This page contains the meditation practices and readings from the “Coping with Christmas” study day held on Friday the 14th December 2018. The day consisted of meditation practices and teachings on the subject of coming to rest in awareness augmented by readings and poems from various sources (acknowledged in the recordings). The recordings were made in the function room of the Palace Hotel.
Practice 1 – Christmas body scan – a leisurely 40minute body scan intended to be deeply relaxing.
Practice 2 – Being with the breath with readings from the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh – a 30minute practice of basic mindfulness technique (resting in awareness of the breath).
Practice 3 – The kindness and caring of resting with the breath – a 20minute practice allowing thoughts and bringing kindness to the practice of resting with the breath.
Practice 4 – The practice of the pause (relax and open) with a reading from Pema Chodron – a 22minute meditation to introduce the nature and practice of the pause.
Practice 5 – Opening and releasing/taking and sending – a 35minute loving kindness and compassion practice in which the breath is used to help participants open to their feelings and feel empathy for the feelings of others.