DJ Sol Rising @ Ecstatic Dance LA Feb 2016

Dharma Teacher Mike Zittel offers an introduction to calm abiding (or in pali: samatha, pronounced “sha-ma-tah”) meditation, a form of concentration practice that clears one’s awareness, setting the stage” for insight practice.  Samatha is that aspect of concentration practice that “resolves,” “settles,” or “puts to rest” our bias, predisposition and prejudices - the conditioned mental habits and compulsions that distort and narrow of our view of the world around us.  Samatha works in tandem with Vipassana (insight practice, commonly called mindfulness).  It produces, “a mind bright and brilliant, unassailed by the hindrances,” enabling us to observe what arises, “with less stress, self-identification, and with more clarity.”  (Recorded at a 6/12/2019 drop-in class at InsightLA’s East Hollywood location.)
 
00:00:00 Trudy’s Introduction.
00:00:24 Cultivating Samatha (pali: “calm abiding,” pronunciation: sha-ma-ta). 

00:15:34 Guided Meditation Begins.
00:16:06 First Bell, Posture.
00:16:34 Narrow Focus.
00:17:64 Four Point Cycle: Joy, Wakefulness, Tranquility & Peace.
00:22:17 Widen the Lens: Narrow Focus, Global, Full Body Awareness.
00:26:57 The Seeing & Hearing Spaces of the Mind. 
00:30:25 The Ebb & Flow of the Breath.
00:36:42 Do Nothing.
00:43:04 Closing Bells: Meditation Ends.

00:43:37 “Cliff Notes” Summary.

00:45:26 Q&A: Samatha & Vipassana. 
00:48:13 Q&A: Ebb & Flow: Local, Global, Full Body & Back Again.
00:49:20 Q&A: Samatha as a Secure & Stable Refuge. 
00:51:16 Q&A: The “Do Nothing,” Prompt: An Antidote to Unskillful Striving.

00:54:28 Maintaining Contact: The Cowpen.
01:00:38 The Default Mode Network: The One-Lane Brain, Traffic Lights & Old Neighborhoods.  
01:18:49 One Point Focus: Decrease Stress, Build the Muscle of Mindfulness.

01:20:21 Q&A: Not-Self: The Healthy “Want” behind Bad Behavior.  
01:24:22 Q&A Wet vs. Dry Insight: applying Samatha & Metta to Insight Practice.

01:27:23 Dedication of Merit.
01:27:47 Final Bells.
01:28:10 Trudy’s Close. 
01:28:33 Programs End.

InsightLA Senior Teacher Michael Zittel, AMFT, has over 30 years of training and practice of Buddhist meditation, Secular Mindfulness, and the Dharma.  Micheal studied at Kopan Monastery in Nepal, Mount Baldy Zen Center, studied the Theravadan Suttas under the guidance of the Venerable Dhammananda Bikkhu of Maithree Vihara, and considers Shinzen Young as his primary teacher.  He was empowered to teach meditation and Buddha Dharma by Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society in 2015; and his passion is to translate the essence of the Dharma in a secular context that is relevant to healing and self-actualizing in today’s world.  Mike currently leads the 7:30 PM Wednesday Night drop in class at InsightLA’s Center in East Hollywood.  Working with Eileen Ybarra, Mike is also leading a seven-month dharma study class titled, “The Path of Freedom: Emptiness & Liberation,” which meets monthly at the Benedict Canyon Retreat House.

In his “civilian identity,” Michael works as an EMDR therapist in the field of addiction and trauma resolution in residential treatment centers. He incorporates Buddhist psychology into his work by teaching the dharma, and concentration (samatha), insight (vipassana) & heart practices (brahma vihara) to individuals and groups as significant tools for clients in early recovery to gain skills in self-regulation, meta-awareness and affect tolerance.

Dharma Talks, InsightLA Senior Teachers

06/12/19 Mike Zittel, Calm Abiding 01, 50 mins, 28 min meditation, 10 min Q&A

InsightLA offers the highest quality training in mindfulness practices available in the Greater Los Angeles area.  For 16 years, we have offered classes, retreats, and special events, and an open and welcoming community of practitioners.  Though our work is rooted in ancient traditions, we offer classes in both  secular mindfulness as well as the Buddhist Insight Tradition.  All of our efforts are dedicated toward our mission of calming minds, opening hearts, and changing the world.

06/12/19 Mike Zittel, Calm Abiding 01, 50 mins, 28 min meditation, 10 min Q&A

InsightLA

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