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Worms by Carl Dennis

On this Thanksgiving, take a few moments to feel the nature of thankfulness. As thoughts arise – What am I thankful for? Whom am I indebted to? Which of the gifts I have received have been larger, which smaller? – just let the thoughts run dry. Experience gratitude just for itself, because its there, because you can.

The poem Worms, by Carl Dennis, is a sweet reminder that the opportunities to give thanks are boundless. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

WORMS by Carl Dennis

Aren’t you glad at least that the earthworms
Under the grass are ignorant, as they eat the earth,
Of the good they confer on us, that their silence
Isn’t a silent reproof for our bad manners,
Our never casting earthward a crumb of thanks
For their keeping the soil from packing so tight
That no root, however determined, could pierce it?
 
 

Surviving a toxic encounter at work

There’s a difference between a stressful work environment and a toxic one says Michael Carroll, author of Fearless at Work. Here’s his step-by-step guide to transforming a toxic workplace… (Lion’s Roar, “3 tips for surviving a toxic workplace,” 14 Sept 2015)

This short article gives some tips for creating some space around a bad encounter, but what to do when the shouting is over and our angry co-working has retreated to another part of campus? Continue reading →

Be Kind … To Yourself

The Dalai Lama famously said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” (www.dalailamaquotes.org)

Kindness, compassion, patience, and understanding, all seem to arise naturally when we see the suffering of another person. And yet … when confronted with our own suffering, we often respond in other ways, with judgment, criticism, or anger.

Is this dichotomy helpful? Do we really benefit by treating ourselves differently? Isn’t it possible that by setting boundaries on the kindness we show ourselves, we also set subconscious boundaries on the kindness we are able to show to others?

Kindness starts at home.

Here are some simple instructions for a meditation on being kind to yourself courtesy of Kristin Neff (Lion’s Roar, 9 Oct 2015, Be Kind to Yourself).

OPB’s Here and Now on Meditation

Curious about meditation? Having trouble getting past some of the roadblocks that your imagination has set up? Here is a simple way to bring your thoughts back to earth, get some straight facts, and get started: listen to two meditation experts speak with NPR’s Here and Now’s Robin Young.

Andy Puddicombe is the developer of the Headspace meditation app. Here and Now interviewed him on Wed (21 Oct 2015) on Technology Stressing You Out? There’s an App for That.

Jon Kabat-Zinn is the developer and moving force behind Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a medically proven therapy for alleviating stress and pain. Here & Now interviewed him today (22 Oct 2015) on The Science of Mindfulness and Meditation.

Tai Chi

If you have ever found yourself on the front side of Eliot this fall on a Monday or Wednesday afternoon,  you’ve probably seen the tai chi students practicing their slow, patient movements over by the trees.

Not quite a dance, not quite an exercise regime, the fluid motions of tai chi possess a graceful dignity that inspires tranquility in those who perform them, and even in those who simply watch. The steady, slow pace, feeling how the weight of the body gently shifts from foot to foot, how the body and head turn, how the arms smoothly rise and descend, quiets the need to rush and hurry. As one movement leads into the next, meditative awareness rises, replacing the habitual story-telling and planning that reigns over most of our waking moments.

I became a tai chi student a little over 12 years ago. I arranged my schedule so that I could get to the Reed gym twice a week for tai chi instruction and there I discovered one of Reed’s most closely guarded secrets: a full-fledged tai chi program (hand, sword, and saber form, and push hands) led by an amazingly gifted teacher/philosopher/practitioner, Dave Barrett ’79.

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The Sangha – One of Three Treasures

I know that our group is a secular one, but I can’t resist sharing this tidbit of Buddhist doctrine.

Buddhists take “refuge” in, i.e., derive spiritual support from, what are called The Three Treasures: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. The first two, Buddha and Dharma, can be interpreted in various ways, but its fair to say that they attract the most attention from Westerners because, compared to Sangha, they represent relatively elevated spiritual ideas. Sangha is mundane by comparison. It simply means the community made up of those committed to following the eight-fold path.

I find this ancient recognition of the importance of community (it’s a Treasure!) incredibly relevant today. As modern people of the West and descendants of the European Enlightenment, we believe that we live lives of individual accomplishment and suffering. As such, we nearly always overlook the subtle, and often subconscious, influence that others have on us (and we on them).

Adopting the ancient view that community (Sangha) is one of the treasures that energizes and supports our practice is a different view entirely. Something new and different happens when we sit together. You lean on me. I lean on you.

I thank you for your practice.

Workshop News: Contemplative Practices in Higher Ed

The Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE) provides resources covering a range of topics related to contemplative practices in higher ed. I’ve listed some of these resources at the bottom of this post.

You might also be interested in an upcoming weekend workshop, “Contemplative Practice in Higher Education,” to be held Sept 18-20 at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. Here’s the blurb that appeared in my inbox a few days ago:

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