The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Dharma Talks given at Gaia House
2013-07-06 The True Strength of the Heart and the Transforming of Shame 56:52
Leela Sarti
All central issues of our life are located in the heart. Having explored the heart-capacities of compassion and joy in the previous evening's talk, this talk turns to another facet of heart-presence: true strength and life zest - to be turned on to be in life, turned on to the truth. How does distorted strength, expressed as inner hardness and anger, and the flip side of strength, weakness and helplessness, relate to authentic strength? How can we harness and and make alive the lions roar of the heart? One particular area where we need some courage and guts is in the exploration and work with shame, guilt and self-judgement. What do you feel guilty about? What is unforgivable in your life? What does guilt and shame do to you, and what is a wise and skillful approach to deal with this "inner swamp-land"? How can we make our heart and mind a good place to live, free from shame and self-harm?
Gaia House The Liberating Intimacy of Being Who You Are

2013-07-05 Becoming Intimate with the Territory of the Heart 60:15
Leela Sarti
When we simply pause instead of immediately filling up the space, we are called to meet, taste and endure the feeling of emptiness and deficiency. The gift of an authentic willingness to be present with the difficult, without moving beyond our window or capacity of presence, opens up real space and the the satisfying substantiality of the heart; objective compassion, joy and the pleasure of being. Compassion nourishes the attitude of "this too can be here", heals the split between head and heart, and supports us to be present in a robust way. Joy helps us orient inwards instead of externalizing satisfaction and meaning, until we wake up to the knowing that the deepest intimacy is presence.
Gaia House The Liberating Intimacy of Being Who You Are

2013-07-05 Guided Loving Kindness Meditation - Loving Kindness for Oneself 39:00
Leela Sarti
Gaia House The Liberating Intimacy of Being Who You Are

2013-07-05 Meditation Instructions (Sitting and Walking) 56:07
Leela Sarti
Gaia House The Liberating Intimacy of Being Who You Are

2013-07-04 Opening Talk for Retreat Entitled The Liberating Intimacy of Being Who You Are 60:40
Leela Sarti
The word "intimate" means "to make known". What do we wish to make known, to make real and alive? What does it mean to be intimate with oneself and life? The talk touches on the importance of making a turn towards the retreat: to value simplicity, silence, being and and attitude of loving care.
Gaia House The Liberating Intimacy of Being Who You Are

2013-06-29 Closing Session for the Retreat 66:23
Sharda Rogell
This talk also includes Catherine McGee
Gaia House Coming Home - Insight Meditation

2013-06-28 A New Conversation 43:42
Catherine McGee
How do we live authentically in relationship with each other? How do we work with the unsatisfactoriness of falling into the same kinds of conversations again and again? Learning to be organs of perception rather than organs of repetition.
Gaia House Coming Home - Insight Meditation

2013-06-28 Expressions of Awakened Love 1:10:47
Sharda Rogell
Who am I When the Deluded Forces in the Mind Begin to Dissolve? Also, how to bring speaking and listening into our practice.
Gaia House Coming Home - Insight Meditation

2013-06-27 Nibbana is the End of 'Becoming' 54:36
Catherine McGee
Seeing the process of spinning a separate self into existence and how the power of clear seeing allows this to deconstruct, so that we can come back into the stream of dharma.
Gaia House Coming Home - Insight Meditation

2013-06-27 Peeling Back the Layers of Self 1:10:43
Sharda Rogell
Exploring how we compartmentalise things, people and experiences into good and bad, and get trapped in a solid self structure. How to free ourselves of this entrapment.
Gaia House Coming Home - Insight Meditation

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