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Upcoming Events

14 November 2009, 7:42 pm Sticky post

Evening Classes:

Capitol Hill: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church – on 3rd St. right behind the Library of Congress   (Capitol Hill)

Arlington, VA: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington   (Arlington, VA)

Catch my weekly talks and meditations on my iTunes podcast.

Special Series

Transforming Your Relationship to Pain    Stay tuned for the next six-week offering.

Mindful Movement and Meditation      Stay tuned for this six-week series.

Year and Multi-Year Trainings:

The Year of Living Mindfully (Starts April, 2013)

Two-Year Meditation Teacher Training (Started Fall, 2013.  Stay tuned for future classes.)

Retreats and Events: (through June)

June 29:  Conscious Relationships (Washington, DC, with Tara Brach)

July 18:  The Energy Intensive:  Meditation, Yoga and Breathwork  (Kripalu Center:  800-741-7353)

July 21:  The Still, Small Voice Within:  Meditation, Focusing and Intuition Training  (Kripalu Center:  800-741-7353)

Aug 10:  A Meditative Journey:  Mindful Movement, Meditation and Deep Relaxation (Bethesda, MD)

Aug 14:  Sounds True Wake Up Festival (Estes Park, CO)

 

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Men Meeting for Meditation

19 May 2013, 12:14 pm

 

Need to relax?

I’m just back from an inspiring day at the IMCW Men’s Retreat.  There is nothing quite like the company of like-minded men who share an intention to be more awake and alive.  We had a pretty diverse group and despite the differences in age, culture, sexual orientations and professions, a sense of kindness and generosity permeated the day.

It’s been an honor to lead these gathering these last years.

If you are interested in joining up with men in the DC area, do check out Men Meeting for Meditation (M3).  More about this group:

Men Meeting for Meditation (M3) is a monthly meeting of men for mindful movement, meditation and discussion. Our goal is to create a space for men to learn the power of silent meditation, to deepen their meditation practice, and to interact with other like-minded men.

This is a meeting for men who desire to live awake, alive and fully aware lives. An important goal of this gathering is to be challenged and corrected by like-minded men, “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” The Proverb is the metaphor for these gatherings. It is an opportunity for men to sharpen each other in their spiritual walk so we can live as fully awake beings.

Currently we are changing locations, but will announce a new location soon. In addition to the monthly meetings, we would like for M3 to serve as a forum and network of men who want to challenge each other and grow in their own meditation practice.

What are ways in which we could be of service?

We are looking at online video streaming sessions with live chats, simultaneous live meditation sessions, smaller local groups that could meet more regularly to have more personal interaction.

Other ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Contact Kevin at Kdejones@gmail.com with any ideas or comments.

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Water

16 May 2013, 8:54 am

The power of reframing through awareness.

 

(Thanks, Dorothy.)

Filed under Dharma, Video.
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Happy for No Reason: Relaxation is the Doorway to Liberation

15 May 2013, 10:57 am

If that statement is true, we’ve got a fully enlightened dog.

KD relaxing

Filed under Happy for No Reason, Photography.
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Dude, You Totally Had It Coming

15 May 2013, 10:54 am

J teaching - Version 2This was my last talk on Capitol Hill for the season.  Starting in June, community members will be leading class through the summer.

Much of mindfulness is about remembering.  Coming back to the here and now.  Two most important factors to remember:  Impermanence and the Law of Cause and Effect.

Your relationship to impermanence absolutely determines the degree to which you will feel stress, dissatisfaction and suffering.  Fight reality and you’re probably going to lose.

Recalling that your thoughts, speech and actions impact your destiny can help you remember that it’s not so much about what is happing, but how you are holding your experience.

Here’s the blurb:

This talk was originally titled, “The Nature of Karma,” but I like this one much better. When you remember impermanance and the law of cause and effect you can stay awake and aware of the infinite possiblity that lies in each moment.

When you remember that your thoughts, speech and actions create your destiny, there lies the possiblity of freedom in the midst of turmoil.

 

Podcast here, online streaming here.

 

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The Frank Sinatra Sutta

8 May 2013, 1:31 pm

J teaching - Version 2I left the house Monday night  on my way to class in Arlington with a sense that I’d forgotten something.

Once I relaxed and settled into the ride I realized I’d left my microphone on my desk — too late to go back and get it.  As a consequence, the sound quality suffers a bit on this talk.

That’s actually part of this talk … exploring the ‘knowing’ that arises when we relax.

This was a fun talk.  I hope you enjoy it.

The blurb:

Spiritual practice and skillful living require a balance of willful, intentional effort as well as a conscious capacity to relax and tap into the flow of things.

This talk, based on what I call ‘the Frank Sinatra Sutta,’ explores the conscious use of will and surrender and accessing the subsequent arising of awareness that follows.  The more you relax and pay attention, the more you become aware of things that were not accessible previously.

The sound quality is not so good on this one.  Thanks for bearing with it.

iTunes podcast here and online streaming here.

 

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Make Way

24 April 2013, 12:06 pm

With the cool weather the bluebells are hanging on, but the Flox are already moving in. From one shade of blue to another.

First light on Flox:

20130424-130643.jpg

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A Guided Meditation

23 April 2013, 1:23 pm

Use this meditation if you’d like a blend of techniques …

  • A short stretch with a slow motion release
  • A ten-minute body scan
  • Breath and sound as an anchor to the here and now.

Direct streaming here ….

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The Five Daily Recollections

23 April 2013, 1:19 pm

J teaching - Version 2How easy we fall into a trance of thinking, planning, judging, fearing …

Remembering that everything changes helps us to celebrate what is here.

 

These five recollections were recommended by the Buddha as daily reflections.

1. I am of the nature to decay. I have not gone beyond decay.

2. I am of the nature to be diseased. I have not gone beyond disease.

3. I am of the nature to die. I have not gone beyond death.

4. All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will change and vanish.

5. I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related to my actions, supported by my actions.

Whatever actions I do, whether good or evil, of that I shall be the heir. 

This week’s talk is borderline morose as we dive into the Five Heavenly Messengers. As fair warning if you’re drawn to listen to it, I tried to lighten things up with a few death jokes here and there.

The blurb:

The Buddha recommended reflecting on five essential truths that reinforce your awareness of impermanance.  Only when we embrace the fact that all things born of conditions are subject to change we can truly grasp how precious this moment is.

This understanding can transform your relationship to death … and, of course,  to life.

iTunes podcast here and online streaming here.

 

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Sunset on the River

19 April 2013, 7:59 pm

20130419-205945.jpg

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First Paddle of the Season

17 April 2013, 11:37 am

Great to be on the river again.

First paddle of the season

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