I posted this in the regular secular forum
 

but thought it would be good to share here, too.

It may be recognized as a religion, but the Buddhism (Shambhala, derived from Tibetan Buddhism) I practice is not self-defined as a religion. It is a philosophy and way of life.

The writings and teachings of Pema Chodron and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche have drastically altered the way I look at myself, recovery and life in general. Meditation has allowed me to open my heart and become gentle with myself and others (most of the time!). It's also taught me that NOTHING is permanent. Nothing. That has been hard to accept, but learning to live in the moment has made it easier. Letting go of the idea that I can control everything has been a tough road. Humans like to avoid pain at all costs. Sitting with pain and allowing myself to look at it with curiosity and compassion has changed my worldview in a way that I just cannot express in words. It is not for the faint of heart. There are phases I go through where I cry daily about my own suffering and the suffering of others in the world. They don't last forever, and the armor that surrounds my heart becomes closer to being removed every time I allow myself to feel these things instead of running away from them.

Putting out positive energy and having more compassion for others really can change the world. I've realized that the little things we do to help others has a domino effect, and that's certainly not a bad thing, is it?

There's also a "Heart of Recovery" meeting that I attend weekly. It is open to anyone struggling with addiction and is not 12-step based. It's 20 minutes of sitting meditation, followed by 5 minutes walking meditation, a reading, discussion, and about 7 minutes of meditation to close, followed by tea and snacks. The discussions are powerful and eye-opening in a way that AA just never was for me. People talk about their meditaiton experience, the reading or really anything that's going on with them.

Meditating with others also makes the experience much different than doing it alone. It's tough to settle in when you're alone because you allow yourself to be distracted much more easily, but the more you do it the easier it becomes. There is something to be said for a room full of humans sitting quietly together. Our society is so loud, fast and obnoxious today. Learning to slow down and disconnect has made a huge difference in my life. When I feel angry or anxious I now turn to meditation instead of booze, thinking, "this is never going to work". It usually does.

Jeez, sorry for the long post. Just wanted to share what I know about Buddhism. Thanks for listening.

About Shambhala - Vision, Lineage, Meditation, Community

Thanks for posting in this room; I haven't been checking so to try and catch up on the other forum would have been impossible. Funny I went to an intro to meditation class at a yoga studio this morning!

Glad that works for you!!!!

RB...I wish we could live near each other, I think we would be great friends! Thanks for sharing this, I wish I could go to a meeting with you!

I've been thinking about you, how are you doing??

That sounds like a wonderful approach readerbaby. It was calming just reading about it.

I learned to do transcendental meditation years ago. I'm not sure if it is the same as you are talking about. I really need to get back to doing it. I would love to do it in a group for, as you say, it is a noisy world.

Thanks for posting. I 'Googled' Heart of Recovery and it looks like a few cities have the meetings.

Thanks for the info!

Kari