Intro to Mindfulness Meditation Class: Thoughts

Mindfulness Meditation Class: Working with Thoughts
Teacher: Carla Brennan
Bloom of the Present Insight Meditation
bloomofthepresent.org

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Contact Carol at: [email protected].
Please only register if you can attend all three classes.

This 3-week class offers an introduction to mindfulness to new students and a review for experienced students.

One of the challenges to meditation is understanding how to work with thoughts. This is essential for finding calm and clarity in meditation and for becoming free from habits that cause stress. Everyone is familiar with what is called “monkey mind;” when our mind seems be a chaotic jumble of noisy, intrusive thoughts. Worries, regrets, and self-judgments are all caused by ways of thinking that are unhelpful and undermining. Our mind can easily jump to negative conclusions and spiral into anxiety, depression or anger.

Often people believe they must stop thoughts in order to meditate and feel they have failed at meditation because thoughts keep arising. But this is not true. Thinking is an ordinary and necessary function of our mind and will continue in meditation. Problems occur when we are lost in our inner stories and are controlled by our habitual, recurring thoughts. Meditation actually helps change our understanding of and relationship to the “thinking mind.”

Through mindfulness we become aware of thoughts and become disentangled from their compulsive control over us. We can choose which to act on and which to disregard. We can question what is true and what is just old conditioning. We discover an inner creative wellspring of spacious awareness that is not at the mercy of past habits.

Mindfulness brings greater flexibility in responding to the inevitable stresses of life. We can learn to meet all experience - including illness, chronic pain, loss, unhealthy habits, and anxiety - with clarity. We can begin to relax into the present, living with more ease.

Mindfulness is part of a larger group of teachings in Buddhism that can lead to spiritual maturity, increased compassion and inner freedom. These qualities contribute to more peace in our lives and in the world around us.

You will be given basic instructions, handouts and suggestions for daily practice.

CARLA BRENNAN is the guiding teaching for Bloom of the Present Insight Meditation.
She has been practicing meditation for 40 years.

COST: This 3-week class will be offered by donation. We have a suggested sliding scale of $40 – $70. However, more or less is gratefully accepted. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Non-monetary donations are also accepted.