Who we are and how we can support each other
Some people would rather do anything other than be alone with their thoughts, (and this is amplified with grief). From a physicist's perspective everything is one. Through your mind, you create your world. When a close loved on dies, especially if this person is your child, you are unable to avoid the cascading thoughts and feelings. Meditation trains the mind so a person can wisely attend to all thoughts and feeling in a way that brings about loving and compassionate actions free of ego and self blame. Love quiets the ego and elevates the spirit to a purpose higher than your own personal narrative. To heal shame or feelings of responsibility when tragedy happens, you have to quiet the narrative voices (the ego) in your head and remember your basic goodness, and be a living example of the goodness of your dearly departed loved one.
I lost my 20 year old son and only child suddenly 3 years ago. His death was about his loss of his life. My grief needed to honor the best of him and his life, not immortalized me as a "grieving parent". I took up a daily meditation practice (sitting 20-30 minutes every morning in silence) as a way to honor him and all that arose in me. Turns out, I learned how my ego causes suffering, how love and compassion heal, and how to find safety and meaning with each breath through the turbulent storm. I learned that when you lose a child, your consciousness becomes united with something bigger, something invisible, something full of love and light, and that staying mindful keeps us awake and aware of spiritual opportunities. Like "God" is always with us, so are our children.
"Healing" happens through coming to terms with the way things are, and befriending something like pain is just being aware of it. Through meditation on each moment, through noticing the breath, mindful meditation can transform suffering.
Bhante Sathi
Emerging spiritual interests in his early teens led Bhante Sathi to be ordained as a novice monk (bhikku) at age 19 in the Theravada tradition in his native Sri Lanka. After 3 years of education and training under Wattegama Dhammawasa Maha Thera at Sri Subhodaranaya International Bhikku Center, Sri Lanka, he received higher ordination as a fully ordained monk. As a monk he taught meditation and insight practices and counseled people from many walks of life using Buddhist teachings.
Invitations from people interested in meditation, led to Bhante expand his teaching to Europe, Canada and the United States.
In 1999 he became a resident monk at the Great Lakes Buddhist Vihara in Southfield Michigan and traveled around the US and Canada teaching:
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Cathy Lewis, LCSW,
Is the founder of The Nathaniel Meditation Center and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Licensed in Colorado in 1992, and Florida in 2002, Cathy has specialized in providing psychotherapy for trauma related disorders, and more recently incorporated mindfulness practices in working with grief and loss after the death of her own son in 2012. In addition to developing the NMC, Cathy volunteers with Suncoast Hospice in Florida helping the dying and their families.
Invitations from people interested in meditation, led to Bhante expand his teaching to Europe, Canada and the United States.
In 1999 he became a resident monk at the Great Lakes Buddhist Vihara in Southfield Michigan and traveled around the US and Canada teaching:
(More........)
Cathy Lewis, LCSW,
Is the founder of The Nathaniel Meditation Center and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Licensed in Colorado in 1992, and Florida in 2002, Cathy has specialized in providing psychotherapy for trauma related disorders, and more recently incorporated mindfulness practices in working with grief and loss after the death of her own son in 2012. In addition to developing the NMC, Cathy volunteers with Suncoast Hospice in Florida helping the dying and their families.