"never leave home without Betty & Pansy"!

Time: 8:39am
What: 20 minutes seated practice
Focus: First Foundation / Exercise 5 - 6 (Sati-)

New form for sit this morning. Interpreted exercises five and six as awareness of breath expanding out to include the position and functions of the body. Aware of body sitting on cushion. Aware of the movement of breath. Tops of the feet against the wool blanket. Shin bones against the floor. Sounds of bugs and traffic coming in through the open door. Cats suddenly fighting and running past my cushion hissing and shrieking. Wake me from thought... Pause to consider the cats fighting as a bell of mindfulness. Feel a subtle spark of frustration about being completely lost in thought. Dig deeper. What is behind the frustration? TBD. Thinking about sleep patterns, insomnia, new job, True Blood, comic con, writing blog, getting to work on time, class intention (yoga as union or relationship - bringing 2 or more seemingly separate parts together - skillful qualities cultivated in practice can extend out into other forms of relationship). Impatience shows up one second (literally) before alarm signals. Hello!

Wrote the following point form notes about the second mindfulness training...

• loving-kindness (tone of friendliness towards self and others)
• generous with time and energy
• non-stealing
• What defines real need? Who is not in need?

Time: 5:30pm
What: Biking / Walking (my bike up a hill) meditation
Focus: First Foundation / Exercise 5 - 6 (Sati-)

Biking up hill from College to St Clair on Bathurst. 30 degrees and counting. Begin with awareness of breath. Difficult not to change or manipulate breathing. Practice leaving breath alone and simply watching. Feeling movement of body. Air against the skin. Feet on the pedals. Heart rate increasing. Smog. Shortness of breath. Sweat beads rolling down face. Wipe face. Yawn. Aware of breath and body... biking. Biking slowly with a rhythmic pattern in the movement.