Welcome to Lifting the Gaze Sangha

Sangha is a Sanskrit word that means “bring together.”

In Buddha’s lifetime, the sangha was officially composed of monks and nuns who committed to a lifetime of renunciation. 

To participate in the Lifting the Gaze Sangha you do not need to be a renunciate.  You do not need to be a Buddhist or take Buddhist refuge vows.  You do not need to be an experienced meditator, a vegetarian, or anything different from who you are right now.

That’s the point of practice - getting familiar with who you are, as you are.  This is not about rejecting any part of you, no part of your mind, your emotions, your anger or your love, or any part of your body.  It is about opening to the basic goodness that lives inside you right now and very gently, over time, letting that goodness come forward and guide your life.

Regular practice with the same group of people will:

• develop your mindfulness/shamatha practice,

• strengthen your practice commitment and relax your obstacles; and

• give you the skills and awareness to bring your innate goodness into the rest of your life.

Together we will connect the dots between why we practice, how we practice, and the results of practice.

We will show up for ourselves and we will show up for each other.

Sangha is a Sanskrit word that translates as “bring together,” but is mainly used to refer to a community of like-minded people.  

The activity and energy of bringing together people who are mutually interested in studying, practicing and sharing Buddhism are so valued that the Sangha is considered one of the Three Jewels:

Buddha — the teacher and example
Dharma — the teachings of Buddha
Sangha — the assembly of those interested in the principles and practices of the Buddhadharma

Originally, the sangha was officially composed of monks and nuns who made a lifetime commitment of renunciation: no lying, no stealing, no intoxication, no harming, no inappropriate sexual conduct, no gossip, etc. Some of the numerous rules for these renunciates - more for nuns than monks — were specifically about sangha relationships, for example, it is considered a real downfall to ever speak unkindly or gossip about another sangha member.

So being a member of a sangha means that you get to step into the practice of being open, honest, kind, and helpful to others, and trusting that they will do the same for you. It is a place/space of mutual support for each other’s growth along the path.

These days the word sangha includes anyone interested in Buddhism and wants to participate in Buddhist activities such as meditation sits, retreats, and even engaged Buddhist activities such as teaching yoga in prisons, helping out at soup kitchens, or writing letters for Get Out the Vote.

To be in the OM Meditation Online Sangha you do not need to be a renunciate. You do not need to be a Buddhist or take Buddhist refuge vows. You do not need to be an experienced meditator, a vegetarian, or anything different from who you are right now.

That’s the point of practice - getting familiar with who you are, as you are.  This is not about rejecting any part of you, no part of your mind, your emotions, your anger or your love, or any part of your body.  It is about opening to the basic goodness that lives inside you right now and very gently, over time, letting that goodness come forward and guide your life.

You get to choose your level of involvement.

Every level of membership includes access to my newsletter about practice called Drip, Drip, Drip the Bucket Fills and a copy of my Meditation Field Guide .

The real heart of the OM Meditation Online Sangha will be when we all sit together for meditation practice, dharma talks and Q & A. This level also includes access to Cyndi’s dharma talk archives.

From there you can add on the Dharma Day retreat for Sangha Members Only, a Mindfulness Meditation mini-retreat, and there are a small number of memberships that include private sessions with Cyndi.

Our meditation sessions will primarily be shamatha/vipassana which is mindfulness/insight practice. The dharma talks will focus on this specific meditation technique, offering inspiration, and unpacking obstacles.  We will discuss how to connect the dots between why we practice, how we practice, and the results of practice.

So you could say that we are mainly going to engage in the foundational yana of Buddhism. Yana means vehicle and the foundational yana is also referred to as the “narrow view”. At the level of the first yana, we are working with ourselves: our own minds, thoughts, emotions, responses, and physical sensations.

But, of course, we don’t live in a vacuum and one of the most valuable aspects of a sangha is that we have all committed to sharing practice together. This takes us right into the Mahayana level of practice. Maha means great, so this level is a “wider view” of practice. It is no longer just for our own benefit but for the benefit of others, that we sit on our cushions.

We will show up for ourselves and we will show up for each other, and in this way, the two yanas will arise simultaneously.

Practicing with a regular group of people will help you deepen your own practice and give you the skills and awareness needed to integrate your innate goodness into your life off the cushion. What good is our practice if it doesn’t show up in all of our relationships?

Depending on your membership tier, you'll get access to:

Drip, Drip, Drip, the Bucket Fills
Cyndi’s monthly newsletter with a dharma story and new practice prompts each month.

Meditation Field Guide
A guide to beginning or refreshing your meditation practice, including a 5-minute audio meditation instruction from Cyndi.

TWO Group Sits/Monthwith Cyndi
Join Cyndi online for group meditation sessions, including one 30 minute dharma talk a month, and one 45 minute Q&A a month.

Dharma Talk Archives
Inspire and refresh your practice, and gain practice insights and knowledge from Cyndi, with her video archive of past Dharma talks.

Dharma Retreat Day
A one day retreat for OM Meditation Sangha members only, filled with lots of yummy sitting, a Dharma talk, movement practice, and an opportunity to ask Cyndi questions about your practice.

Mindfulness Meditation Mini-Retreat
Join Cyndi and the OM Meditation Sangha online with 1 free Mindfulness Meditation Mini-Retreat a year. Each day, for one hour, we will meditate together and I will offer a lesson on the nuts and bolts of meditation, as well as how the practice relates to the rest of your life.

Ask-Me-Anything Group Session
Get to know Cyndi, and get practical insights from her life as a Buddhist and a yogi.

Private Sessions
Receive 2 private 45 minute sessions with Cyndi, including 1 aspiration session and 1 follow-up session.