And its over to you.......

Well second week of Mindfulness of breathing, and so far so what........well what I mean is we breath all the time, we breath when where asleep and we don't even know where doing it! No the point is not that we are breathing but that we are turning our attention to our breathing. You can turn your attention to your breathing any time your remember, not just on the cushion, when you are driving, typing, watching, listening.........the list is endless because you don't stop breathing - I hope - So of a morning I do the mindfulness of breathing, while sitting on a cushion, and try to keep it going throughout the day. Have a go, go one you've been doing It since you started reading this, just keep going!

Metta

Long weekend

Well Thursday, and am not in work tomorrow, so the weekend starts here! Seem to be setteling into my practice nicely. I will only know hows it realy going in a month or so........so be prepared for more of the same.

Metta

Oppps missed!

Yes I missed posting yesterdays blog, I did meditate but I just didn't get chance to record it on the blog. I went to the Sangha last night and was pleased to to have Buddhashanti back from India. We had a slide show with some fantastic pictures of his trip, really interesting. I am into my first week of using my i-pod for the mettabahva practice and its going well. I have settled on a set group of people for the practice and a theme to bring these people, including myself, together. I will keep you posted........even if its a bit late.

Metta

Am late , am late........

Yes very late today, in fact its evening time and I am only just doing this! Well things seem to have stagnated this week with my meditation being very fitful. I will not let this get to me, each sit is unique, and so cannot really be compared to the last. I should report each day as it where the first time, well we will see wont we.
Have a good weekend,

Metta

Busy body, busy mind!

Very busy two days at work and it looks like it is set to continue! This has resulted in a busy mind which is not giving me the best platform to meditate from. Very tried and distracted to day, but I have been talking to Paul on messenger and this has kept me positive! Effort! this is the watch word along with mindfulness. Yes I know I sound like a juggler, and not surprisingly, feel like one too!

Metta

Mid week wobble

Well a bit of a wobble today, very distracted, mainly with childhood memories, kept going and eventually got something working! Effort is to be my key word, to make a consistent effort and keep relaxed about how its going.

Metta

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The I-pod is working out really well! I think the more ridged approach to the meditation is helping. Yes, here's hoping it keeps up.

Medi-tec

Today I used a new gizmo, well to me anyway, an I-pod. It has the bells for the two meditation practices i do at different timings, 40, 50 and 60 minutes. It was good to have the set times for each stage, it helped keep me focused on what parts of the meditation went well or had a certain feel. I also have other things on the I-pod which over the next week or so I will add in to see where they take me!

Metta

First Five

Well, five days of recording my meditation. Today was good, I have found that if I adjust my habd position my overall posture is better. See, the small things count, keep mindful watch your whole experiance moment by moment and things are never the same, never without incident!

Have a good week end see you next week, no blog over the weekend.

Metta

Next!

Well, very tired today. Move on, change is infinite


Metta

The morning after the night before

my mind clings to the things I like and push away those I don't, this is the mundane mind in action. I turn my mind to those things which I want to take refuge in, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. By turning my desires into the beautiful, a blue sky, a crisp morning, a hundred men saluting the shrine I will clear a space and dwell in it.

Metta

Tuesday Nights Sangha Night!

Well this mornings meditation went well. The use of memories from Padmaloka seems to be holding my attention well, although still very tied.
Still effort is the key, look at every thing with a sense of wonder and keep your mind focused on your body. Tonight is sangha night and will will discuss our individual practice, well I think I know where that my take me!

Monday, Monday

Well here we are, first of many we hope.



Just to eliminate me constantly going over the same stuff I will set the scene, as it where, for my daily meditation. I start at 06:00 /06:05 and aim to do about 40 minutes. I sit on a single cushion, crossed legged with my right knee supported by a small cushion. I meditate in weekly cycles, alternating between the mindfulness of breathing and the Mettabhavana.



So lets get going, just imagine the above and read on........



NEW START, this is what I am aiming for with my Mettabhavana practice. I have been trying to mentally set the scene a little like the above only in more detail. I use Padmaloka, a retreat centre in Norfolk, as a start and add different items, people, sounds and textures to create a warm environment to generate Metta towards myself. This I can then share amongst , a close friend, an acquaintance, a difficult person and then all of us together letting the metta spread out like light from the morning sun as the sun risers higher in the sky.

So how was it, well there where a few clouds in my clear blue sky and the usual mundane items of thought crept in, work, things that need to be sorted out etc. but I did get to Padmaloka, and I did make some progress. This is how it is, each moment progress, in as much as effort is made or the realisation that effort needs to be made.

Moment, moment, moment............

Hi dont time fly! I didn't post one single thing in 2008! Well must make more of an effort this year. I could say that I have put all my engergies into my meditation but that isn't 100% correct, although I have increased the time I spend in meditaion and have become more focused on keeping to a set routine, but I will make a change and try to keep the blog up to date, I hope

Well must run, will post more on Monday!