Katie good luck with the loving k9 kindness. After a little amazonian procrastination, I did my meditation staring at the fire. Used Om mani padme hum, which is new to me (thanks mango for the link to last year's thread), enjoyed rolling it round. Feeling the calm and clarity. Thanks all, I'll be back Sunday.

Great! Sunday at ten it is, then

LadyG, I shall inform the next slavering, rabid farm dog who tries to sink his disease-ridden fangs into my ankles when I walk around these rural parts that he is supposed to LOVE me bcs i (occasionally) metta-meditate!

[dog-lover emotion]

X

YES! Buddhism is the new Botox. I can see the headlines now!!!

brilliant.

thanks for that.

I've not read any sharon salzburg - is good to have a new recommendation. I hear a rumour there is some big christian festival coming involving strange customs of gift buying and giving which obviously necessitates the creation of a book-featuring list of some description.

Interested in your globe in space meditation peanut as DS has been unsettled because of a cough and I did my 10 minutes sitting in his bedroom gazing at his light up globe! Thought similarly of all of you and also of DH who was on a plane halfway across the Atlantic at the time. Would love to join in regularly on a Sunday night.
Enjoying reading Loving-kindness the revolutionary art of happiness by Sharon Salzbberg atm after initially dismissing it as too 'fluffy'
Here are apparently the benefits of metta meditation according to the Buddha!
You will sleep easily
You will wake easily
People will love you
Celestial beings and animals will love you
Celestial beings will protect you
External dangers will not harm you
Your face will be radiant
Your mind will be serene
You will die unconfused
You will be reborn in happy realms.

Am particularly keen on the serene mind and radiant face -think it is worth a try-cheaper than Botox after all!
Metta to all

yes, definately up for 10pm sunday regular sit

I'm definitely up for a Sunday night meditation - would be happy to do it weekly.

See you under the tree

Good morning everyone
I would love it if we could do this regularly. It was lovely sitting last night knowing that you all were too, and feeling a sense of peace and inner stillness, and gratitude for the support that we provide one another with - this thread has been so valuable to me over the last year XXX
So, yes, by all means, a weekly drop-in time would be great - what about Sunday evenings at 10pm, say? It would be good to know that one or two of us might be sitting then, even if we can't all make it every week (that would be a tad unlikely, let's face it)! Any other frequency or days preferred? I just thought Sunday might be a good way of rounding off the week, and setting ourselves up for the start of the next one...
Have a good day

definately up for another group hug meditation...indeed we could even set a regular time, maybe once a week, or once a month, and whoever can could "drop in" at that time...or maybe that's a bit ambitious

thanks for that comfyshoes - they'll be bowing to me in my enlightened state next time !!!

Hi again all,
Lovely to read the postings. Would anyone be interested in another group meditation sometime. Its a lovely feeling knowing that we're all sort of meditating at sort of the same time.

PB - this just arrived from Tricycle and I thought of you and your experience earlier this week - rather good. It seems that people won't have seen you as crying and sad but rather as achieving enlightenment!!

XXX
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There's No Comparison

I have often cautioned... against comparing your practice with that of others or your own self at different times. Such comparisons are only subjective. Today someone burst out crying in the meditation hall. One person may have thought, "Oh, she's not doing so well." Another, "I think she's becoming enlightened!" Or else, "Maybe she's going crazy." None of these thoughts may represent the true situation. Whether she felt pain or sorrow, became enlightened, or went crazy, it's her business. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Making comparisons inevitably means judging others.

- Ch'an Master Sheng Yen, “Incomparable You,” Tricycle, Spring 2007

I had a lovely 15 minutes of breathing while breastfeeding this morning - and then went back to bed

Please stop with the thank yous, it was just one tentative post and you've all done the rest. I do enjoy the thread though, am very glad to have 'met' you all.

Peace x