BCIMS Tuesday sitting group

Eve Decker wrote a beautiful poem about equanimity . She also recorded it as a song; information about downloading it is at the poem's link. At the recent month-long retreat at Spirit Rock, a series of guided meditations on equanimity were offered. 1. Greg Scharf [the first 45 seconds are a sound check; skip this part. Then he gives a detailed introduction to what equanimity is, up to 19:00, followed by a guided meditation.] 2. James Baraz  [these instructions build on the previous day's and introduce new categories. Guided meditation starts at 13:20.] 3. Erin Treat  [guided meditation starts at 9:00.]

Here is a playlist of music (from a bunch of different genres) that brings me joy. James Baraz's book and online class Awakening Joy are great resources.

Kristin Neff has studied compassion extensively and put her observations into a book, a TED talk, and this website  focussed on self compassion. Naomi Shihab Nye's poem Kindness .

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson “There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk” Chapter One I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I fall in. I am lost . . . I am helpless. It isn’t my fault . . . It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter Two I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in this same place.  But it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. Chapter Three I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I see it there. I still fall . . . it’s a habit . . . but, My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter Four I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I walk around it. Chapter Five I walk down another street. 

Here is the T.S. Eliot poem that was quoted on Tuesday:  from the "Burnt Norton" section of "The Four Quartets".   On this site you'll find the complete text and an audio of Eliot reading the entire poem. https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/11/18/t-s-eliot-reads-burnt-norton/