Practice Tools// A Map for Noticing

I’m in the middle of one of my favorite teaching opportunities: MEDITATION FOUNDATIONS. It is such a delight to share the wonder of meditation in the container specifically designed for locating & learning the foundations of practice.

I’ve been teaching meditation in this format (among others) for 7 years now, and I love looking back on notes and syllabus from past sessions to better serve my students each time.

One thing I have learned from my students during this current session of Meditation Foundations is that it is challenging to articulate our experience of meditation without reverting to judgments like “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it.” To describe our felt experience of a practice (or anything, truly) is a skill. And a counter-cultural skill at that. Capitalism is constantly encouraging (coercing?) us to avoid feeling the feelings, to avoid noticing our own needs (who needs the feeling of thirst when an app will tell you when it’s time to drink water?!), to avoid asking what is below the feeling to get to the *real* need (maybe I don’t need another pair of jeans, I just need to hear my friend’s voice…– speaking from experience here). If we’re truly present and aware to the miracle of our very existence, we’re less likely to make mindless purchases, so we’re of no use to capitalism. So, we’re up against a lot is my point.

Along these lines, I created a loose rubric for my students to use when journaling about their practice (or as a way of creating a practice of noticing within meditation). Some of you may notice it loosely follows the koshas. I ADORE using the koshas as my model of noticing and of overall health. It’s such a wholistic and integrated system for wellness and for recognizing the interconnectedness of our experience.

I’m curious about your meditation practice:: do you journal afterwards? What questions do you ask yourself about meditation?

Here’s a practice I made for you. Enjoy.

Also, have you listened to the Third Chakra Playlist I made for you? What do you think?

LOVE TO ALL>>> kelly

p.s. i’m making some new offerings for students through the newsletter. if you’re interested in practicing together more, you might sign up for that. i don’t think i’ll announce them to the world just so they’re small. feel free to email if you are curious. xo