Day 3 Video 5: Calming Continued (1:49:07)

Shar opens this session discussing how the mind’s judgments, concepts and beliefs can affect your state of calm. Kalindi said, “These are your biggest obstacles on your path.”

Exercise: Journal for yourself about judgments, concepts and beliefs and how they take you out of the state of being calm and connected. Consider this question as well: How does detachment relate to being calm?

Shar moves on to address the role of detachment in achieving and maintaining a state of calm and connection. She reads a passage from Kalindi’s talk on illusory love. Listen closely to this passage, and take the time to listen to the talk after you complete the Retreat make-up.

Exercise: Think carefully about what Kalindi said. Journal and share, if possible, about your personal experience with attachment and illusory love. Where are you attached in this area? What does that look like?

Tamara asks us, “How does being triggered, out of control of your mind, senses or emotions, relate to being a vehicle for God’s Love in this world?”

Exercise: Think about this question, and journal or share your thinking. This is where the rubber meets the road – whether the triggers are small or large, they get in the way of God’s love. And the trigger is yours – only you can do something about it, using all the tools that have been presented so far: pre-meditation, awareness, meditation, calming, being the observer.

Tamara invites Lani to speak about how to be aware of what’s going on when she’s triggered, and how she can get out of it. Tamara asked her questions to help increase her awareness.

Exercise: What is the main triggered state you face? (Examples might be fear; feeling jammed up inside; anger.) Write that state down, then think of the questions that would help you become aware of what’s really going on beneath that state. Write those questions in your RE Book (maybe inside one of the covers) to help you when you are triggered.

Tamara continues by talking about the fact that we are 100% responsible for how we are in the world – 100% of the time. She read quotes from The Lady and Gourasana, then plays an instructive, encouraging clip from a phone call between The Lady and Rachael.