Practice-In-Place Roundtable | (10/26/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” With Denny K Miu And Guests Lydia Grace and Joanne Muir)

For this month’s regular open-audience, open-discussion “Ask Us Anything” — continuing discussions about meditation and related topics — Denny and I hosted a open roundtable on “Practice-in-place” with fellow Insight Timer teacher Lydia Grace and Joanne Muir. The term “Practice-in-place” comes as a wise meditative response to “Shelter-in-place” induced by reactions to Co-V.

Lydia Grace

Amongst discussion about now using more technology in our practices and sessions we also get into, not necessarily in this order:

Lydia’s Insight Timer circle Embodied Living

(Mostly Regular/Daily) Virtual Meditation Groups

Some of my original notes not mentioned:

  • wake up call for me as I’m taking on more and more computer time. I turn off cell phone as much as possible and use a wired internet connection to help stay more embodied and not get lost in a wireless virtual reality of screens and have minimized dependence on two-factor authentication and apps with functionality exclusive to their mobile app
  • importance of supporting both those formally practicing in real life and those who “practice-in-place”
  • spirit rock retreat center looks like it is reopening next year
  • my online 1/2 day retreats with beth upton and ajahn succito’s online retreat love as the breath of life
  • real life opportunities via dharmagates.org:

In-Person Retreats:

Hermitage & Self-Retreat Opportunities:

Note: self-retreat opportunities are generally only recommended to those who have an established relationship with a Buddhist lineage and teacher, and for those who have done extensive meditation practice

Audio: Practice-In-Place Roundtable | (10/26/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” With Denny K Miu And Guests Lydia Grace and Joanne Muir)

Or listen via Insight Timer (app or website)

Join “Ask Us Anything LIVE” next month, November 30, 2021 at our new time of 4pm Central via:

Join Denny live Saturdays online for Yi Jin Jing and mindful joint, stretching, breathing, and qi exercises at 8:00am Pacific via:

Continue reading “Practice-In-Place Roundtable | (10/26/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” With Denny K Miu And Guests Lydia Grace and Joanne Muir)”

Wisdom Snippets: Some Of What The Four Protective Meditations Deter

This is a slightly edited extract from the notes for the now published post Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power”: Summary, Findings, Observations And Comparisons (7 of 7):

Perhaps the four protective meditations on foulness, death, loving-kindness and the Buddha are helpful to address non-benevolent powerful forces not so keen on the rise in power of those whom align with more benevolent intents.

Meditation on death could perhaps deter those who threaten with death to invoke (and feed on the subsequent) fear. Death meditation could also deter those who would like to keep on and on with tactic after tactic to block progress with the faulty reasoning that one’s current existence is eternal so what’s the big deal with messing around with someone if doing so is only a blip in the grand scheme of things.

Loving-kindness can protect against mischievous beings only crying out for kindness (and not really realizing it); for those who still have a conscience but have temporarily forgotten it; and towards those who seek to provoke anger, violence, ill-will and retaliation (as fuel).

Meditation on death and loving-kindness may protect against any harmful actions of nihilists since they resonate with death and the energy of loving-kindness may be a reprieve from their bleakness.

And of course meditation on the Buddha — and the true awareness represented thereby — appeals as a deterrent for more seemingly middle of the road, non-benevolent forces, especially those who seek to connive using (false) knowledge, deception, distractions, deterrents, tricks, foolery, games, etc.

Finally meditation on foulness can deter (those forces appealing to) lust, seduction and misuse of sexual energy.

Recollection of the Buddha’s qualities (buddhanussati bhavana) can be practised to overcome the lack of interest and boredom during meditation which will also bring a sense of respect and confidence (saddha) in the Buddha and inspire the meditator to continue meditating with joy and gladness. Loving kindness meditation (metta bhavana) can be the antidote to feelings such as resentment, anger, ill-will and hatred which can appear as a mental hindrance (vyapada) and negatively affect one’s meditation. When the meditator’s mind is overcome by sensual desire (kamacchanda) and lust negatively affecting the process of meditation, contemplation of the unattractive nature of the body (asubha bhavana) would be the protective meditation of choice. Finally, recollection of death (marananussati bhavana) can be practised as the powerful antidote to laziness, lethargy and lack of motivation while creating a sense of heedfulness, urgency, motivation and energy in the meditator to continue with the meditation.

https://drarisworld.wordpress.com/2018/12/01/four-protective-meditations-caturarakkha-bhavana-in-theravada-buddhism/

I also wonder if being energetically or psychically attacked if one is able to meditate on nibbana (or other high level thought forms, intents, wishes, resolves, etc.) for the last mind moment if this will deter attack

An Integrating Presence Full Moon Meditative Experience At Fat Cat Longevity October 20, 2021

[11/3/21 UPDATE: Pro audio edit noise removal versions now available]

When opening to this month’s regular meditation at Fat Cat Longevity I quickly realized I’m often not as enthusiastic about significant moon days as other meditators and practitioners seem to be. May this be to our advantage though and stoke beneficial, balancing momentum for this first facilitation of a guided full moon sitting with the intentions to set aside distortions and point in the directions of well-being, true knowledge and realizing awakening.

Focusing primarily on the body in order to experience the full moon in potentially nuanced ways, I guided participants through various observations, inquiries, connections, remembrances, energies, considerations and perhaps even imaginations and visualizations while in states of meditation, contemplation and reflection.

For about a half an hour we touched on:

  • reflection on symbolism, information and ideas we have about the moon and the ideas, symbolism and information of others about the moon. What is our relationship to this?
  • Can we temporarily put most or all this aside and tune into the body? And while we’ll use other methods, can we intend to use the body as the primary way to perhaps experience the moon in ways we haven’t yet?
  • if too much, can easily disengage, let the words wash over and come back to the breath
  • feelings: emotions, moods, and nervous systems in self and others — feel these in the body
  • water element: tides, ocean waves and movements, rhythm of breath
  • 3-way comparison from memory: immerse in memories of deeply connected to earth, sun, moon . . . contemplate and reflect moon being exact distance between earth and sun to cause
  • energy: frequency, vibration, radiation = notice which is now most predominate with moon
  • deep remembering: connect and tune in to ancient memories, knowledge and observations of this moon we know now (and perhaps other moons). Note what arises. Now feel into the truth of anything that arose. What now feels more authentic and less authentic?
  • contemplation: how would life be without this moon, with no moon, with a different moon
  • contemplation and imagination: if the moon had a heart, what would it be like? feel into the heart of the moon? what does this moon heart need? use this to recall connection with communities we’re apart of, and recalling moments from the past that make relationships worthwhile, or resolving for change, or both; and perhaps plans to strengthen relationships especially to one’s self
  • reflection and consideration: using the body, what might be helpful, and what might not be helpful from this evening’s exploration for our wellbeing and realizing being free? And consider HOW might this be, without any need to know exactly, or even know at all right now
  • classic equanimity image of full moon on still water; notice if the image is still, if not, intend for this without attaching to outcome
  • metta for all beings everywhere
Audio: An (Evergreen) Integrating Presence Full Moon Meditative Experience — Recorded live at Fat Cat Longevity 10/20/2021
[11/3/21 UPDATE: Replaced audio with professional noise removal edit]

Or listen via Insight Timer (app or website)

Mary’s House of Healing
524 South Main Street
Downstairs at Fat Cat Longevity next to Peace Love Coffee…
St. Charles, MO 63301

October 20th 2021 — 6:00pm – 6:45pm

Doors open: 5:50pm — Doors close: 6:05pm

Cost: Fat Cat Longevity price packages, monthly membership or generosity inspired donation

Conscious Pregnancies With Kristy Geltz

Friend and mother Kristy Geltz shares her knowledge, wisdom and experiences with pregnancy, giving birth and mothering.

(While still listenable just know we recorded on Kristy’s porch with nearby construction vehicles beeping and the main recording didn’t take so using the lesser quality Wisdom App live recording.) Topics include:

  • Kristy’s bio and background
  • trusting intuition when pregnant
  • (morning) sickness
  • weird cravings
  • home births
  • water births
  • midwives and birth doulas
  • husband’s roles
  • elements of safety, comfort and control in childbirth
  • rebirthing
  • birth trauma
  • skin to skin contact
  • umbilical cord and placenta options
  • post partum depression
  • wearing Sea Bands for nausea
  • chiropractic care while pregnant for fetus positioning
  • cranial sacral therapy for infants
  • breast feeding
  • animal totems for motherhood and fertility
  • parallels of pregnancy and parasitism (I parrot this concept that originates from (metaphysical) remembering and experiencing and I didn’t mention that it’s said we once were able to incarnate without a womb birth)
  • extra challenges of women leadership combined with motherhood
  • needs and wants are the same in small children
  • close bonding stage of mother and child
  • mutual support in childbirth, parenting and throughout all of life
Audio: Conscious Pregnancies With Kristy Geltz

Or listen via Insight Timer (app or website)

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/03/07/hidden-dangers-of-hospital-births.aspx

Continue reading “Conscious Pregnancies With Kristy Geltz”

Wisdom Snippets: The Murkiness, Blocks And Obstructions Of Past Life Discernment

During the resolve to not get up from under a Bodhi tree until realizing full awakening, the Buddha recalled previous lives. How did he, and how can we tell what is really and truly an authentic past life? There are scientific studies of past lives, but what follows is about what could be mistaken for past lives, and some of them are pretty far out, perhaps boarding on science fiction for some:

  • mistaking for dream(s)
  • racial, group or collective memories
  • forgotten media consumption
  • imagination
  • hypnotic(-like) suggestions
  • influencing past life memories by wanting to have certain types of past lives
  • mistaking memories of someone who you really admired, or despised, or even a captivating popular figure in a past life as oneself
  • mixing (portions of) anything mentioned here (with partial past life memories)
  • various technological means and methods known and unknown
  • (temporarily) taken over by an entity or spirit and experiencing their memories
  • false memories
  • memory insertions
  • memory distortions
  • parallel timelines and realities
  • relooped timeline(s) with slight alterations
  • (those from “your”) clones, duplicates, replicates
  • ai (or other beings or other technology) with copies of real past lives when detecting the start of a past life recall then splice in an edited version, or something like a deep fake (which could then act as a red herring to seed in higher probabilities for future distorted past life remembrances)
  • What if so connected or entangled in a past life with someone that discerning who was who — individually and both of each other’s memories (and maybe past life recalls at the time) — became difficult?
  • That entertaining any of the above can keep you from discerning past lives(?)

Bonus: a perhaps somewhat related, very short story The Egg by Andy Weir

Ideas on how to address:

[Note: Purely intuitive speculation and for experimentation as this has yet to be put into practice]

What are the major perceptional altering shifts in general and amongst the individual memories in/for each past life? Where and how does the reality seem to significantly and unmistakably change? The big ones might seem to be birth and death; perceived losses of innocence; and anywhere/anything where intense energy is involved. What are the consistencies for all these? What sticks out as incongruent? How does perception itself operate as far as mechanics, fluctuations, (in)stabilities, and the degree(s) of all this over various timespans?

Brief Guided Meditation: Discernment of Meditation Object

Very brief instruction, technique and practice period to help discern when attention is on or off the meditation object. Practice this solo, without external guidance.

Experiment — if need be — by altering, adjusting, and adding just enough so it works best for you.

Stick with this training wheels technique at least for a few meditation sessions with the intent to let go of it after it strengthens and deepens formal mindfulness practice.

Brief Guided Meditation: Discernment of Meditation Object

Or listen via Insight Timer (app or website)

Shawn White’s State Of The Massage Industry

Immediately relevant to the extensive linked list of Healing Modalities and Resources on IntegratingPresence.com I sit down with Shelly and Shawn White who, amongst many things, is a cancer conqueror, massage therapist, entrepreneur and spa founder/owner based in the greater St Louis, Missouri area.

Audio: Shawn White’s State Of The Massage Industry

Or listen via Insight Timer (app or website)

We mostly discuss the ups and downs of the massage and spa industry and Shawn’s methodology for transforming it. Amongst other topics we also touch on entrepreneurship, elevation and service to others. Detailed show notes as follows:

  • Shawn’s vivid massage school experiences including:
    • initial spark of interest
    • interest in body mechanics aspect of massage
    • physical environment of massage school
    • teachers, students, foibles and politics
    • styles and methods of teaching and learning
    • testing standards
    • learning massage in the midst of a cancer journey
    • unlearning, restoring intuition and self-training
    • licensing requirements, pass rates, provisional licensing, wash out, lack of history, dropouts, burnouts, retention rates, culture
  • Entrepreneurship:
    • mentorship
    • experience
    • challenges including:
    • opening to criticism
    • transformation
    • resilience
    • serving
    • switching from business mode to excelling at client experience mode with dedication and giving 100%
  • Reform and solutions:
    • More quality, less quantity of therapists
    • Supercharged dedication to serving others
    • Intending to provide best massage experience of one’s life every time
    • Certainty about one’s degree of client effectiveness upon review
    • Humility to prevent god complex
    • Empathy as tool to attune and adjust massage and keep intuition in check
    • Creativity helps customize and tailor to momentary needs while adding variety with creative passion
  • Inspiration, Encouragement, Empowerment and Elevation at the brink of death
  • Turning hardships, darkness and horror into gifts and opportunities to help others
  • False hope vs. true hope
  • Role models
  • Leaving the world better than we found it
  • Excitement, intensity, passion, authenticity
  • Transforming industry by:
    • starting own spa
    • creating opportunities to pursue dreams
    • professionalism
    • emphasis on education
    • creating own massage school founded on humility, empathy, creativity and purity
    • mentorship
    • sharing techniques
    • preventing hardship by sharing wisdom gained from hardships
    • time as most valuable asset
    • proactive regret prevention
  • How being a facilitator and tool overwrites identifying as a healer

Be that person who remains an ally to the innocence in every heart with the intuitive discernment to know how to hold space for the healing of others without being a place for anyone’s unprocessed pain to hide.

Matt Kahn 10/10/21 newsletter
Continue reading “Shawn White’s State Of The Massage Industry”

Wisdom Snippets: Co-opting Co-V For Concord

Currently the wisest perceptions surrounding the CV thing encountered thus far:

  • Honoring and respecting each and every free health care choice
  • What is your intent for vaccination or non-vaccination?
  • We do not know the long terms effects of getting vaccinated and not getting vaccinated
  • Should guidelines, vaccines and pharmaceutical products be the only options? How can we make it all work together without tyranny or carelessness?
Many worthwhile points about fear — at least on the surface level of this video — which is what I’ve called for the most care for since near the beginning

An Integrating Presence (Three Minute) Meditation And Reality (Characteristics) Contemplation

alternative audio version

Also available on Insight Timer, with or without the free app: https://insighttimer.com/integratingpresence/guided-meditations/three-minute-meditation-and-reality-contemplation

Listen via Insight Timer (app or website)

Meditation:

Meditate continuously for three minutes on an object

Contemplation:

Able to keep attention on the object the entire time?

If not, why is that?

If yes, did the quality and degree of attention change?

Why can’t we lock a consistent, unchanging attention to something without it wavering, or changing, or without distraction?

Perhaps then consider that in life, and especially noticeable in meditation, we sometimes think we should able to keep a consistent, unchanging attention to something. Maybe we can now better see how this erroneous view of deceptively defaulting to expecting constancies in life can result in stress and unsatisfactoriness

An Integrating Presence Three Minute Meditation And Reality (Characteristics) Contemplation

Here’s the video again:

Dharmic Strategies For Empaths

. . . when you yourselves know: ‘These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness,’ enter on and abide in them.

Kalama Sutta: The Buddha’s Charter of Free Inquiry (translated by Soma Thera)

While there now exists an entirely new (spiritual) paradigm for empaths, or energetically sensitive beings, (some of which my version of is included herewithin,) can anything be drawn from the Early Buddhist Texts as strategies for those where the characteristic of anukampa, or empathy, significantly impacts their day to day experience?

Empathy in the context of this article means deeply feeling what another is feeling. Experiencing what another is experiencing — at the least, experiencing the most predominate experience(s) of another — to the point where, temporarily, very little difference seemingly exists between the one empathing and what, or who is being empathed. The caveat being there is really no way to know exactly the entirety of another’s experience. Additionally, there often seems to be very little choice involved whether or not to empath.

This is all lovely and wonderful if only the positive and pleasant was all that was being empathed. So naturally, this article mostly addresses what’s being empathed and perceived as negative, unhelpful, unskillful, unwise and unwholesome without intending to attract more nor push it away.

Perhaps a (still somewhat broad) guiding question to further narrow this enquiry: How can we aim towards the highest, fullest, most total, and most complete currently accessible versions of the wisest, most wholesome, skillful, ideal and optimal perceptions, views and responses for empathic experiences and phenomena? (And perhaps eventually going and incorporating beyond even this?)

And without paving another way to be down on ourselves for falling short of what’s mentioned, all this also intends to provide options to cultivate and develop greater balanced empathy while ending (programmed) victim/victimizer mentality.

But first some background and context questions.

Continue reading “Dharmic Strategies For Empaths”