Alexandra
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Thank you for the word precise. I so appreciate when people speak with precision. I agree that we will each hone our style now that we have the instructions down. Best wishes!
Yes, I do feel ready. I believe I have the instructions down, and I just need to get more comfortable saying it out loud (with repetition) which I have started to do in my own practice. The funny thing is I had no intention to teach even when I signed up for this course, but now I kind of feel like I’d like to…. So I need to see what happens with that. Of course, as others have said, I am also nervous about answering a question incorrectly or not knowing an answer, but I trust the process and that it will all work out if we are rooted ourselves and only want what is best for our students.
I agree with what was said in class. I think we must recognize that most of our teachers are not monastics so they need our support, but I would also be skeptical if a teacher charged a lot or appeared to be living some crazy lifestyle of the rich and famous.
I think teachers should be able to support themselves, especially if this is their primary work. I like the idea of a free first class. If by donation, then I like the idea of a ‘suggested donation’ so people don’t have to think too much about the proper amount.
I could see that it might be difficult to start free/by donation and then start charging (which would likely make some people mad) so maybe it’s better to just start off with clarity: first free class and then a clear cost going forward – with options for scholarships or sliding scale for those who need it.
Volunteering is something else, and it can feel exhausting and draining. It doesn’t do anyone any good for teaching meditation to feel that way. If teachers have other sustainable income that’s different I suppose but still worth thinking through before starting to offer teaching.I experienced an ideal learning environment at a 5-day retreat: The schedule was clear, expectations were set, there were opening and closing sessions, we were in silence when we weren’t in session even for meals which took all social pressures away, they provided great food, and opportunities to stretch, do yoga, or walk each day. I wanted to never lose the feeling I had when it was over. Talk about grasping lol.
For my less-than-ideal learning environment, I guess I’ll go way back to high school. I didn’t know or trust the people running the school, they had extremely high expectations, we were in competition with other students, and there was a lot of pressure and stress.
What a difference.A small story: Recently I went to a sound bath. It was deeply relaxing and very nice but after it was over the teacher simply sat there, and then a few people spoke, and then one or two took Tarot cards and a then a couple of others walked out, so we did too and I just thanked her on the way out. I was so bothered by the fact that she never formally closed the session. It was so strange…
Isn’t it amazing how we remember these little stories years later? It’s such a good reminder too that we have absolutely no idea what is going on with anyone else at any time, and not to have any expectations. Thank you for sharing this.
I suppose the experience that comes to mind is a relationship with a former meditation teacher. I was one of seven women in a sangha with this teacher for about 7-8 years. We met 6-8 times a year for a whole day, sometimes a whole weekend. We even took a spiritual trip to Israel together (she was Israeli). I learned so much from her and from being in that sangha. But eventually it got messy. The best way I can explain it is that the teacher had a very strong (sometimes domineering) personality which could get in the way of her teaching. Yes, we had all committed to come together, but sometimes her expectations felt too controlling, and she was asking us to commit to more and more time, and it bled into “friendship” in that we helped with things like her daughter’s wedding rehearsal dinner (and there was money involved which is always tricky) and we complained to eachother privately. Finally, one woman felt personally attacked by the teacher and left the group in dramatic fashion, and that turned out to be the beginning of the end. It was time to move on, but I don’t regret being part of it. After that breakup is when I found the OHP.
Ooh, I can really relate to this feeling. After putting on a big event and the attendees have a great time and go off together to have a drink or dinner and there’s nothing to do but head home alone. These are the times it’d be really nice to have a colleague sharing the work so at least we could debrief together. Thank you for sharing this.
Generosity is the paramita I consider every day. Busyness is my most obvious form of laziness which makes me feel that I have poverty of time. I say yes to too many things – many volunteer efforts on top of my job. One of my strengths is capacity – but I feel stretched thin. What would I do if I didn’t fill up all my time?? Probably go on retreat lol. The funny thing is how aware of this I am. This ties in to Generosity for me because time and space help me tune in to what is needed, and the ability to offer my presence/support to others. I am aware of this yet still working on it. I suppose awareness is the first step.
I also relate intimately to Discipline. I have a lot of self-discipline. But, related to what I said above, I keep myself on track a bit too tightly. But I also love that it has kept me on this path, beginning again and coming back, for so many years. A long time ago, someone I knew said on his answering machine message: I will call you back when I can give you my full attention. That really struck me back then, and especially in this age of phones and screens, I really strive to give others my full attention. It’s so much richer than multi-tasking.
Yes, a good reminder. I felt like those initial steps needed emphasis even though/since we had already been sitting for a while (but not meditating).
It felt good to get it over with! It was weird hearing the sound of my own voice. The quiet time after I spoke the instructions felt long. It was hard to notice/know whether my partner was fidgety or needed more reminders, whether I should say more words. But I was happy that I was able to follow the instructions myself as I spoke them and they felt simple, orderly, and right.
Yes, isn’t it amazing to think of all those who came before us and how many did not survive and how lucky and random it is that we were born at all. It is overwhelming to think about. thank you.
Our circle group has been studying the lojong slogans and I really enjoy listening to Norman Fisher’s book about them. I didn’t know about Green Gulch or that he was a teacher there. I’d love to go someday. thank you.
My inspiration and lineage draw from activists, writers and songwriters, those who have suffered and been harmed and become shining lights of moral clarity and dignity. Frida Khalo, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Barbara Kingsolver to name just a few. Journalists bearing witness and the First Amendment itself; Archbishop Oscar Romero, MLK, Ghandi, those who conquered their fear to stand up for justice and peace and other beings, and my own teachers who I have encountered at various stages on the Buddhist path and the path to sanity. And the lineage of women in my family: my cousins, mother, aunts, and grandmother, Rebecca, the matriarch of our family, and the oldest living relative I’ve known.
