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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I was listening to some dharma talks online, and was reminded of the two realms where egoic conditioning gets most entrenched; the two realms where we hold most tightly to what we believe, where separate self reacts most strongly when the beliefs it holds are challenged.
Politics and religion.
:)
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When we are first beginning a meditation practice, it can be helpful, when we notice thoughts arise, to gently return to the breath. But the goal is not to exterminate all thought. If there is frustration arising when we notice that we've gotten lost in our thoughts, notice that; notice that frustration is arising in the same space that thoughts are arising. If there is the thought that "I have to" return to the breath, notice that; notice that this too is a reactive thought pattern arising in the same space. Then notice the space within which all of this is arising.
Then notice the noticing; notice that the noticing is also arising within the same space.
Now, gently return to the breath.
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How to make tea.
- Pour a cup full of water into the teapot and place the pot on the stove, turning the heat on high.
- Place a teabag in your cup, or the loose ingredients for tea in a strainer in the cup.
- Move away from the counter and place your feet parallel to each other; center your weight so that it is evenly distributed throughout your feet.
- Engage the calves; engage the thighs. Feel the energy that these two movements together create.
- Engage the abdominal muscles, aligning the pelvis and spine.
- On an inbreath, bring the navel in toward the spine as you raise your arms, filling the upper chest cavity.
- On the outbreath, bend forward at the hips. Be mindful of what your lower back is telling you as your upper body moves toward the floor. If the lower back starts to compress, stop and place your hands on your legs.
- With your hands on your legs, on an inbreath, engage the quadriceps, tilting the pelvis forward, straightening and lengthening the lower spine, stretching the hamstrings.
- On an outbreath, bend forward at the hips a little more, moving the hands toward the floor.
- Your attention should be focused on what your body is telling you. Anywhere you feel tightness, notice that; gently move, backing off, playing with the edge, so that any tightness is released and your body isn't stressed.
- When you hear that the water has reached a boil, on an inbreath bring the body back to standing position. You may want to do this in two stages, stopping to place your hands back on your legs and realigning your lower back.
- Take a moment to check in with your body, noticing any stress, stretching where needed.
- Move back to the counter, cut the heat off, pour the water into the cup.
- Let steep five minutes.
Note that the point of these tea making instructions is to suggest to those who do not have a daily hatha yoga practice, or similar discipline, just how easy it can be to integrate such a practice into one's daily schedule. Our conditioned patterns can come up with all kinds of excuses why we don't have time to do yoga; but gently doing a forward fold in the morning while waiting for the water to boil feels wonderful, and significantly changes one's day moving forward. If the tea making forward fold was the only yoga you did, but you did it every day, it would make a profound difference in your life.
Oh, and as a bonus, there's also the tea.
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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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