Led by Ray Nakano & Denise Crofton
Are you suffering from stress? Are you considering if meditation and living your life more mindfully could make a difference? Then you may want to attend our meditation sessions.
Ray Nakano has been leading meditation sessions at the Toronto Buddhist Church since October, 2015. Since the COVID pandemic, they have been meeting online every Thursday evening from 7 to 8:30 pm. They take a break over the summer months of July and August, and a 2 week break over Christmas.
If you would like to join our meditation sessions, please send an email to: Ray or Denise at mindfulnesspracticesangha@hotmail.com.
Ray Nakano is a member of the Hamilton Buddhist Temple and the Toronto Buddhist Church. Since retiring from the Ontario Government, he has volunteered for various organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Toronto Green Community, and 350.org. He currently volunteers with ClimateFast, a local environmental group. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, playing guitar and bridge, camping, and skiing. He is an avid wall climber.
Denise Crofton is a member of the Toronto Buddhist Church. She has been teaching Hatha and Yin yoga for 14 years, and is passionate about both mindful meditation and yoga. She is currently an Aspirant with the Mindfulness Practice Community of Toronto, training to be a bell master with Ray Nakano and Tuyen Nguyen.
The 1 and 1/2 hour session includes:
– Guided/Silent Sitting Meditation
– Introductions
– Dharma Talk, Reading, or Video based on the Buddhist teachings
– Sharing within the Sangha (the group of practitioners that evening)
Practices may include recitation of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings, Beginning Anew, Touching the Earth, etc.
What is sitting meditation?
Stillness. Sitting meditation is like returning home to give full attention to and care for ourselves. Like the Buddha, we too can radiate peace and stability. We sit upright with serenity, and return to our breathing. We are able to maintain a relaxed and upright position when our posture is stable. Using the right cushion or chair will enable us to be steady by allowing our weight to be balanced and supported on three points: our buttocks and our two knees. We bring our full attention to what is within and around us. We let our mind become spacious and our heart soft and kind.
Sitting meditation is healing. We realize we can just be with whatever is within us – our pain, anger, and irritation, or our joy, love, and peace. We are with whatever is there without being carried away by it. Let it come, let it stay, then let it go. No need to react, to run away from, to suppress, or to ignore. We observe the thoughts and images of our mind with an accepting and loving mind. We are free to be still and calm despite the storms that might arise in us.
We will sit for a period of 15 to 30 minutes.
