This is an ABBREVIATED SAMPLE LESSON for the Contemplative Community Building project. I would add several downloadable worksheets, a physical practice video, like a restorative type yoga class and a few more audio readings to a full lesson.
Our first lesson together is simply an introduction to Beginner's Mind and a brief overview of meditation. Our first lesson is a primer to begin to prepare the mind for finding stillness. At the end of the day, we're just trying to find a few tiny slivers of quiet and stillness in our chattering minds. By introducing moments of stillness, 5 minutes here-- 15 minutes there, we begin to notice a trend of quieting over time. Our emotions have the space to surface and we have the time to recognize those emotions, embrace them briefly and release them.
These lessons are derived from my studies at Naropa University, a Buddhist-inspired secular school that was founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1974. Much of the Buddhism that you engage with from modern Western writers and practitioners of Buddhism stemmed from Naropa. This ancient wisdom stretches back thousands of years and the lineage of what I am sharing with you reaches deep into ancient Tibetan Buddhism and Nondual Saiva Tantra (or really cool, old ass yogic philosophy).
You don't need to be a spiritual person or practicing this from a religious perspective. We'll explore this through a secular lens, I just want you to know where the wisdom is sourced. I am blessed to have teachers who have devoted their entire lives to studying and embodying these ancient wisdom traditions and I am so excited to share them with you all.
https://cstreet-eth.bandcamp.com/track/beginners-mind-chapter?from=embed