Mindfulness Days

Mindfulness Days - Fall 2009 and Winter 2010

On Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:30, these days include periods of sitting, discussion and a Dharma Talk. Reservations are necessary as our space is small. Please arrive on time. A 20 $ contribution is requested from non-members. For directions, click HERE.

The Saturday morning programme for 2010-2011 is presently in preparation

These days are opportunities for mindfulness practice. You can start your mindfulness day as you walk from the metro stop or your car, or better still, as you ride or drive. The topics listed below are the focus for the talk and discussion. However, any topic that is on your mind is a good one to bring up in group or in private during these days. Private interviews are available on all mindfulness days. Please mention your request when you come in.

NOVEMBER 14 , 2009: HAPPINESS AND THE PRACTICE OF MINDFULNESS: These are intimately related, as the practice of mindfulness evolved within the context of Buddhist culture which sees happiness as the purpose of our life. Happiness is not a competitive, but a cooperative behaviour: ultimately, the happiness of a family depends to some extent on the happiness of each member of the family, and the happiness of the human race depends on the well-being of each of us, and of the ecosystem. Thus, kindness, respect for life, and awareness of what causes others to suffer, are all part of the practice of mindfulness. “Mindful Eating,” for example, means more than just counting calories; and “Mindful Speech” means a lot more than what politicians need to say to get votes, although both contain some elements of awareness. Mindful action, properly understood, keeps in mind our place in the universe, and who we are, and contributes to a sense of well-being.
This day will be a celebration of happiness, and of the full meaning of the practice of mindfulness.

DECEMBER 5, 2009: STRESS: AWARENESS OF OUR HABITS IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD FREEDOM
(at Pointe-Claire)
We all have habits: habits of thought and emotion, habits of eating and drinking, and of behaviour and speech. Stress is a mental habit, a certain way of reacting to situations: it is not only traffic controllers who work overtime that have it, actually many of them do not, whereas some people who work only part time, or do not work at all have lots of it, some even while they are on vacation. We usually think that external circumstances cause our stress, but not everyone gets stressed out under the same circumstances. A massage, a hot bath, or a Yoga class will help relieve today’s stress, but they will not prevent tomorrow’s stress from happening. That requires awareness of our mental habits, of how we cause our own stress, mindfulness through the day, and the willingness to gradually form new and healthier habits of mind and body.

JANUARY 23, 2010: FOCUS ON MEDITATION (at Pointe-Claire)
This day will be devoted to exploring the process of meditation, what works, what to expect, and a look at various aspects of meditation. We often approach our meditation practice the way we approach our life, and bring our usual habits of thought into it. But Alan Watts once remarked that, “When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.”
To register, please e-mail Joseph Emet at josephemet @  gmail.com (please remove the spaces!).

FEBRUARY 13: INNER PEACE AND STRESS (at Pointe-Claire)
We are stressed when we respond to situations out of fear. We may be unaware of our fear; we may only be aware of the stress which we impute to the situation, or think that stress is in the nature of our job or our lifestyle. But a certain level of fear is behind the stress. We are not all soldiers on active duty. A lot of the time, our ‘fight or flight’ response is inappropriate. Rather than helping, it has a crippling effect on our performance, and eventually on our health, as we get exhausted from constantly being on edge. Can we instead learn to respond to situations with confidence, inner peace, and self-esteem? Can we encounter all persons joyfully and with love in our hearts?
This change of attitude is an effective stress buster, and longer lasting than alcohol or massage. It not only improves our life, but also changes each situation we are in, as others now respond differently to us.
On this day we will focus on recognizing our fears and the ‘fear response’, developing fearlessness, loving kindness, and inner peace.

MARCH 6: FIVE MINDFULNESS TRAININGS (at Pointe-Claire)
The Three Pillars of Buddhism are Sila, Samadhi and Prajna (Ethics, Concentration, and Wisdom) in that order. Ethics comes first: inner peace is not possible if we have lied, cheated, spoken unkindly, or committed acts of violence.
Mindfulness is the basis of Buddhist ethics: we refrain from doing certain things because we know that they cause suffering. That is enlightened living. If we just extract the meditation component from the entire Dharma teaching, we may be left wondering why our lives are still the same.
PLEASE NOTE: There will be an opportunity to take refuge and the Five Mindfulness Trainings on this day for those who wish. If you are interested, please read the appropriate entries on the website, and e-mail Joseph Emet at josephemet @  gmail.com (please remove the spaces!).

MARCH 27: CONTEMPLATING THE FUTURE WITH A SMILE (at Pointe-Claire)
Our attitude towards the future is made up of our attitude toward the present.
Can we live the present moment with a smile?
If we wait till all the problems are solved, we may never get a chance to smile—today or tomorrow!
On this mindfulness day we will look at the reality of life squarely, without flinching; examine the seeming opposites of detachment and engagement; and consider that we do not have to wait till all the dishes are done before we can smile.
To register, please e-mail Joseph Emet at josephemet @  gmail.com (please remove the spaces!).

APRIL 17: MINDFULNESS: ART, SCIENCE, OR SPIRITUALITY? (at Pointe-Claire).
With mindfulness, our life can become an art form, lived in the moment, and enjoyed as a thing of beauty. Our relationships can develop creatively.
Or one can practice mindfulness as a science, and use it in the form of one of the well-researched “Mindfulness based Therapies” to heal or to be healed, or to deal with stress.
One can also explore it as a form of spirituality to guide one gracefully through each day, as well as through the important challenges and uncertainties of life.
What is common to all three is the practice of Mindfulness Meditation.
On this day, we will focus on the basics of this practice as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh.
To register, please e-mail Joseph Emet.

MINDFULNESS DAYS FOR THE FALL OF 2010 WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN AUGUST.