My mom, though Jewish, has had a lifelong passion for Vedanta so that's likely why I was drawn to eastern religion/philosphy in college, where I was particularly taken by Taoism. An early beautiful memory in my path was a morning I was in Sedona, having gotten up to practice a bit of yoga on one of the broad rock faces as the sun was coming up; after a few sun salutations I sat with a book in that peaceful serenity, lingering for quite a while over Lao Tzu's words: "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." This got through to me deeply and became a door to my future Buddhist practice.
Thich Nhat Hanh was my starting point and I just read/pondered his writings for a number of years without really exploring beyond. Then about 8 years ago a friend introduced me to Pema Chodron and I developed an immediate deep appreciation/passion for her teachings. A couple other close friends have also found Pema's teachings and through the tough times we coach each other using these; it's so helpful to be reminded, to catch ourselves and recenter.
I also have the good fortune to be living in the DC area, where I can attend Tara Brach's weekly sittings/teachings, which draw upwards of 200 people. Tara ("Radical Self-Acceptance"
is also a clinical psychologist as well as the leader of the DC Insight Meditation Society and her talks are well-thought out and illuminating. Her talks and guided meditations are freely available here, BTW, if anyone would like to check her out: http://tarabrach.com/
I've dabbled in Jewish meditation, as well. Finally, for the past 2 years I've been carrying Charlotte Joko Beck's Everyday Zen (a gift from a friend) with me to read whenever I'm waiting in a line or stuck somewhere with time on my hands. Frequent nourishment with Buddhist thought feels like a life necessity.
Thanks for forming this group!
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