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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Listening to the body.
Our mental conditioning is often accompanied by something felt in the body. A memory may arise, and with it a physical contraction. As we begin paying attention, and continue to pay attention, deepening our practice, we notice this connection, we notice how our body reacts along with reactive thought patterns.
This isn't really new for most of us; we've probably all noticed that when we are stressed, we might feel it in the gut, or we might notice changes in blood pressure or breathing patterns.
These reactive patterns within the body are so established that they can arise even without a story. Our practice can deepen to where we notice how our body is feeling, and notice when it is out of balance, even if the mind is relatively calm and peaceful.
Teachers in many traditions will speak of the body, mind, and heart, or similar terms, as all being important as part of one's spiritual journey. In advaita, some teachers speak of awakening at the levels of mind, heart, and body.
Bringing one's attention to the body, or bringing the body into one's awareness, can be a very helpful component of one's practice. As with opening to what is arising in the way of stories, dramas, memories, thoughts, so too we can open to, meet unconditionally, be with compassionately, what is arising within the body, without judgement, without a story. And as with mental conditioning, when we open to what is arising within the body, that conditioning begins to dissipate; as what has been unmet and unloved is finally met and loved, it begins to resolve and fall away.
This deep body awareness can be found in somatic meditation, pranayana breathing, hatha yoga, and other practices. As you continue to bring your attention into the body, noticing on a deep level how the body feels, this becomes natural and effortless.
When we have compassion for the body, it facilitates healing. When we are in conflict with the body, it exacerbates disease. An open and compassionate heart is essential to a body that is in harmony within itself and with the world around it.
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When you notice stress in the body, perhaps in a shoulder, or one side of the upper back
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Sit comfortably, establish yourself in the breath
On an inbreath, breath into the area where you are feeling stress
On an outbreath, let that bound up energy release out of the body.
Again, on the inbreath, direct healing energy with the breath into the area of stress
And on the outbreath, let the stress begin to release.
Repeat this several times.
Sometimes movement will be helpful as well. A gentle massage of the area, or some slow gentle movement into and out of a yoga pose or other stretching of the area can be beneficial, while continuing to bring deep compassionate attention to the area, and continuing to bring healing energy to the area with the breath.
This is an integration of body, mind, and spirit. It is a part of the journey of moving more deeply into the truth of our being, this rare, precious gift of living as a human being on this amazing earth, in this very moment.
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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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