A Fireweed Sangha meeting lasts about an hour and a half. We start with a period of silent meditation followed by a short check-in from each member. We then spend time in walking meditation and perhaps some singing, followed by a Dharma reading and discussion. We close with another period of silent meditation. Members take turns facilitating different parts of the practice each week.
(The Fireweed Sangha “Welcome Sheet.”)
WELCOME TO
THE FIREWEED SANGHA FOR MINDFUL LIVING
If this is your first visit, we hope this sheet will help you become familiar and comfortable with our Sangha's weekly practice. If it is not your first visit, we hope you will review this template and offer any suggestions to better welcome those who have come to practice with our Sangha.
We enter the room quietly and sit silently either on the floor cushions or in chairs, whatever is most comfortable. Each evening our mindfulness practice begins with the Bell Minder of the evening waking and then sounding the bell three times, which begins a 15-minute meditation.
At the end of the sitting meditation, the bell is again heard three times and we have a brief round of introductions. We bow into the group before speaking, say our name and may choose to share with the group a brief account of how we are in the present moment or in past week. At the end of each introduction the member bows out.
After the round of introductions another member will lead us in a walking meditation. We follow their slow, mindful step around the walking route, which is typically indoors but may be outdoors in good weather. This takes about 15 minutes.
Walking is followed by another member who has volunteered to offer a dharma reading. Usually it is a selection from Thich Nhat Hanh's tradition, but may vary depending on the member's interest. There are many ways we do a Dharma reading. One member may read the entire passage, or we may pass it around and take turns. No member is required to read or participate. If they chose not to read or speak, they simply pass on the reading to the next person.
A dharma discussion follows the reading. The member who did the reading begins by restating the guidelines for Dharma discussions that have been a tradition with Thich Nhat Hanh 's mindfulness groups. Our Sangha has a lovely softness during this time, often sitting quietly for many minutes before someone speaks. Each person bows into the group, announces her or his name and speaks from the heart. There is no cross talk, we respect confidentiality, and members speak to the group as a whole. We try to avoid lecturing or getting in a teaching mode. It is a lovely process that graces us each week. Usually not everyone speaks, and no one is encouraged to speak if they choose to be silent.
Following the Dharma discussion, we usually have a final sitting meditation. The Bell Minder invites the bell at the beginning and again at the end three times. Next, it is the time for housekeeping, where we spend a few minutes, organizing volunteers for the next week 's practice. Members volunteer to be the dharma reader and discussion leader for the following week. It is also a time we can invite the group to be mindful for those people and beings who may need lovingkindness.
Members help put away cushions and chairs and often gather around and chat after the closing meditation bell and before leaving. There is a box or basket for financial contributions which we offer to the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for their generous sharing of their room.
Please note that although some people may find significant relief in the practice of mindfulness meditation, and while we gather together to support each other’s practice, this is not a group therapy session nor a substitute for professional mental health care. We ask all who join us to help maintain a safe and supportive space for all members, focused on the dharma lessons of our lives. If a particularly overwhelming emotion or experience comes up for you, know that the one of the Sangha stewards will be available to sit with you, either during or after practice. In very rare instances, the stewards may ask a member to leave practice if something arises that is too big for the group to hold. In this case, the stewards will follow up, in person, outside of practice. No one will be left alone.
We are happy to welcome you and hope this description helps you become familiar and comfortable with our Sangha practice. If you would like to be on our mailing list a member will ask for your email address and you will receive weekly announcements of the next practice. We also have a website at www.fireweedsangha.org that has links to more information about the Plum Village tradition.
With metta,
The Fireweed Sangha for Mindful Living
INTRODUCTION TO SITTING MEDITATION
Excerpted from: http://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/sitting-meditation/
“Sitting meditation is like returning home to give full attention to and care for our self. Like the peaceful image of the Buddha on the altar, we too can radiate peace and stability. We sit upright with dignity, and return to our breathing. We bring our full attention to what is within and around us. We let our mind become spacious and our heart soft and kind.
Sitting meditation is very healing. We realize we can just be with whatever is within us- our pain, anger, and irritation, or our joy, love, and peace. We are with whatever is there without being carried away by it. Let it come, let it stay, then let it go. No need to push, to oppress, or to pretend our thoughts are not there. Observe the thoughts and images of our mind with an accepting and loving eye. We are free to be still and calm despite the storms that might arise in us.
If our legs or feet fall asleep or begin to hurt during the sitting, we are free to adjust our position quietly. We can maintain our concentration by following our breathing and slowly, and attentively change our posture.
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We can find suggestions for guided meditations in Thay’s book, “The Blooming of a Lotus” or also from one of the Dharma teachers.”
* ’Metta’ is a word from the Pali language which means ‘friendship’ and is often translated as ‘loving-kindness’