As I have been home from the retreat for a week now, I wonder what I have learnt that will help me live a more mindful life at home and work. Something I really appreciated this morning is to be grateful for the non-toothache, and express gratitude for the 'ordinary' moments in our life when actually nothing is going wrong or being troublesome, so much so that we tend to simply miss it! Yesterday I burnt my finger on a toaster and the shock of that brief pain really woke me up to how often everything is alright, there is no pain or suffering, but because of that we just don't notice it. I think this is what Thay calls the miracles of life - being able to walk down a street in the rain and just enjoy it, rather than complain because I forgot my umbrella!
This blog has also taught me how unmindfully I type, because I am so used to spellchecker doing the work for me and because I am used to typing fast I make so many mistakes. This blog is a practical and useful lesson in slowing down and mindfully being with each letter as each word emerges. What a joy!
Let's make today a day for appreciating and sharing gratitude.
As we say in Thay's tradition,
A lotus for you, a Buddha to be (accompanied by a bow) _/\_
'Non tooth ache' is a lovely phrase. :)I find reading blogs so much more interesting than text book because it's the personal element of almost every subject that interests me.
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely idea this blog. I've also attended York MBSR training and it's good to make contact. Your PhD sounds very interesting and I would love to read it when you've finished. I'm a Counsellor/Coach/Trainer in the Student Counselling Service at Leeds Met and I run Mindfulness groups for staff and students at the Uni which are proving very popular. I also increasingly use mindfulness techniques with my clients to help them with anxiety, panic attacks etc. I've been interested in meditation, yoga, buddhism, transpersonal psychology/therapy for over 20years. A highlight for me was meeting the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala and attending some lectures there about Buddhism with Alex Berzin. I'm currently doing an MA Psychological Therapies and considering doing my research on mindfulness/neuroscience. Lovely to make contact with you.