As we cultivate mindfulness we become increasingly aware of how we move through huge swaths of our life in trance. This talk reflects on three key domains of trance, and undoing the habitual reactivity that keeps us from the loving, open awareness that is our essence.
The Buddha taught the four great endeavors in the application of wise effort. What we learn is that unwise effort uses the "white knuckle" approach to gain insight and ignores feedback, while wise effort uses wisdom to do the heavy lifting.
Drawing on Henri Nouwen’s book that interprets this famous parable, this talk looks at the ways we cut off from loving awareness, and the process of homecoming. Our inquiry, reflections and a guided meditation focus on an essential and often overlooked element of transformation: our capacity to trust in love, to let love in.
Survival warrants the arising of certain energies. They are not our enemies. If we treat them as such we are continuing the internal warfare and struggle. By seeing energies like lust, fear, hatred, worry, sleepiness and doubt as our organism loving itself we elicit self compassion and understanding....the perfect healing energies and perspective to then move forward into greater ease and connection with all life.
How do we reconcile conflict when caught in reactivity sourced in trauma or deep wounding? This talk looks at the need for a larger field of belonging - a trusted other person or safe group - to engender the presence and compassion that enables us to relax and reconnect with our own wholeness and with others.
