For most of us, Meditation is a relational practice to share experiences and reflections. We acknowledge a collective effort to use kindness, understanding, wise speech, and deep listening.

Our Practice Field Agreements are intended to inform and support the relationships and interactions between and among teachers and students of our Practice Field.

We offer these 6 agreements to support our practice of being-in-community:

1. ARRIVE GENTLY, BE WITH EACH OTHER

  • We invite you to arrive early to the Practice (virtual) Field and settle yourself. As others join the space, we wish to welcome all participants.
  • We invite everyone to remain open and generous in the way we all participate, even if it’s your first session.

2. TRY IT ON

  • Be willing to “try on” new ideas, or ways of doing meditations.
  • Be with inquiries that might not be what you prefer or are familiar with.

3. HONOR INTIMACY, PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY

  • We gather strength from being willing to talk about our confusion and ignorance in relationships with others in our community.
  • We agree to take responsibility for our intentions and actions.
  • We agree not to share what arises in the space of the Field outside of our time together.
  • We honor intimacy and intentional participation by only using the chat on Zoom for the intention of learning, idle chat is a distraction.

4. ASSUME NOTHING, BE ONE

  • We do this with the intention to learn from our false perceptions or projections.
  • We practice compassion and understanding for ourselves, and for those who walk with us upon this path — we are in this together.

5. BRING MINDFUL LISTENING

  • Try to avoid planning what you’ll say as you listen to others.
  • Be willing to be surprised, to learn something new.
  • Listen with your whole self. Silence can be useful.

6. PRACTICE INTENTION:

  • Bhavana Learning Group will offer a view and posture for our practice. Please be intentional in your practice, effort, and speech.
  • We hold our minds with gentleness and precision. We allow what arises within the space of the Field to be the teachings.

To enjoy membership in our online learning community and enable participation, we offer these Community Guidelines. Please review these to enhance your experience.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Awaken • Integrate • Embody

In Sanskrit, Bhāvanā describes a process of cultivation: the development of mental qualities such as imagination and awareness directed toward intentional change.

AWAKEN. An inquiry into the nature of being beyond our conceptual maps. We experience our whole being as body, mind, and language.

INTEGRATE. Invite an opening that expands and includes all parts of ourselves. We envision possibilities beyond our past frames of reference.

EMBODY. Engage life with contemplative practice beyond our reflexive selves. We embody and sustain new levels of awareness and action.