TWIM Teachers
Retreat leaders embody many years of meditation training, dedicated practice, and moral rectitude. They offer guidance in classes and retreats at no charge. This teaching is world-wide with the shared goal of freedom o f mind as described in the earliest Pali texts.
Retreat Leaders
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Sylvie Zuhorn Go>
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In Memory of Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Go>
Learn Why the Buddha Smiled
The meditation courses, and techniques offered have proven successful for thousands of people new to meditation. TWIM is enjoyable to practice and lead to skill development to clear understanding of the guiding principles originally taught by the Buddha. Participants at retreat enjoy one-on-one daily teacher interviews to insure progress is optimized toward awakening wisdom, peace and liberation of mind. Retreats vary from teacher to teacher but all TWIM teachers offer the core methodology to advance in the stages of meditation as described by the Buddha.
TWIM Meditation with Loving-Kindness and the Six Rs
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Sit comfortably with your eyes closed without moving. Remember a time when you genuinely felt loving-kindness. It's a warm feeling in the heart and mind like a glow. As you experience a heartfelt feeling of kindness, radiate it to yourself. Radiate the feeling inwardly and outwardly. It's easy and enjoyable to do.
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Beginning instructions audio clip. (50 minutes)
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Next, make a sincere wish for yourself and will being such as; “May I be happy,” “May I be content,” “May I be peaceful,” or any similar wholesome affirmation that prompts a genuine feeling of loving-kindness. The feeling of loving-kindness is the home base—or object of mediation—for the beginning phase of TWIM practice.
Smile a little, Keep a light, relaxed mind. Smiling helps sustain the feeling in your heart and mind for long periods of time. A slight smile adds to the enjoyment. Stay on home base feeling the pleasant feeling of loving -kindness with relaxed awareness. fades away. Remain with with loving-kindness as long as possible. Once it completely fades away, make another sincere wish for your happiness and well being. Then return to being aware of the sensation in your heart and mind. As before, maintain your attention directed around the feeling of loving-kindness. Also use it as a new and improved home base in daily life. Doing will replace your previous default mental and emotional mindset.
Enjoy radiating this feeling to yourself for the first 10 minutes of the meditation. Remember not to move around or you will become agitated and restless. For the next 20 minutes radiate the feeling of loving-kindness to a spiritual friend that you respect and admire. Picture them smiling at you and place their image in your heart. or say their name mentally when you share the radiate feeling of loving-kindness to them. Make a wish such as: “(Name) may you be happy" or "(Name) may you feel kindness and happiness". Keep it simple with a genuine wish for sharing loving-kindness that your are feeling with them. At this point in the practice, your spiritual friend becomes your new home base.
Dealing with Distractions
At some point, you mind will wonder away from home base (object of meditation). It's doesn't matter how many times your mind wanders. Distractions happen naturally. They will pull your attention to planning or a memory or random thinking. When this happens, use the Six R methodology. Doing this one the minds attention moved away from home base automatically deepens tranquility while increasing mental agility. Using these actions gradually makes mediation more insightful, tranquil and joyful.
Six Rs signal a sequene of actions to use when the attention is distracted away from home base.
Recognize your mind is no longer on home base and the feeling of loving-kindness
Release all thoughts and feelings, abandon whatever the mind is doing.
Relax your entire body from you feet to your head by softening your posture and letting go of any muscle tension
Re-Smile means lighten up and put a little smile on your lips, a smile in the eyes,
Return to home base and the feeling of loving-kindness by radiating it inwardly to yourself or to your spiritual friend.
Repeat: this process every time your mind is completely distracted from home base without missing a step.
The goal is to stay with your spiritual friend for as long as you can. Enjoy sharing the feeling of loving-kindness with then as long as possible but don't push.. Pretend you are on vacation and are just relaxing comfortably, without a care in the world. Share this contentment with your friend and smile.
Walking meditation
Pick out a place to walk that is quiet and away from disturbances. Stroll at a moderate pace. Radiate lovingkindness to your spiritual friend. Keep them in your heart while you walk and wish them a happy feeling. Six R whenever there is a distraction that has completely pulled the attention away from home base. It works the same in the mind and in the body as sitting meditation.
Smile a little, Keep a light, relaxed mind. Smiling helps sustain the feeling in your heart and mind for long periods of time. A slight smile adds to the enjoyment. Stay on home base feeling the pleasant feeling of loving -kindness with relaxed awareness. fades away. Remain with with loving-kindness as long as possible. Once it completely fades away, make another sincere wish for your happiness and well being. Then return to being aware of the sensation in your heart and mind. As before, maintain your attention directed around the feeling of loving-kindness. Also use it as a new and improved home base in daily life. Doing will replace your previous default mental and emotional mindset.
Enjoy radiating this feeling to yourself for the first 10 minutes of the meditation. Remember not to move around or you will become agitated and restless. For the next 20 minutes radiate the feeling of loving-kindness to a spiritual friend that you respect and admire. Picture them smiling at you and place their image in your heart. or say their name mentally when you share the radiate feeling of loving-kindness to them. Make a wish such as: “(Name) may you be happy" or "(Name) may you feel kindness and happiness". Keep it simple with a genuine wish for sharing loving-kindness that your are feeling with them. At this point in the practice, your spiritual friend becomes your new home base.
Dealing with Distractions
At some point, you mind will wonder away from home base (object of meditation). It's doesn't matter how many times your mind wanders. Distractions happen naturally. They will pull your attention to planning or a memory or random thinking. When this happens, use the Six R methodology. Doing this one the minds attention moved away from home base automatically deepens tranquility while increasing mental agility. Using these actions gradually makes mediation more insightful, tranquil and joyful.
Six Rs signal a sequene of actions to use when the attention is distracted away from home base.
Recognize your mind is no longer on home base and the feeling of loving-kindness
Release all thoughts and feelings, abandon whatever the mind is doing.
Relax your entire body from you feet to your head by softening your posture and letting go of any muscle tension
Re-Smile means lighten up and put a little smile on your lips, a smile in the eyes,
Return to home base and the feeling of loving-kindness by radiating it inwardly to yourself or to your spiritual friend.
Repeat: this process every time your mind is completely distracted from home base without missing a step.
The goal is to stay with your spiritual friend for as long as you can. Enjoy sharing the feeling of loving-kindness with then as long as possible but don't push.. Pretend you are on vacation and are just relaxing comfortably, without a care in the world. Share this contentment with your friend and smile.
Walking meditation
Pick out a place to walk that is quiet and away from disturbances. Stroll at a moderate pace. Radiate lovingkindness to your spiritual friend. Keep them in your heart while you walk and wish them a happy feeling. Six R whenever there is a distraction that has completely pulled the attention away from home base. It works the same in the mind and in the body as sitting meditation.
The Six Rs in Brief
The Six Rs is a practice method that is "right effort" as described by the Buddha in the original Pali texts. It cultivates effective application toward of purification of mind. It decondition all habitual unconscious emotional reactions like anxiety, anger, fear and so forth. It is a mean of gradually dissolving all of the distractions that arise durning meditation that are unwholesome both in meditation and daily life. Its use is a gradual training of eliminating the causes and conditions of craving,
Using the Six Rs gradually cultivates harmonious mental states while it de-conditions habitual distractions that are rooted in unwholesome mental states. It automatically triggers the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS maintains the bodies health, regulates digestion, heart rate, breathing. It slows down the stress response by releasing hormones like dopamine that relax the mind and body while inhibiting many of the high energy functions of the body. When activated is can be experienced as a feeling of relief from the "flight or fight" default mode an activated central nervous system (CNS).
There is a mental reset when the Six Rs. Mental states incline with steady emotional ease, clarity, and agility that culminates in the goal of liberation—freedom of mind or nibanna.
Using the Six Rs gradually cultivates harmonious mental states while it de-conditions habitual distractions that are rooted in unwholesome mental states. It automatically triggers the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS maintains the bodies health, regulates digestion, heart rate, breathing. It slows down the stress response by releasing hormones like dopamine that relax the mind and body while inhibiting many of the high energy functions of the body. When activated is can be experienced as a feeling of relief from the "flight or fight" default mode an activated central nervous system (CNS).
There is a mental reset when the Six Rs. Mental states incline with steady emotional ease, clarity, and agility that culminates in the goal of liberation—freedom of mind or nibanna.
Teacher Training and Development
TWIM Retreat leaders are renowned for their ability to guide people to experience awakening as taught by the Buddha. They are recognized by their competence and skill grounded in years dedicated practice, apprenticeship, and retreat experience. This level of training is only offered to those that are are in service to the liberation of mind and compassion for all beings.