Week 1 (1/12/26)
Aging with Wisdom and Compassion Week 1 (1/12/26) Home Practices
****Reminder: Although the class starts at 10:30 (ET), I will come to class at 10:20 to answer questions each week. ***
Next Class: 1/26/26
Click here for a PDF of the Home Practices
- Sitting: For a minimum of 10-20 minutes per day. Do your best! Keep your meditation simple (no apps or if you use them only a couple of times a week).
- Practice Gratitude: Text or e-mail your buddies, 3 things you are grateful for every day. They can be anything. Helps to lighten the heart!
- Contemplate the following:
- “Aging sickness and death are treasures for those who understand them. They’re noble truths, noble treasures. If they were people, I’d bow down to their feet everyday” –Ajaan Lee
- “I am of the nature to age. I am subject to aging. Aging is unavoidable” –Buddha
- “All conditioned phenomena are impermanent. Their nature is to arise and pass away. Living in accordance with this truth brings the highest happiness.” –Buddha
- Continue to reflect: What are some of the joys and challenges you have faced with aging. How are you relating to the joys and challenges of aging?
- Four simple practices that may help us cultivate a more thoughtful, aware attitude toward aging and life. See if any of these touch you, then bring them into this unfolding New Year. Have FUN!
- Honoring your inner life: Practice can help to hold life’s complexities and challenges. A practice of mindful meditation shows us that something beyond our limited self- you can also consider prayer, Tai Chi, Yoga. Setting time for even for 5 minutes — for some form of contemplation, brings inner balance and more resilience to our days.
- The Practice of Pausing: Stop & breathe, inhabit the body. Stop to look at the sky. Stop & see or listen to a bird outside. Stop & look into the open face of a child or pet. Simple acts. How often do we truly slow down, stop, listen or look? Or Breathe & recognize that these precious moments can be moments of nourishing calm, mindfulness, don’t know mind or not knowing. Throughout your day, pause, take a break from your usual thoughts and wake up to the vastness of the world around you. Look outside! This easy, spacious type of mindfulness practice is an important practice during this time.
- The Practice of Mindfulness in Daily Life: This is a reminder to bring your attention to daily activities that can transform the littlest moments of a day (brushing teeth, washing dishes). This is about doing one thing at a time with a full, loving attention. It’s amazing how wonderful the simplest things are! Be aware of your hands or feet in action and appreciate all they do for you.
- Cultivating lightness and humor: When we choose a light-hearted response to a challenging or tense situation. In that split-second between reacting and responding, see if you can open to the possible lightness or humor in what’s unfolding. Notice how the body softens, the breath deepens, and a sense of release & relief floods over you.
Appreciating you & am grateful for your Practice!