Hi @siand , nope it wasn’t me, sorry. Unfortunately, 11pm on a work night is too late for me. I’m really busy with work at the moment and I’m not finding a lot of time for much else. Probably why I’m feeling so tired and stressed lately.
Will hopefully find some balance soon. 
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Meeting today in about 10 mins - 1pm UK time - 6am Pacific time, 9am Eastern time, 11pm Australian Eastern time.
Zoom meeting details:
Tuesdays, 13:00 GMT (British Summer Time) join via this link
or use meeting ID: 558 318 4669 password: 12345
Today we will practice the Body Sensations meditation from the Recovery Dharma YouTube channel:
And read the section ‘What is Recovery Dharma?’ from the Recovery Dharma book , p. vii.
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I debated joining but had a work zoom at same time. Maybe one day! Thanks for sharing this, @siand 
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It would be wonderful if you could make it at some point!
If you get a chance to read the bit of the book or do the meditation and want to share any reflections that come up for you that would also be wonderful 
Something that often comes up in meetings, especially with people who are new to the program, is their difficulty in jiving with 12 step programs. Something I really like about Recovery Dharma is that it explicitly states that it is compatible with other paths to and programs of recovery. Some of the shares made me think about the 12 step/ not debates that happen here sometimes and the underlying similarities that run through all our recovery journeys, whether we follow a program or not. Awareness, acceptance, honesty, community…
Something else I’ve been reflecting on is the idea of trusting in my potential for awakening. It’s something I can get on a theoretical level but I’m not sure I’m there on a day to day basis yet. I’ve been approached about a two day a week job offer from a contact which on paper is what I’ve been looking for. But there’s some hesitancy there. I’m not sure what is behind it, something to meditate on! Maybe I can put my trust in my potential for awakening eventually, while still being unsure about what the next right thing to do is. I appreciate the reminder in the book that we are asked to recognise and accept that there will be some disappointment and pain in life. Not everything will work out perfectly and that’s OK.
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Oh and for anyone who is looking at developing a daily meditation practice, here is a free course from Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield which I have signed up to:
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Thanks for that Siand. Signed up. Might be a good help to my efforts.
I’m signed up, little irked not allowed to listen easily on my apple mobile device.
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I’ve been watching online on my windows laptop and it seems to work well that way!
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Meeting today in about 5 mins - 1pm UK time - 6am Pacific time, 9am Eastern time, 11pm Australian Eastern time. Will try and post the reminder earlier next week! The meeting will go on for an hour, all welcome to join at any time 
Zoom meeting details:
Tuesdays, 13:00 GMT (British Summer Time) join via this link
or use meeting ID: 558 318 4669 password: 12345
Today we will practice the Awareness of Sound meditation from the Recovery Dharma YouTube channel:
And read the section ‘Where to begin?’ from the Recovery Dharma book , p. xii.
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Thanks for the great meeting!
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So glad you could make it!
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I’ve been thinking a lot about my lack of a regular meditation practice recently. I’m not sure what it is that makes it difficult. I know that when I meditate regularly I feel better but I seem to have this resistance to actually doing it. Sometimes that resistance is more conscious than others! That is true of a lot of things for me to be honest.
Regardless of that I do feel over the past few years I have gained a deeper understanding of my mind, reactivity and behaviour, so that’s good.
I’m in a bit of a muddle about my mental health, medication etc at the moment. I feel like I don’t really know where I am without it all except for being a bit dissatisfied. I had a better emotional state on the lower dose of meds I’m currently on, but I was sleeping a lot and the new dose seems to have helped a bit with that. Maybe the emotional side of things will catch up. A meditation practice might even help…! I have an appointment with my doctor this week to talk about it, although I’m not really sure what I want out of it. In some ways I just want to go back to my happy sleepy blissed out world but I’m not sure how sustainable that is. And whether that even matters?
I can see that all this is rumination and a product of my anxious mind but am struggling to get off the train when the thoughts start running. Again, I know a regular meditation practice would help. I suppose that is the thing to prioritise over the next few weeks!
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Reminder of the meeting today at 1pm UK time - 6am Pacific time, 9am Eastern time, 11pm Australian Eastern time. The meeting will go on for an hour, all welcome to join at any time
Zoom meeting details:
Tuesdays, 13:00 GMT (British Summer Time) join via this link
or use meeting ID: 558 318 4669 password: 12345
Today we will practice a meditation from Tara Brach, Waking up from the Dream:
And read p. 1 - 4 of the Recovery Dharma book, Awakening: Buddha and The Story of the Original Buddha.
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Meeting in half an hour for anyone who wants it! Just walking the dog in the hope she has a snooze 
will post links and info after 
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Damn, I’ve missed it, for the umpteenth week in a row 
I’ve set the thread to watching but I have not been receiving notifications 
Only happened to come across the thread again during a random browse today.
Ah next time! Although also feel free to jump in late, it’s 1-2pm, there are usually a couple that join in part way through
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Today we did this meditation from Thich Nhat Hanh/ Plum Village:
And read through p. 5 - 7 in the book (Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha and The Truth: Dharma).
The first noble truth - there is suffering - has been on my mind a lot lately. The news of the plight of refugees in Afghanistan has made me think of all the others across the world going through something similar, the ones that don’t hit the headlines as well as the ones that do. I don’t usually follow the news but did have a look to see what was going on in Afghanistan as well as all the other things deemed newsworthy, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless.
How to respond to this is difficult. Feeling the feelings, holding space and compassion for those affected doesn’t really feel like enough at first. But as I have reflected on it, holding that space has helped me to think about things I can do, and how I show up to people in my immediate sphere of influence (including myself) when they are experiencing suffering.
On a more personal level I have felt a bit disconnected from the concept of recovery recently. I’ve not been checking in or interacting here so much. Not meditating, doing yoga etc. So the bit of the reading, “This is a path of practice” jumped out at me. I feel solid in my sobriety but do believe that the path to awakening is one worth pursuing as a lifelong effort. Finding a way to integrate that into my life with the right intention and balance is something I haven’t figured out yet. But that’s OK. It will come 
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I found time today to do the meditation and reading which was good. I haven’t been meditating much recently, although I have found other ways to be mindful and meditative throughout the day. I enjoyed it and was able to connect surprisingly well. I have found that I have to move around and stretch to get the most out of meditation. Trying to be still doesn’t work for me, I get frustrated and distracted. If I allow myself to stretch when I need too, move my body around, it feels so much better. Pretty sure I nearly nodded of towards the end tho 
I can relate to your feelings about the current situation in Afghanistan @siand. It has been on my mind a lot recently also. But I have been concious not to let myself be overwhelmed. Limiting how much of my attention I give, or more accurately, who I choose to give my attention to. To not be swept up in the politics which just detracts from the real tragedy of the situation. You are not alone in finding it difficult.
The part of the reading that stood out to me was -
‘Instead of deeply understanding suffering, we found ways to avoid it’.
But now we don’t do that. And it’s difficult to learn how to deal with it. And with so much suffering in this world currently, everywhere you look, it’s a mighty challenge. But being sober is our way of confronting that suffering, and looking for truth.
I try to apply the idea of impermanence to my recovery, or at least have done this past 6 months or so. That it will move and change, I don’t have to be rigid. What might help eleviate suffering one day, might not the next. I would often apply rules to it, meditate everyday at this time, you must do this exact amount of exercise each day, that kind of thing. The routine was good to begin with, kept me pushing forward, but it doesn’t suit me so much now. I’m trying to find that balance, trying to integrate these principles in to my everyday life. That’s the path I guess
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Yes! This! It is so easy to become attached to some idea of past perfection, real or imagined, and chase that as a route to future happiness. Rather than just go with things how they are now…
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