What's special about the Mindfulness workshop? Where is the secret in the process of going through this specific workshop?
The third step in the workshop which is immersion in an ice bath is a finishing chord,
The second stage deals more with breathing (practice of dedicated warming breaths) and the physical aspect (yoga practice),
The first stage talks about mood, access to different situations in life,
Another point of view - unique and special that can be adopted for everyday life.
We face a flood of thoughts, many and varied emotions floating in the flow of life,
And as we develop we accumulate tools for dealing with stress, sadness, responsibility, worry and more ...
I recently received a text from my Zen teacher that explains the perception and way of thinking that is conveyed in the workshop in the first part and also forms as the main basis for my method of working with the trainees, below is the excerpt,
from: moon by the window by Shodo Harada."once mind is extinguished,even fire is refreshing.
when we go beyond our dualistic thinking, even the hotest weather, so hot we feel as if we are on fire, can become as refreshing as a cold breeze.
a monk asked master Tozan, "how should I look at the ultimate edge of life and death?
this heat is unbearable! how can we resolve the tortures of hot and cold?" he was pointing toward that place of no birth and no death. the monk answered, "this place of no feeling nothing - where is it?"
"you have to cut away all the dualistic feelings of 'hot!' or 'cold!' you have to let go completely even the slightest sense of hot and colds."
when living, live completely! when dying, die thoroughly! this is the state of mind described in "once mind is extinguished, even fire is refreshing." our mind has a quiet, deep stillness, astillness so profound that no happines or sadness can reach there. to know this great depth is to be in Nirvana. the way of liberation from all pain and suffering is to extinguishthe flames of anger, greed and ignorance. here can be find the true way of liberation of the Buddhadharma."
Mindful-ice - The Road to Deep Silence
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