having a seat, followed by a laundry list of to-do's for the day, and finally, in the last minute or two of the session, I find that my mind is obedient, still and quiet. Some days feel more successful than others, but even one or two minutes of stillness helps to set the tone for my day. And although seeing “progress” on the day to day is less obvious, all the good teachers say to be patient and the results will come. I know that it is a practice, not a destination, so I persist.Recently, I experienced a loss. Like salt on a slug, we all know this shriveling, crushing, slow-death feeling, so there’s no need to elaborate. But since meditating with some regularity in the last few years, the practice seems to have prepared my heart, mind and body in an unexpected way-- in a way that brings a new clarity to this all-too-familiar experience of loss. When I sit down in the morning and the overwhelm of sadness hits me like a wave, I can see myself grasping for reassurance, attention, or something to fill the void. I can feel the hot bile of anger rising in my throat. I can feel the teakettle of tears under pressure behind my eyes. I can feel the bass drum of dread thumping in my chest. I can feel my tender heart contracting against the reality of the moment. I can see all the ways in which I am attached, and all the ways in which I am avoiding. But instead of following through with an habitual exit strategy or distraction tactic, I'm finding that I can sit with the pain a little more easily. I'm facing my loss head on and with a sense of objectivity. Whereas, in the past, the combination of the loss itself and a lack of practiced mindfulness had absolutely obliterated my ability to see past the pain of my own experience. I used to ignorantly think that I wouldn’t be able to endure yet another heartbreak. What a delusion! What is happening now, through meditation, is what feels like a fortification of my heart. I am able to yield into the pain, rather than resist the experience of grief. Shitty little fact: It takes practice to get good at grieving.When we suffer-- from loss, trauma, heartbreak, and deep grief, it can shatter our hearts. But rather than resist and shut down, maybe we can see the pain as an opportunity to expand the capacity of our hearts. Can we use our vulnerability as an opportunity to grow? Can we learn to feel what's beneath the pain of our own experience in a way that allows us to tap into the vastness of our compassion? Can we use our grief as a way to connect more deeply to ourselves, our family, our friends, our lovers, our enemies, and our global brothers and sisters, knowing that they too are suffering? When we are able to sit with our pain, we start to open up to the possibility of healing past wounds. We are actually sitting with the pain of a million heartbreaks, endless loss, and infinite grief. Meditation during a period of loss, heartache and pain can allow us to feel more directly into our humanity, if we are willing.There seems to be a widespread misconception that meditation is an escape route, or a spiritual bypass to feeling pain. It is not. It is a way to for us to honestly see, feel, and experience the ebb and flow of life in its’ unadulterated truth. If we have the courage to look deeply enough at our own suffering, it will show us a doorway to transform pain into potential. Fear into growth, vulnerability into strength, hatred into compassion, disdain into forgiveness and grief into love. The world is suffering. Can we be wise enough to use our own experience of pain as a catalyst for peace?
*Daily MeditationMay I be truly grateful for this day before me.May I use it well and be mindful in all my thoughts, words and actions.May I gracefully accept and learn from all that I encounter.May I be compassionate and release all judgment in the face of that which does not meet my ideals.May I be still and attentive enough to receive and recognize divine guidance.
The Dhammavidu Dhamma Talks
[playlist ids="1284,1283,1282"]Dhamma Talks by The Venerable Ajahn Tan Dhammavidu. Recorded 2/2014 at Suan Mohk Monastery, Chiaya, Thailand.
Meditation Instruction by Ajahn Tan Dhammavidu
[playlist ids="1269,1271,1272,1273"]Meditation Instruction with Buddhist Monk, Ajahn Tan Dhammavidu, recorded 2/2014 at Suan Mohk Monastery, in Chaiya, Thailand
The Next 10 Days
The Next 10 Days...10 days of silence.10 days of no eye contact.10 days of watching breath.10 days of 4am wake up.10 days of concrete bed.10 days of wooden pillow.10 days of mosquito shroud.10 days of breakfast gruel.10 days of hot spring baths.10 days of cold bucket showers.10 days of jungle symphony.10 days of no technology.10 days of candlelight.10 days of disconnect.10 days of reconnect.10 days of meditation.10 days of insight.10 day Vipassana Meditation retreat in Thailand.
Intuition
When you act from intuition, you are acting from a place of clear connection to self. When you are in clear connection to self, you are in absolute connection to the Source. Therefore when you act from intuition, you are fully supported by the Source in your actions. You cannot fail.When you act from the thinking/judging mind, you are more connected to the outcome of your actions. You are worried about what others may say or think. You are relying on external support, that you may or may not receive. You will always be wondering what the outcome would be if you had acted differently.Listen to your intuition. Act accordingly.
Meditation Mini-Retreat
Early Bird Discount~$45 before March 1st 2016Join me at the Yoga Center of Chico for 10 days of Meditation. We will be exploring different techniques and methods of meditation, including, but not limited to, seated (Zazen), guided, walking, and loving kindness (Metta) meditation. This mini-retreat is geared towards beginning meditators, meditators who need a little refresher course or anyone who would like to meditate in a group setting with some instruction.6-7 am April 1-10 at the Yoga Center of Chico.Register Here
