Body, heart, mind awake; taking the backward step – Online retreat

Body Heart Mind Awake – taking the  backward step

This is my first ‘personal’ online retreat, exploring the title I’ve given to my website.

Mind is usually taken to mean all kinds of mental activity, but what we’re interested in here is ‘mind itself’ – the awake, aware quality of mind.

Awakeness is here even when we feel sleepy and dull. How do we know that we’re sleepy and dull? We are awake to it. We’re even awake to our dreams, despite the body being asleep.

This quality of wakefulness, knowingness or clarity is intrinsic to all of our experience and yet it is mysteriously ungraspable and unfindable. To know it, we need to discover what Zen Master Dogen was pointing to when he spoke of ‘taking the backward step’.

This is essentially a step ‘back’, from identification with our everyday mind of thoughts and imaginings, into the immediacy and presence of our body senses, just as they are.

Our body is not what we think it is – not at all! When we take the backward step, body is not the rather solid, rather weighty object we imagine it is. It’s more an unbounded, living, vibrating cloud of sensate energy.

This also opens the heart to rest in its own nature – limitless and boundless. Here, the stream of love and compassion which is already implicitly active  becomes boundless and all-inclusive. Body, heart and mind are naturally and undividedly awake.

Suitable for people with at least three years of regular meditation practice.

The programme on each day will be (UK times):

8.00 – 10.00 practice, teaching and inquiry

15.00 – 16.30 ritual, chanting, meditation and the opportunity to join a breakout group to discuss your practice

19.00 – 20.30 – practice, teaching and inquiry

I won’t be able to offer one to one reviews during the retreat but if you would like to have one or more follow-up reviews (10 to 20 minutes) then check out details [to be posted].

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This retreat and subsequent reviews or mentoring are offered on the principle of reciprocal generosity (dana). There is no charge, but your generosity in supporting my livelihood and work is greatly appreciated. If you are unable to afford anything at present, I would much prefer that you attend nevertheless.

To register interest in this online retreat, please email me at tejananda.online@yahoo.com. I will acknowledge your booking and send out full details including zoom link a week or so before the retreat starts.