BRINGING THE PRACTICE OF MINDFULNESS INTO OUR DAILY LIVES

Four sessions with Michael Ciborski and Fern Dorresty,

Dharma teachers in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

At the Bugbee Senior Center, White River Junction

262 N. Main St., White River Junction, VT 05001

5:30 to 7:30 PM

Bring your evening meal and together we will eat mindfully.

 January 13^th – Transforming and Healing Our Suffering

We transform and heal our suffering through learning to embrace our suffering, taking time to look deeply and listen to our suffering in order to understand it, then strengthening a new way of thinking and acting which no longer causes us to suffer. This evening we will explore this process as well as learn about how our mind works through Buddhist psychology.

January 27^th – Connection and Healing in Our Relationships with Loved Ones

Exploring how the practice of mindfulness can support our relationships with others, including transforming habit energy and reactivity, the cultivation of loving speech, deep listening, and a practice of reconciliation called Beginning Anew.

February 10^th – Practicing with Love, Loss and Letting Go

This session we will look at applying the teachings on impermanence and liberation to major life changes.  Deep insight into the no-beginning/no-end nature of things can bring about great freedom and help us to let go of the suffering we feel in difficult transitions.  This is a skill that can be learned and which allows us to become light and new.

February 24^th – Practicing with our Children and Grandchildren, from tot to teen and beyond

Exploring how we can share the practice with children through both practical activities as well as how we can practice when we are with them, in order that they can directly experience the fruits of our practice, namely our true presence and capacity to listen to them, our peace, ease and joy in being alive.

Click here to see pictures from the mindfulness retreat, “Opening the Heart of True Love,” co-sponsored by Heart of the Valley Mindfulness Practice Center, which was held February 13-16, 2015 at Wonderwell Reatreat Center, Springfield, NH

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The Heart of the Valley Mindfulness Practice Center meets in the fellowship hall of St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 75 Beaver Meadow Rd., Norwich, Vermont.  Practicing in the supportive environment of mindful community we enjoy the collective energy of mindful sitting, walking, eating, dialogue and study every Tuesday morning from 9:00-11:30 (click on “Tuesday Practice” above for practice schedule and description of our mindfulness practices).  During the winter months the Wednesday practice group will not be meeting.  In the spring, we will resume sitting the first and third Wednesday of the month, starting at 5:30 PM.  The Tuesday Mindfulness Practice group will continue meeting through the winter months.

Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is the practice of touching life deeply in every moment. To be mindful is to be truly alive, present, and at one with all that is within and around us. With the support of the practice community, we can cultivate peace and joy, as a gift for ourselves, for all beings, and for the Earth.

Our MPC was established in 1997, at a time when westerners were seeking an understanding of mindfulness and a non-religious setting in which to practice.  When we practice together, our mindfulness becomes more joyful, relaxed and steady.

We practice in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Our MPC is non-hierarchical and consensus-based in its planning and decision-making.   We believe that each of us has insights to offer to others, and at our weekly sessions we have the opportunity to share from our hearts.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

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Directions to Heart of the Valley Mindfulness Practice Center, located in St. Francis of Assisi Church, 75 Beaver Meadow Road, Norwich, VT. – From I-91, take exit 13. Head west toward Norwich ½ mile onto Main St. –  Beaver Meadow Rd. is the first left past Dan and Whit’s Store and the Norwich Inn. After turning left onto Beaver Meadow Rd., go approx. ¼ mile. Church is on the right.

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For updates on Thich Nhat Hanh’s health condition and practices to support his recovery, please go to the Plum Village website, http://plumvillage.org and to the Heart of the Valley Mindfulness Practice Center Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/heartofthevalleympc

1. Reverence For Life

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.
2. True Happiness

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and reverse the process of global warming.
3. True Love

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and friends. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are one, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness – which are the four basic elements of true love – for my greater happiness and the greater happiness of others. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.
4. Loving Speech and Deep Listening

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.

5. Nourishment and Healing

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.

Click here to visit Heart of the Valley Mindfulness Practice Center facebook page.

Window over altar in Lower Hamlet Meditation Hall, Plum Village, France.

Thay pausing for some tea, during mindfulness walk.

Walking Meditation, 21 Day retreat, Plum Village Monastery, France, June, 2014

21 Days of Mindfulness at Plum Village

Breathing in, I here the dove’s gentle coo.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I see the flash of yellow oriole’s quick flight.
Breathing out, I smile
Breathing in, I smell red rose’s pepper-sweet scent.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I hear frog’s croaking chorus beneath the lotus leaves.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I feel the wind blowing in the poplar grove.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I stop to the monastery bell’s invitation.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I bow to my lovingly prepared vegan food.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I savour delicious home made tofu.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I wash my empty plate.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in I stack clean bowls.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I take mindful steps to the bathroom.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I let it mellow; if it’s yellow, flush it down, if it’s brown.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I bow to the Buddha glowing orange in the meditation hall.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I sit relaxed on my cushion.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I hear sister’s beautiful chanting. Tres jolie!
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I hear Thay’s compassionate voice.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I listen deeply with my heart.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I wait with sangha for the bus.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I ride in silence, watching the French countryside.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I sing joyfully with sangha.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I mindfully sip refreshing green tea.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I hang my laundry to dry in the sun.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I smell sweet lavender on the purple hillside.
Breathing out, I smile.

Breathing in, I feel the feelings.
Breathing out, I smile at the feelings.
Breathing in I think the thoughts
Breathing out, I smile at the thoughts.
Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment
Breathing out, I smile at this wonderful moment.
Breathing in, I water seeds of understanding and compassion.
Breathing out, I smile at the knowing.

Gail Kuhl
Gentle Harmony of the Heart
June 25, 2014

Bell Tower, Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France.