Avi: Alchemy is the separation of the chaotic and unconscious psychic matter, into clearly known opposing principles. Then in a further stage, the alchemist works to reconcile these opposites into a new harmoniously integrated whole. This week we’ll explore the alchemical dimensions of mindfulness practice. In the sit we’ll work on analysing the components of sensory … Continued
Avi: Worship has a bad ring to it these days. We think of cults or old-time religion. But at its heart, worship is simply a way to reinforce our dedication and humility in the face of something that we find worthy of our ultimate allegiance. The ideal(s) we worship may or may not be religious or … Continued
Avi: Our bodies contain multitudes. Our culture imposes an artificial gap between soma and psyche, between the body as a material object and the mind as the centre of meaning. In tonight’s practices, we’ll try to move beyond this gap, to unspool some of the hidden magic our bodies contain.
Avi: Philosophy was my first contemplative practice, long before I’d ever heard about mindfulness. A philosopher is somebody who seeks philos (deep friendship) with sophia (wisdom). The philosopher’s method is to ask questions and develop reasoned explanations about things like, what am I? What should we do? What is true and how do we know it? The philosopher is somebody … Continued
By cec
DATE: June 12, 2017 TEACHER: Avi Craimer THEME: Joy MEDITATION: Mudita INTERACTIVE: Laughter Avi: The other day Erin and I were talking about how it seems that anytime we focus on emotions in practice, we tend to dig into the heavy or darker stuff. Well, this week we’ll deliberately thwart that bias. In the mudita meditation we’ll … Continued