Recorded at Insight Meditation Satsang
Online,
January 7, 2025
DESCRIPTION
We’ll start a new series tonight that I’m thinking of as something like a “Dharma Life Reset.” I want to look at the conditions—external and internal—that support a strong practice and satisfying life, particularly strong emotional regulation, everyday discipline, focus, and deeper meditation outside of retreat.
We’ll start this with a couple weeks of looking at the foundational conditions for focus and well-being, starting with one of the most important: sleep!
How long we sleep, how well, how we dream, and how we wake up are so important for well-being that we can almost draw a direct line between the quality of our sleep and the quality of our meditations, our focus through the day, our levels of inflammation, and the way our nervous system processes stress.
And we all know this is likely to be a stressful year. (Aren’t they all? #samsara)
So we’ll start the year off with an exploration of sleep as practice. Spoiler alert: less screens in the evening! Which contradicts online Satsang till 9pm, right? Well, come to practice, and we’ll see what middle way we can find together.
SEAN OAKES
Sean Feit Oakes, PhD (he/they, queer, Puerto Rican & English, living on Pomo ancestral land in Northern California), teaches Buddhism and somatic practice focusing on the integration of meditation, trauma resolution, and social justice. He received Insight Meditation teaching authorization from Jack Kornfield, and wrote his dissertation on extraordinary states in Buddhist meditation and experimental dance. Sean holds certifications in Somatic Experiencing (SEP, assistant), and Yoga (E-RYT 500, YACEP), and teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, East Bay Meditation Center, Insight Timer, and elsewhere.
LINKS
Website: seanfeitoakes.com
Community Page: In It To End It
YouTube channel: In It To End It
Spirit Rock: spiritrock.org/teachers/sean-oakes
Insight Timer: insighttimer.com/seanoakes
GIVING
All of Dr. Oakes’ independent teaching is offered on the model of Gift Economy, in the Buddhist tradition of dāna, inspired giving. Support of our teaching and community is gratefully received. Thank you for your generosity.
Donate:
seanfeitoakes.com/gift-economy
Blessings on your path.