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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So, where are you now?
What stories have you been telling yourself? How is your emotional body? Are you calm, or agitated? Are you peaceful, or in conflict? Can you be okay with whatever is arising now; can you be open-heartedly accepting of whatever is arising for you now?
It can be helpful to think in terms of taking a few steps back to where you can watch your stories as they unfold. For instance, note any reactions that might arise as you read the words on this page. Frequently, our minds offer a running commentary on what we are reading; notice that. Step back and notice how mind is reacting.
Sometimes when we are reading, our minds will take some sentence or phrase that we've read as a jumping off point to go off on its own discourse. Step back and notice that.
Or we may be distracted by something else in our environment; the sound of a passing car may be the cause of an entirely new train of thoughts. Notice that.
This stepping back and noticing the stories that pass through mind, noticing how our emotional body feels, how our physical body feels, is fundamental to awakening. The more we practice this noticing, the more natural it becomes; and it becomes more natural because it is more natural. We begin to see our stories and dramas for what they are - just thought; and we begin to notice that we've been buying into these thoughts, stories, dramas, as if they were who we are, when, in the noticing, it becomes clear that they aren't who we are; because who we are is noticing the stories, and it is noticing how tiresome they are, how emotionally and physically draining they are, how needlessly disruptive they are.
And in the noticing of the thoughts and stories, we begin to notice the space in which they are arising; we begin to notice that this space is always here, is without attributes, and is ever unchanging. We begin to notice the calm, the stillness, the peace. We begin to notice that who we are is the stillness within which everything arises, the space within which the world around us is perceived; sounds, thoughts, smells, everything we perceive is arising within our awareness.
And as we move ever deeper into this space, we are transformed.
So, where are you now?
Take a few steps back and just notice.
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If you have a moment, just a moment
Establish yourself in the breath
Just noticing the breath
Breathing in
Breathing out
Just noticing the breath
Just breathing
Noticing the feel of the breath moving through the body
The movement of the body as the breath flows in and out
Noticing if the breath is shallow or deep
Noticing if it is fast or slow
Noticing if it is ragged or smooth
Just noticing
Without judgement
Just breathing
Just being
Here in this space
This breathing human being
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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 11:00 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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