Please join us this Sunday at the Albuquerque Zen Center, 2300 Garfield SE. If you would enjoy visiting over a cup of tea, please come at 4:30. Sangha formally begins at 5 pm.

Our sangha is beginning a two part discussion of breathing. This coming Sunday we will consider how we can use our breath and how to practice breathing meditation. In December we will explore Buddha’s Anapanasati Sutra, the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing.

When we breathe mindfully, our breath connects us to our bodies; it becomes a refuge and returns us to the present moment. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes,

     “Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
      Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
      Breathing in, I calm my body.
      Breathing out, I smile.
      Dwelling in the present moment,
      I know this is the only moment.”

In our daily lives when we find ourselves feeling tense, angry or defensive, we can practice taking three mindful breaths:

      With the first breath, we pause.
      With the second breath, we reconnect our mind
       and body in the present.
      With the third breath, we relax and smile.

Enjoy your breathing.

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After dharma sharing, we will have a brief organizational meeting to think about topics for our 2020 Sangha meetings as well as goals for our sangha. We also have an upcoming holiday potluck (December 8th) and a springtime Day of Mindfulness planned.