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Amidst chaos, 15 minutes of quiet time helps focus students

Wildmind Meditation News — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:08:17 +0000

On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the school’s auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders. A restless din filled the large room. Bursts of laughter and errant shouts punctuated the buzz. Most of the students seemed disinterested in Dierke’s announcements about the spring’s impending graduation, upcoming field trips, and recent birthdays.

Then, Dierke struck a bell and said, “Okay, it’s quiet time.”

And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. Students straightened their backs and closed their eyes. Some bowed their heads. Others rested them on the backs of …

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The Center for Mindfulness’ 10th Annual Scientific Conference, March 28-April 1, 2012

Sunada — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:46:12 +0000

The Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts is offering its 10th Annual Scientific Conference, called Investigating and Integrating Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. It features more than 75 presentations that include research forums, presentation dialogs, workshops, keynotes, preconference institutes and workshops, breakfast roundtables, and a full day of mindfulness practice.

March 28-April 1, 2012
Four Points Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center
Norwood MA USA

Click here for full details.

Here’s a message from Saki Santorelli, Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness, and Conference Chair.

Join Sunada on “Living with Mindfulness” Retreat, Feb 24-26, 2012

Sunada — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:13:59 +0000

What does it means to live mindfully? How do we bring more calm and inner clarity into our daily lives? How can we stay confident and purposeful when times get rough?

This gentle introductory residential retreat is open to all, especially those with no prior experience with meditation or Buddhism. We will explore the Buddha’s teachings on mindfulness in a down-to-earth, practical way through meditation, discussion, and hands-on exercises. We’ll also investigate how to live with greater awareness and contentment with ourselves, and in turn, how to live in harmony with the world around us.

There will be detailed instruction for those who are new to meditation, and periods of silent practice for those with experience.

The retreat fee is on a sliding scale of $145-$225 for the weekend, inclusive of room and board.

The retreat is held at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, which is situated on 13 secluded acres in southern New Hampshire. For more information visit their website at www.aryaloka org.

About the leaders:

Sunada is a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, a mindfulness teacher and life coach. Her 16 years of Buddhist practice inform all of her work. She teaches at meditation at Wildmind as well as though classes in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in the Boston area. She also works with individual clients through her own coaching practice at Mindful Purpose Life Coaching. She considers it her life’s work to help people find the inner grounding and confidence to make a difference in the world.

Viriyalila, whose name means “playful, spontaneous energy in pursuit of the good”, has been been meditating and practicing Buddhism since 1994. She was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2005 in San Francisco. She currently works in a team with the folks at Free Buddhist Audio, a dynamic internet resource providing free access to Dharma talks around the world.

Mindful eating: a teacher responds to readers

Wildmind Meditation News — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:16:11 +0000

Readers have posted comments on Jeff Gordinier’s article on mindful eating, along with questions for Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, a pediatrician and meditation teacher in Oregon. Dr. Bays, the author of ”Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food,” responded to a first batch of comments.

News Flash — Mindful eating has been practiced for thousands of years by Jews. Prayer of thanks depends on the contents of the food, with multiple requirements on preparation, etc. Not sure why it’s described here as Buddhist, per se — philiphdc, Washington, D.C.

Yes, you are right. Mindful eating doesn’t belong …

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Seven ways to eat more mindfully

Wildmind Meditation News — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:06:51 +0000

1. WHEN YOU EAT, JUST EAT. Unplug the electronica. For now, at least, focus on the food.

2. CONSIDER SILENCE. Avoiding chatter for 30 minutes might be impossible in some families, especially with young children, but specialists suggest that greenhorns start with short periods of quiet.

3. TRY IT WEEKLY. Sometimes there’s no way to avoid wolfing down onion rings in your cubicle. But if you set aside one sit-down meal a week as an experiment in mindfulness, the insights may influence everything else you do.

4. PLANT A GARDEN, AND COOK. Anything that reconnects you with the process of creating food will magnify your mindfulness.

5. CHEW PATIENTLY. It’s not easy, but try to slow down, aiming for 25 to 30 chews for each mouthful.

6. USE FLOWERS AND CANDLES. Put them on the table before dinner. Rituals that create a serene environment help foster what one advocate calls “that moment of gratitude.”

7. FIND A BUDDHIST CONGREGATION where the members invite people in for a day of mindfulness.

From the New York Times article, Mindful Eating as Food for Thought, Feb 7, 2012.

Retreat opportunity with Bodhipaksa: “Becoming a Spiritual Rebel”

Bodhipaksa — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:43:40 +0000

What are we looking for? What gives our lives a sense of meaning? How can we find a sense of confidence in a world marked by change? In the Noble Quest sutta from the Middle Length Sayings, the Buddha offers a first-person guide to the pursuit of a meaningful life. Drawing on his own life story, he beautifully outlines the creative spiritual restlessness that drove him to reject any goal short of complete awakening.

On this weekend led by Bodhipaksa, through study, discussion, personal exploration, and meditation, we’ll explore the Buddha’s teaching on attaining the sorrowless state and get in touch with the spiritual rebel within.

Bodhipaksa has been a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order since 1993 and a practicing Buddhist since 1982.

Where? Aryaloka Buddhist Center, Newmarket NH 03857
When? 7PM Friday, March 30, 2012 — 2PM Sunday, April 1, 2012
How to book? Visit the registration page for the event.
Why? Because you want to take the red pill and see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Three Tibetan herders self-immolate in protest

Wildmind Meditation News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:21:59 +0000

Sharon LaFraniere, NY Times: In a fresh illustration of growing turmoil among ethnic Tibetans in Sichuan Province, three livestock herders set themselves on fire to protest what they saw as political and religious repression at the hands of the Chinese authorities, according to a Tibetan rights group and an ethnic Tibetan living in Beijing.

If confirmed, the latest cases would bring the total self-immolations over the past year to 19, an unprecedented wave of self-inflicted violence among the tiny ethnic minority in China, according to scholars. They were also apparently the first by lay people, rather than current or former members of the …

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San Diego Planning Commission to hear proposal for Buddhist monastery expansion

Wildmind Meditation News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:20:09 +0000

Gary Warth, North Country Times: The San Diego County Planning Commission is scheduled on Friday to hear a proposal to add a meditation center to a Buddhist monastery in Bonsall, and a community group plans on fighting the project with a petition signed by about 400 people.

The Vietnamese Buddhist Meditation Congregation has proposed the expansion of the Dai Dang Monastery off of Camino del Rey, and neighbors have said they fear that the quiet monastery where 10 monks live will become a noisy destination when hundreds of people begin visiting for ceremonies.

The Bonsall Community Sponsor Group, an advisory board to the San Diego …

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Mindful eating as food for thought

Wildmind Meditation News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:07:03 +0000

Jeff Godinier, NY Times: Try this: place a forkful of food in your mouth. It doesn’t matter what the food is, but make it something you love — let’s say it’s that first nibble from three hot, fragrant, perfectly cooked ravioli.

Now comes the hard part. Put the fork down. This could be a lot more challenging than you imagine, because that first bite was very good and another immediately beckons. You’re hungry.

Today’s experiment in eating, however, involves becoming aware of that reflexive urge to plow through your meal like Cookie Monster on a shortbread bender. Resist it. Leave the fork on …

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Meditate for a date

Wildmind Meditation News — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:02:11 +0000

Gabrielle Bernstein, Metro: Let’s face it: Though romantic relationships can be wonderful, sometimes they are totally nightmarish. While there are a lot of reasons romance can be tough, most of the time the chaos begins within.

The first step toward clearing a fear of romance is to accept relationships as opportunities for awesome spiritual growth. Rather than get all heady about what went wrong in the past, let’s focus on what you can change today. Outlined below are key principles that will help guide you to release fear in romance and cultivate more love in your life:

No one is sent to anyone …

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