Rachel Switala
Mindfully Letting Go

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, Feb. 24, from 7-8:30PM EST in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, Feb. 26, from 7-8AM EST online; and Friday, Feb. 28, from 12-1PM EST in person & online (hybrid).

On Monday, Ellen will facilitate. Ellen shares:

I recently heard a wonderful podcast that really touched me deeply about “resetting and letting go” (from the Mindfulness 12 Minute Meditation series).  It made me think of the teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh that bring us back to our breath and help us see our breath as a way of grounding ourselves, being in the present moment, and letting go of everything else.

The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh chapter titled “Your True Home” includes this:

“Your true home is in the here and the now….When breathing in, you don’t think of anything; you just focus our attention on the in-breath….  There is a concentration on your in-breath that will make body and mind come together in just one moment.  And suddenly you find yourself fully present, fully alive.”

Mindfully Letting Go
Rachel Switala
Second Mindfulness Training: True Happiness

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, Feb 17th, from 7-8:30PM EST online; Wednesday morning, Feb 19th, from 7-8AM EST in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, Feb 21st, 12-1PM EST in person/online (hybrid).

On Monday, Mary Smith and Annie will facilitate and we will explore the Second Mindfulness Training: True Happiness.

In the Second Mindfulness Training (full text at the bottom) we are reminded:

I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting.

And in the ARISE (Awakening through Race, Intersectionality, and Social Equity) sangha’s contemplation on this training (full text at the bottom), we read:

In our journey towards true happiness, we recognize that societal constructs have often been used to divide and oppress. Acknowledging that there is no genetic or biological difference between different racial and ethnic groups, and that these identities were constructed by one group to establish dominance over others, we commit to turning toward racial and other forms of othering with an open heart and compassionate action.

Related to these both is the sutra The Discourse on Love, in which the Buddha suggests practicing generosity as Boundless Love: 

Just as a mother loves and protects her only child at the risk of her own life, cultivate boundless love to offer to all living beings in the entire cosmos. Let our boundless love pervade the whole universe, above, below, and across. Our love will know no obstacles. Our heart will be absolutely free from hatred and enmity. Whether standing or walking, sitting or lying, as long as we are awake, we should maintain this mindfulness of love in our own heart. 

Second Mindfulness Training: True Happiness
Rachel Switala
No Mud, No Lotus: Like Lotus Petals Emerging ...

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, Feb. 10, from 7-8:30PM EST in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, Feb. 12, from 7-8AM EST online; and Friday, Feb. 14, from 12-1PM EST in person & online (hybrid).

On Monday, Magda will facilitate. Magda shares:

As a continuation of last week’s topic, No Mud, No Lotus: Reconnecting the Points by Embracing the Mud, Magda will guide us in exploring how we can embrace, examine, heal, and transform our suffering through the Four Noble Truths. This Monday, she will lead us through the last two Noble Truths.

No Mud, No Lotus: Like Lotus Petals Emerging From My Head

3) The Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha): The Energy of Mindfulness Is Like the Sun’s Energy

"Returning to myself is already a miracle.” -Brother Phap An at the European Institute of Applied Buddhism (EIAB)

By transforming this "mud" through mindfulness, I uncover its potential to nourish growth. I now remain vigilant against distractions, especially during periods when fragmentation intensifies, and focus on reconnecting to my wholeness. To protect my peace, I’ve limited my exposure by deleting apps, blocking triggering content, and redirecting my energy toward meditation, reading meaningful content, and nourishing activities like engaged mindfulness projects.

No Mud, No Lotus: Like Lotus Petals Emerging From My Head
Rachel Switala
No mud, no lotus, reconnecting the points by ...

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, Feb 3rd, from 7-8:30PM EST online; Wednesday morning, Feb 5th, from 7-8AM EST in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, Feb 7th, 12-1PM EST online.

On Monday night Magda will facilitate. Magda shares:

Over the next two Monday nights, Magda will guide us in exploring how we can embrace, examine, heal, and transform our suffering through the Four Noble Truths. This Monday, she will lead us through the first two Noble Truths.

“When you first hear that suffering is a Noble Truth, you might wonder what’s so noble about suffering?” (Thich Nhat Hanh, No Mud, No Lotus 15).

1) The Reality of Suffering (Dukkha): Recognizing the “Monster” of Fragmentation

“Breathing in, I know suffering is there. Breathing out, I say hello to my suffering” (No Mud, No Lotus 23).

During times of information overload like the recent election, I often feel weighed down by distractions. Brother Phap An, in a recent class at the European Institute of Applied Buddhism (EIAB), described this experience as being “sucked in by the monster of social media and societal chaos.” When I allow this “monster” to consume me, I feel fragmented and disconnected from my deeper self, as though my body and mind have become disjointed. These distractions intensify my suffering, keeping me trapped in ignorance and disconnected from the mindful practices that restore and maintain wholeness.Brother Phap An depicted this fragmentation as a set of disconnected points residing inside us. This image resonated deeply with me, particularly during the election. Distractions often make it harder for us to confront our suffering, allowing it to accumulate and to transform into fear, despair, judgment, or hate.

No mud, no lotus, reconnecting the points by embracing the mud
Rachel Switala
The art of living beautifully, honestly, and ...

Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, Jan. 27, from 7-8:30PM EST in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, Jan. 29, from 7-8AM EST online; and Friday, Jan. 31, from 12-1PM EST in person & online (hybrid).

On Monday, Annie will facilitate. Annie shares:

On Monday we will read the Five Mindfulness Trainings together and then we will invite some of the sangha members who received the trainings on January 4 to reflect on their journey with the trainings and why they chose to ceremonially receive them. Receiving the trainings is a personal commitment to practicing a loving and attentive way of life, and they are a gift from the sangha to support our practice.

We will hear from dana chapnick, Tracy Corley, Rachel Henigan, Franziska Mutz (by video), Gerry Oshman, and Mary Smith. Each completed the six-month class and each received a dharma name from Annie, Camille, and Jill. A few other folks from out of town also received the trainings with us, including Sam Maio, Lorna Pollack, Ana Valente, Ronald Nober, Gonzalo Neira Morales, and Maren Núñez Moscoso. 

The art of living beautifully, honestly, and with strength and dignity

sangha

Watering the Seed of Vulnerable Self-Expression To Water the Seed of Collective Care

Watering the Seed of Vulnerable Self-Expression To Water the Seed of Collective Care

Special Guest Sandra Kim will lead our sangha this Monday.

A sangha that aspires to support its members in becoming free from suffering and realizing our interbeing-ness needs to have a culture of collective care - where all are cared for because all are caring. While at any given moment, who and how we are giving and receiving may be different, we can trust in the sangha to hold us.

Like all aspirations, nurturing a culture of collective care in our sanghas is not easy, particularly in a society that promotes hyper-individualism, consumerism as the cure to all, and work being the only valid activity to focus on. And in our society that expects people to be perfect in order to be acceptable, it can be very difficult for many to acknowledge their own difficult feelings and express their need for support.

DONATE CONTACT US RESOURCES

OHMC, 3812 NORTHAMPTON STREET NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20015
202-686-1104 INFO@OPENINGHEARTMINDFULNESS.ORG


Copyright © 2019 Opening Heart Mindfulness Community