Meditation 101

Week 3 - Dealing with Thoughts by Dave Potter

Introduction to Yoga

At this point in your practice, you may be noticing just how busy the mind is, with replays of past events, expectations/fears about the future, or evaluations of present experience (I like this, don't lke that, when will this be over, etc.). It can seem that the object of meditation is to get rid of all thoughts and distractions, and when that isn't happening, you may feel like you are failing at meditation and/or the meditation can turn into a struggle, wanting your experience to be different than it is. In fact, the kind of meditation you are learning is more about working skillfully with any internal or external experience, and isn't really about "getting rid" of thoughts and distractions.

Videos

It's common for there to be a sense of pushing oneself in meditation, and the first video, Non-Striving, addresses the possibility of taking the striving out of meditation (and life!). The second video, Attention, Intention, Attitude, explores the attitude we take toward ourselves in meditation, which is often harsh, and the possibility of being gentler with ourselves. In the third video, Dealing with Thoughts (in life and in meditation), Tara Brach talks about our relationship with thoughts, including a short practice of intentionally bringing awareness to thoughts. The last video, Surrender to the Monkeys, is also by Tara, and addresses our wanting for things to be different than they are and the wisdom of taking things just as they are.

Reading
The reading list this week begins with Mindful Yoga by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It's important to read this before beginning the Yoga practice that begins this week. The next two articles address common misconceptions in meditation. In Meditation: It's Not What You Think, that while meditation can often be accompanied by peace and relaxation, "meditation is not relaxation spelled differently", and as Erik Wikstrom says in the quote above, "The moments of stillness are one of meditation's byproducts, not the practice itself."

Just in case this all seems to make meditation less magical, Mastering Your Own Mind gives evidence that concentration, kindness and happiness can all be developed through meditation and also refers to the actual, physical changes that happen in the brain as a result of even a modest amount of meditation practice.

Daily Practices

For the formal practice this week, we introduce Mindful Yoga into your 30 minute practice, alternating with the Sitting Meditation and choosing one day to do a Body Scan. This is all outlined in your Week 3 Practice Log, below. Even if you are an experienced yoga practitioner, be sure to read "Mindful Yoga" in the reading below, before beginning the yoga practice. Mindful Yoga is different than many traditional yoga practices in that there is less of a focus on the exact posture achieved and more focus on body/mind awareness.

The informal practice is about becoming aware of how we experience and process unpleasant events. Just as in previous weeks, allow a few minutes before going to sleep to complete the informal practices log.

Below are your materials for this week:

Videos
Non-Striving by Jon Kabat-Zinn (3 min)

Attention, Intention, Attitude by Shauna Shapiro (16 min)

Dealing with Thoughts (in life and in meditation) by Tara Brach (20 min)

Surrender to the Monkeys by Tara Brach (4 min)

Reading

Mindful Yoga by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Meditation - It's Not What You Think by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mastering Your Own Mind article by Katherine Ellison

Practice sheets

Formal Practice - Mindful Yoga, Body Scan, Sitting

Informal Practice - Unpleasant Events Calendar