Hi Friends,
With the recent deadly tornado here in Nashville, and now Covid-19, impermanence becomes harder to ignore.
Right now there are so many folks everywhere feeling scared, shaky, and uncertain. So many of us who have to give up "business as usual". Many of us taking part in social distancing and staying home as a measure to help slow down the spread of Covid-19, and to help prevent our hospitals from becoming overrun as they have in elsewhere. And then again some of us may feel relieved that we finally have no choice but to give up our plans, slow down, and listen to nature.
As some of you know I'm a meditation practitioner and instructor. Since 2001 I've been training in teachings and practices that show how to give over to the moment by moment arising of life as it is experienced directly in the body. At the very core of these teachings is learning to understand and appreciate, on a visceral level, that everything is in constant flux. That there is no solid ground to be found anywhere other than in the "groundless ground" of impermanence itself - which turns out to be none other than the vast, loving space of Reality holding and caring for us. Impermanence in this way is equated with freedom. Freedom from the suffering caused by endless grasping at things that are ultimately unfulfilling and freedom for deeper experience and appreciation of life.
In my Vajrayana Buddhist tradition we call this set of teachings Somatic Meditation. For us everything that disrupts our egoic-thinking agendas and that helps support coming back into our bodies is considered sacred. That is not to say that we think people ought to be sick, jobless, hungry, homeless, etc. Rather, that there becomes a deep appreciation for one's personal situation (including seemingly "negative" situations) the more one learns to leave mental manipulation aside and relax into "what is". This is no small feat. It takes a lot of work to be with emotions without a mental storyline. To recognize and trust intuition. To honestly reflect on one's individual life and let go of what is harmful or unhelpful. To cultivate priorities that are inline with what is truest inside oneself and with life itself. And ultimately to care for all of life and for other beings. "Coming home" to one's deepest self and connection with others is what Somatic Meditation is all about.
I will be offering some of these teachings and practices daily starting Thursday March 19 online via the Zoom platform. If you're not familiar with Zoom it's a video conferencing program. It's like Skype or Facetime but with the ability for several people to meet on video all at once calling from different locations. I will guide practice, give talks, and we can have discussions and connect about how the teachings meet our lives in the midst of the current situation.
The teachings will be shared in a non-sectarian way and are open to anyone, from any background, with an interest in exploring themself and their life with an open heart and mind. There is no need to become a Buddhist to do these practices. There is no cost to attend.
If you're interested in attending please go to the website (below) I've set up for the group that has info, updates, resources, and a discussion board. Feel free to message me with questions. (link removed).
With love,
Jake