Warm greetings friends.

One of the most important pursuits for me especially recently is creating softness and space to rest into.

This might sound abstract, but softness creates space and both can be felt. There is also instant and infinite benefits to feel and utilize – mentally, emotionally and physically.

For instance, when we are with someone we love – it can be a person, animal, tree – any sentient being really – our bodies tend to soften and relax, our nervous system balances, our sense of safety and belonging increases and our mind can quiet some. We feel more joy, less agitation, more openness to others etc.

We aren’t always in direct contact with a being that elicits such feelings but we can draw them to heart/mind and get similar if not the same results.

Drawing upon feelings utilizes our imagination. We picture a being we love and sense the feelings generated in our body. We can also do something similar with our breath, imagining and literally creating space internally for more love to be received and given.

The four part online series I’m offering at Spirit Rock: Imagination: An Integral Part of Liberating the Heart draws upon practices that tap into awareness of the imagination that we all have. Tomorrow’s session will focus on different heart practices, and practical ways to utilize them at any time. You can still sign up for the series and each day is recorded and will be available for later viewing.

If you would like to investigate subtle body practices join me for an online series Inner Awareness: The Subtle, Unseen and Energetic Aspect of Body Consciousness.  This series is a guide to your own experiences of the felt and somatic landscape. The practices are accessible and extremely practical in daily life. For instance learning to move awareness or attention anywhere in your body can lead to being more grounded and secure, more open and spacious, more intuitive and even more joyful and calm. I’m happy to be offering this after many years of practice and from the suggestion of Tsoknyi Rinpoche who years ago urged me to teach the subtle body practices that have served me so well.

The photo above is from my time in Nepal in the mid 90’s. I stayed in and taught in a nunnery near Everest base camp. Being with and learning from the nuns ages 12 – 80+ was one of the most pivotal experiences of my life. Their rich inner lives, faith, community and sheer joy were so unlike anything I had known, and the subtle, internal practices they led changed my life.

Inviting spaciousness is a practice — along these lines you may find this conversation between Dan Siegel and Tara Brach  of interest as they explore a variety of ways to tap in and connect to within that leads to ultimate connection with all.

Hope you remain well and as inspired as possible.

Jill

Mindfulness and Meditation Teachers Mentoring Group, open to anyone who is currently teaching, also online

Individual Mentoring, online or in person in Berkeley, Ca.

To come: In person monthly meditation group for self identified women in Berkeley, Ca. lmk if you’re interested.

Check out this new page: https://jillsatterfield.org/artwork/ new work will be added soon.