Happy official beginning of summer!
Things are bananas for me this week, packing up our rental home on Bowen Island in order to move back to Toronto for the summer. Then we’ll be back to BC again in September. I thought I’d repost one of my favourite meditations from couple years ago, about the goodness of rhythm, moving or sitting.
I’ll be back with a new post next week - enjoy!
Jeff
PS - If you’re around Toronto this summer, the Consciousness Explorers Club is back to meeting in person on Monday nights. I hope to make it to some of these - maybe see you there, details below.
Rhythm absorbs attention. It’s an old trick – maybe the oldest. Rhythm of the drum, of moving bodies and moving breath. Rhythm of voices raised in unison.
I found my rhythm when I went for a bike ride today. I have to be deliberate about it, otherwise I end up just pumping my legs while ruminating on problems. Plenty of time to ruminate on problems the other twenty-three hours of my day.
Instead, I listened.
Sound of pedalling: Rrrupp, rrrupp. Rrrupp, rrrupp.
‘Hm, crank arm’s a bit loose. Later - find your rhythm.’
Rrrupp, rrrupp.
Coast.
I notice my breath.
Inhale.
Rrrupp, rrrupp.
Exhale.
Rrrupp, rrrupp.
Coast.
The rhythm of my breath begins to synchronize with the movement of my legs. As that happens, attention flows naturally into the larger feeling of energy in the body, mixing with the energy of the wind. Experience converges, simplifies. I try not to ruin it by thinking about it.
A lyric from a song appears (rhythms invite rhythms).
“In my dreams I’m dying all the time.”
‘Is that Moby? Doesn’t matter, keep going.’
Inhale.
Rrrupp, rrrupp.
Exhale
Rrrupp, rrrupp.
Coast.
“In my dreams I’m dying all the time.”
Scenery tracking. Body moving. Breath moving. Very slowly, self drains from the world.
We can do it seated too. The body is never still, not really.
First the breath:
Inhale.
Exhale.
Maybe a visual: wave rolling in, dissolving. Wave rolling out, merging.
Inhale
(wave in)
Exhale
(wave out)
Body rocking slightly with the breath. How into it can you get? Songs allowed. Everything is allowed.
Inhale
(wave in)
Exhale
(wave out)
“In my dreams I’m dying all the time.”
Find your rhythm. Build your practice.
A survival tip for tough times.
Jeff
A few quick notes—
The next Do Nothing Project (DNP) live meditation is Sunday, June 28 at 8pm EDT. Link here. The DNP is for paid subscribers three times a month, and free for everyone the first Sunday of the month. If the cost of a subscription is not accessible, full scholarships are available at info@jeffwarren.org. Replays archived on Monday morning.
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Many thanks!
Monday Meditations with The Consciousness Explorers Club
Mondays at 7:30 pm ET
St Stephen in the Fields church, Toronto
The Consciousness Explorers Club has returned to in person weekly community sits in Toronto. The new home is St Stephen in the Fields church at 103 Bellevue Ave (entrance on College St). CEC Mondays offer a different practice each week*, guided by one of the stellar teaching team in a spirit of open-minded, open-hearted contemplative exploration. All Monday meditations are also available to join on zoom from wherever you are.
*Note: CEC in person sits will take a short break between July 20 and August 3 - they will still be on zoom.
