Good morning! Welcome to the DKos Sangha weekly open thread.
This is an open thread for members of the DKos Sangha and others who are interested in discussions concerning how we integrate our progressive political activism into our spiritual practice. If you have observations about the political discourse of the week, or about practice, or about anything else related to walking a spiritual path through the political world, if you wish to share, or if you seek support, or if you simply want to say hello, please do; this space is for you.
If you would like to write a diary for the DKos Sangha, please let me know.
If you care nothing for spiritual practice and only wish to denigrate and disparage, please do so elsewhere, and respect that this is a community diary for the DKos Sangha.
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There is a simple hand movement that my teacher does, and I've seen other teachers do it as well ...
Squeeze your fist tightly; now gently release, opening the hand, palm up, fingers fanning out.
When conditioning is arising in mind, check in with your body, with your heart. If you notice any contraction, just gently release.
Contraction and expansion. Often, when our perception of the world around us is informed by the stories that egoic self constructs, if we check in with the body and the heart, we'll notice, we'll feel, contraction, a tightness, like the squeezed fist. Our energy is constrained, isolated. But having noticed this contraction, if we then gently release, the heart opens and energy moves freely out from the heart; expansion.
The movement can be very subtle, and at the same time very liberating. In the release, the energy that was bound up in the story running in mind is transformed into an outward flow of love.
When our experience of the world around us is from the heart, is through this outward movement of energy from the heart into the world, there is an appreciation for things as they are; simple things like the room we are sitting in, the street we are walking down, the flowers and rocks, buildings and cars, but also of things like music, art, and the creativity of the people around us. Our experience of the world seems enhanced, though it's perhaps more accurate to say that the veil that previously clouded our vision is being lifted.
And within an open-hearted experience of the world, joy is found. Life is en-joyed.
And life is ordinary. There is laundry and dishes and cooking and all the other things that fill our days. There is music, and conversations with friends, books read, movies watched. Things are experienced, appreciated, just as they are.
Contraction and expansion. A closed fist; an open palm. A subtle movement; a profound shift in the way we are with the world around us.
There are many ways to do Tonglen; here is one ...
On the in-breath, bring into the heart the energy of contraction;
On the out-breath, release from the heart with a movement of love out into the world.
Namaste
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You are welcome to join us each week in our Monday night group meditation here at DKos Sangha. This online group meditation is hosted by Ooooh, and the diary is posted at 7:00 Eastern. So that we are able to be together for as many here at Daily Kos as wish to participate, the meditation period runs from 7:30 to 10:00 Eastern. This group sitting is open to beginners and advanced, and is not restricted to any particular traditions or practices. It is not expected that you sit for the entire period; sit for as long as you like, when you like. The idea is that we are here together; supporting each other, holding space for each other.
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Enjoy your day!
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