Practice mindfulness to create a space between impulse and action, allowing you to make choices based on your values and higher intentions rather than habitual knee-jerk reactions.
Recognize urges as “itches” that don’t require automatic scratching; observe them without immediately acting, understanding you have a choice in your response.
Use mindfulness to observe difficult experiences without resistance, fear, judgment, or blame, thereby shifting your relationship to pain and reducing suffering.
Cultivate a healthy humility and “beginner’s mind,” fostering an openness to continuous growth and learning in your practice and life, regardless of experience.
Instead of thinking about or conceptualizing your body, practice feeling and knowing it directly from the inside through sensations.
Pay attention to the “feeling tone” (pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral) of every experience, recognizing your ingrained tendency to chase pleasant, avoid unpleasant, or disengage from neutral, as this pattern fuels suffering.
Practice non-judgmental awareness of your mind states (Citta), observing the presence or absence of greed, aversion, delusion, concentration, or restlessness without blame, to understand their nature and reduce their power.
Learn to skillfully engage with mental hindrances (e.g., wanting, aversion, restlessness, sleepiness, doubt) by understanding the conditions that cause them to arise or dissipate, and actively choosing not to encourage unskillful conditions.
Actively develop positive qualities of mind (like the seven factors of awakening) by recognizing their presence or absence and skillfully creating conditions that support their growth in your life and practice.
Interpret personal difficulties and experiences through the lens of Dharma teachings (e.g., impermanence, suffering, non-self, Four Noble Truths) to gain wisdom and learn from challenges rather than feeling helpless or victimized.
Commit to a consistent daily meditation practice, potentially using apps for support, and attend meditation retreats to deepen your understanding and integrate mindfulness into your being over extended periods.
In challenging interpersonal moments, practice mindfulness by becoming aware of your own reactive thoughts and physiological responses, grounding yourself with breath, and choosing not to follow unskillful impulses.
Actively notice and appreciate moments when negative mind states like greed are absent, recognizing the inherent presence of positive states such as non-greed, letting go, or generosity.
Observe the impermanence, inherent unsatisfactoriness, and lack of permanent control over your body and all experience to deconstruct solidified views of self and gain freedom from limiting constructs.
Engage in teaching or publicly presenting material you are learning, as this process forces deeper understanding, metabolization, and creative engagement with the subject matter.
Develop the ability to speak skillfully and empathetically to people from diverse backgrounds or those experiencing unique forms of suffering, even when their experiences differ from your own.
Actively make choices to connect with spiritual teachings (Dharma), such as attending retreats, befriending meditators, and seeking out environments where meditation is practiced.
Read books on mindfulness and Dharma teachings, such as Joseph Goldstein’s “Mindfulness,” to gain deeper understanding and support your practice.
Access hundreds of Dharma talks from various teachers, including Sally Armstrong, on dharmaseed.org to deepen your understanding and support your meditation practice.
Call 646-883-8326 by July 10th to leave a voicemail with your sleep-related questions for an upcoming podcast episode.