By ANGIE PARRISH

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity and privilege of sharing my recent practice insights with the Sangha, which I’ve summarized below at the request of several members.

As time seemed to speed up at the conclusion of the talk, I failed to add a most important point, which is please take advantage of the wonderful resources that FCM offers to support your practice! We have a deeply experienced teacher in Fred, who works directly with members to guide their individual application of practices in the most beneficial way. Weekly interviews are available with Fred so members should take advantage of this tremendous opportunity for skillful practice guidance. As well, group and solitary retreats at FCM provide opportunities to take these practices to a deeper level.

And, among other programs, we have an upcoming Intensive on the Buddha’s Full Awareness of the Breath Sutra (sign up by February 12). This is an excellent opportunity for expert guidance for those new to meditation. 

In a nutshell, during Sangha I shared the advice that our teacher Fred has given us so many times: to truly be free, with a mind of ease, clarity, and love, we will transform only through practice –- not by reading more books. I have been the incredibly fortunate recipient of many wise teachings from Fred over the years, but have been a rather lazy student oftentimes, so busy “doing” what will never be “done” instead of prioritizing my practice and waking up. 

With support of my family and Dharma brothers and sisters, I was able to take seven full days after Christmas to join an “Intensive” practice retreat, led by Guo Gu of the Tallahassee Chan Center. The guidance and retreat practice sessions provided the opportunity for integrating and clarifying my meditation, the fruits of which have been greater interest, enthusiasm, and consistency in my practice. I also realized that had I been a better student in the past, I could have more deeply drunk the nectar of Fred’s teachings and guidance and would not have needed an Intensive retreat to shake me out of my complacency. Learn from my mistakes!

During Sunday's Dharma talk, I shared several charts that people remarked were quite helpful, so I thought I’d briefly share this information here as well.

First, with respect to preparing for meditation, it is very helpful to do the following:

1.   Spend several minutes “limbering up,” though some yoga or mindful movement. This helps to both stretch the body in a helpful way and to begin to unite body and mind, when the movements are done with mindfulness.

2.   Spend a few minutes (or however long is needed) doing a progressive relaxation, bringing attention to the body starting with the crown of the head and moving to the toes, letting go of any tension that may be noticed. It may be particularly helpful to pay attention to the eyes, shoulders, and abdomen, as these are areas where we frequently hold tension. Bring a slight smile to your lips as you relax the face, noticing how that smile helps you to feel.

3.   Once the body has been relaxed, check your feeling tone/attitude. Do you feel content, happy, a sense of wellbeing? If so, proceed to meditation, but if not, see if there is still tension being held. You might also do a short gratitude reflection for someone or something in your life; gratitude can beautifully open our hearts and minds.

4.   Decide on the method of meditation practice that you need right now. Depending on the state of your mind in any given session, you can use the following as a guide for examples of method you might find helpful.

What Practice / Method Do I Need Right Now?
Mind State	Methods
Very scattered (lots of thoughts of past and future arising, perhaps getting lost in stories/dramas)	A more “complex” method, meaning a weightier anchor that requires more concentration.  Examples: following the sensations of the breath at the nostrils; counting the outbreaths backwards from 20 to 1 (while staying with the sensations of the breath); using seeing as your object by resting your gaze on a pebble or other small object; using hearing as your object. You can also do slow walking or very slow mindful prostrations when needed, but keep “swimming” with your sitting practice as much as possible.
Calmer, some scatteredness (but primarily thoughts arising related to present moment sounds, sights, sensations)	A less complex method (getting progressively “simpler” as the mind continues to calm).  Examples: following the sensation of the abdomen rising and falling; resting attention with sensations in the left palm (with this palm resting palm upwards in the right hand, on the lap); resting attention on the sensation of the weight of the body sitting.
Very calm, still mind	At this point, students should seek instruction from their teacher as to the practices that are most beneficial given their level of experience.

With respect to practice when the mind has gained a solid level of stability, please note that we are cautioned us to not get caught in a “ghost cave” of peaceful bliss that does not lead to true awakening. At this point, our teacher Fred works with many students on advanced practices, often in the Dzogchen tradition.

Off-the-cushion practice is also important. As Fred and Thich Nhat Hanh have taught us, letting go of our thinking when not needed (perhaps more often than we might imagine!) and simply directly experiencing life, whether walking, doing the dishes, drinking a cup of tea, will help us to both touch the present moment more deeply, as well as to recondition the mind to not be constantly producing and moving into thoughts. Over time, this practice will also help bring the mind to greater stillness during our formal meditation.

With gratitude for the jewel of Sangha!