During the month of February, we are inviting people to participate in an online meditation program based on practices found in Sharon Salzberg’s books: Real Happiness, and Real Happiness at Work. We have done this meditation challenge the past few years, and a beautiful sense of community and support has grown as we’ve all practiced together and shared our experiences. This year we are incorporating practices from Sharon’s latest book: Real Happiness at Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace.
Sharon has said that one of the things she began to see as she was reading the posts and comments, was how hard things were for many at work. People commonly find themselves struggling with stress, longing for meaning, and looking for a sense of some balance. Wisdom about how to address these was also coming from the participants of the challenge as they shared with one another the kinds of things that they were trying, that they were finding more and more effective.
We are asking people to reflect on their experiences—pleasant, difficult, and in between—and let us know how it’s going. People are blogging about their experiences here and on their own blogs or websites if they have them. Comments are welcome from anyone, whether they are amongst the group blogging or not.
We hope that the challenge can again foster real dialogue about the potential of meditation to change one’s life, and will intrigue more people to find out what meditation is all about. Everyone is invited to join us in making a commitment to 28 days of meditation practice.
In addition to the meditation challenge this year, Sharon is teaching a Real Happiness At Work online retreat at tricycle.com. The retreat will run for 4 weeks starting February 3, and includes video teachings and discussion. The first week is free for everyone and the entire retreat is free for Tricycle Sustaining and Supporting Members. We thought many people might like to participate in both offerings and receive more support for their practice.
