Happy World Chocolate Day (7/7)

I must be a hybrid space alien-terrestrial human Earthling because I love sweet cacao paste.

.

I'm a substitute love drug, so go easy.

Today is World Chocolate Day. But there's always tomorrow, which allows for the addition of almonds. What joy!

• Different types of chocolate and how to use them (so long as we do not get carried away and clingy)
• Mindfulness of Eating is one way to establish a healthy relationship with food
• American Dharma Teacher Ruth Denison's Dharma Talks from Dharma Seed and Dhammadena

Chocolate in its rawest form: fruit

We look forward to National Chocolate with Almonds Day when it pops up on our calendar every July 8 (NATIONAL CHOCOLATE WITH ALMONDS DAY, July 8, 2025) and we celebrate one of the world’s most popular confections.

• It's also World Allergy Day (July 8): the world's most common allergies and their symptoms

We at NT confess, this national day is not just another day we circle on our calendar. We also add this one to our to-do list for today so we don’t miss out. We know we really don’t need a special day on the calendar to indulge in one of our favorite guilty pleasures.

Mexico invented chocolate (Aztec Codex)

But doesn’t having a day on the calendar to celebrate such a heavenly confection help negate the guilty part of a guilty pleasure? We think so.

Today, we are indulging unashamedly because chocolate [Theobroma cacao fruit seeds or nibs] and almonds are incredibly satisfying. This makes us wonder if the reason we crave chocolate with almonds and find the combination so satisfying is because our bodies know what is good for us [like the "gods" or theo knew, presumably because they were advanced alien life forms looking for high antioxidant foods].

[Dark] Chocolate and almonds both are separately documented to have heart health benefits. More

• MSN.com, July 7, 2025; National Today, July 8, 2025; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Is it good to have a great meditation?

Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly

It was so unexpected. I didn't do anything.

Is it good to have a great meditation? No, it is great to have one.

A good session makes it all worthwhile as things are not only progressing, but they seem like they're progressing, too. Progress may always be being made, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

O, I see, attention: Just breathe while noticing.

Of course, there is potentially one bad thing about it, and it's not to do with the meditation itself.

If meditation is about letting go, completely letting go, let it be. But we know we have neither let go nor let it be if we ATTACH (cling) to the pleasant experience of:

• bliss (piti and sukha),
• light (aloka),
• sense of progress,
• calm (samatha),
• connection,
• effortlessness,
• freedom (vimutti),
• contentment (santutthitā),
• oneness/nonduality (advaita),
• unbroken mindfulness (sati), or
• stillness (samadhi).

Relax. Let go. We have been swimming upstream for a long time. "Abraham" (through channel Esther Hicks) assures us that everything we want is downstream. Let go. Go with the flow, which will go the way of the Tao (Taoist word for the Way, the path of least resistance).

So a great meditation can't be bad. But craving (tanha), grasping and clinging (upadana) can't be good; it will lead to tremendous suffering. And by setting up expectations about what it "should" be is likely to derail our practice altogether. If we have gotten up and are no longer returning to the mat, to the practice, that is defeat. Why have we stopped. Experience was not meeting our expectations.

Drop, abandon, release expectations and just be. Sit. Breathe. Let go. Let it be.

Just when we thought we were saying something new, suddenly we remember the startling advice of Western Buddhist monk Ajahn Sumedho (formerly Robert Karr Jackman). Craving is unskillful (leads to suffering).

Let go of what? Three things

Zen Master Doggone thinks he's
going to muscle it to enlightenment.

But people neglect to realize there are THREE KINDS OF CRAVING.

• First, there's commonplace sensual craving (five sense strand pleasure).
• Second, there's the desire to become something (arhat, saint, enlightened, free, mindful, knowledgeable, a seer, etc.)
• Third, there's the craving to get rid of something (suffering, sadness, absentmindedness, craving, ignorance, spiritual blindness, bad habits, etc.) It's all a manifestation of misery-making greed (lobha), cupidity, affection, subtle clinging.

To "let go" is to let it be. Whatever it is, we just observe it dispassionately. There's little sense in establishing a goal, objective, marker. Doing so only sets us up for frustration. The way there is to let go. It does not come from wanting and squirming.

UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center

MARC.ucla.edu; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

MARC (UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center) wishes all a happy and healthy New Year! They look forward to being in community with meditators this year through online and in-person events, classes, day-longs, and retreats.

MARC is excited to announce the start of in-person events on the Westwood campus. Join LIVE for  Drop-In Meditation at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, on Thursdays 12:30-1:00 pm.

Everyone can still attend virtually because every session is also broadcast live through the Hammer's website. Join for the first return to in-person day-long retreats as MARC Director Diana Winston holds a Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety on February 12.

• Please note that in-person events will have limited registration. So sign up early. (NOTE: All in-person events are forced to stick to UCLA-mandated COVID protocols).

Stay tuned as more in-person events will be announced for February and March, 2023. MARC's signature Intensive Practice Program is now open for applications and will remain fully online, although local people will have access to in-person events.

MARC will work to build community in whatever form of engagement meditators choose. [Who is a "meditator"? Easy. Those who meditate.]

2023 Offerings

• Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort Pre-recorded Intro and Advanced Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) classes:
• Jan 9: MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care with Gloria Kamler
• Jan 12: MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston
• Jan 15: Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions For Our Lives And World In 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull
• Jan 21: Day of Mindfulness: Energize Practice with Gloria Kamler
• Jan 29: MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh
• Feb 4: Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai
• Feb 12: Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston
• Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort This 10-month online program (March-December 2023) provides a cohesive mindfulness practice and study course taught by UCLA trained facilitators and teachers.
• MARC's Intensive Practice Program (IPP) is for dedicated students who wish to deepen their personal mindfulness practice in a supportive community. Students will have prioritized access to MARC classes and events, engage in monthly supervision sessions, receive mentorship, and connect in peer support groups.
• Further personal growth will be enabled by several outside requirements. Application Deadline: Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 (11:59 PM)
• Learn More and Apply Today
• Live-Online and Pre- Recorded MAPs Classes
• MAPs I- For Daily Living
• MAPs II: Next Steps - Improve Your Meditation
• MAPs II: Cultivating Positive Emotions
• MAPs II: Working with Difficult Emotions
• MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care
• MAPs II: Turning Obstacles into Allies
• MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness
• MAPs App: Paying Attention Mindfully Cultivating Forgiveness
• MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care Part 2 with Gloria Kamler This class is for students who have taken MAPs I and MAPs II classes and wish to deepen their mindfulness practice.

Open to anyone who is interested in self-care as we focus on qualities of the heart. No need to have taken Part 1 to benefit. We will cultivate mindful attention through sitting, walking, and stretching meditations to enhance practice on the cushion and in daily life. This class will also include lecture and discussion. In addition to the traditional ways we do mindfulness practice, we will also incorporate specific movement practices that foster self-care and the cultivation of altruistic qualities of the heart. Dates: Tues, Jan 10-Feb 14 Time: 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information and to Register...

• MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston

This class will explore the core Buddhist teachings that are implicit in mindfulness practice. In particular, we will look at the Four Noble Truths, which in classical Buddhism are said to incorporate the whole of the Buddha's Teachings (Dharma). We will investigate these Noble Truths personally, how they are understood in Buddhist philosophy, and how they can deepen and enhance our meditation practice. Dates: Thurs, Jan 12-Feb 16 (No class Jan 26) Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information and to Register

• Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions for Our Lives and World in 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull

Recognizing the importance of setting clear and supportive intentions for our lives and our world, this day-long retreat offers mindfulness practices for renewal and transformation. In celebration of the new year, all will be invited to listen deeply, reflect, restore, and create anew. All will be invited on an embodied journey bridging personal and collective awakening. Rather than setting New Year's resolutions based on the myth of self-improvement, we will set intentions from the heart of our being, supporting each other in moving beyond limiting beliefs and the illusion of separate self. Grounded in mindfulness and acknowledging the gravity of the times we face, we will seek to cultivate compassion, clear-seeing, and possibility through meditation and mindful inquiry, reflective writing, and somatic practices. All are welcome to join. Date: Sun, Jan 15, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

• Day of Mindfulness: Energize Practice with Gloria Kamler

This all-day retreat is dedicated to deepening our mindfulness practice. Sometimes in meditation we find our bodies are uncomfortable or tense. Since ease and relaxation serve our meditation practice, this retreat will devote significant time to mindful movement, also known as "Easy Stretching Postures." These postures can be useful for cultivating relaxed awareness, ease in the body and an open heart. We will use various activities to cultivate mindful attention including sitting, walking, stretching, and eating. The day will also include lecture and discussion. This retreat is suitable for new or experienced practitioners. Date: Sat, Jan 21, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

• MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh

Do we know where our attention is right now? Often, most of us don’t know the answer to this question! We do know life has changed. Our old norms are gone, we’re bound to re-create new ways of living and working… Hence, we come to realize there is an even stronger call for us to learn to command our attention more intentionally and more mindfully. In this virtual live 4-week class, we will identify the value and nature of our attention, explore ways to mindfully discern what we want to pay attention to, and learn methods and tools to direct our attention along those lines. There will be lectures, practices, dyads [pairs], journaling, and Q&A. This is a participatory class that requires full attention! Dates: Sun, Jan 29 - Feb 19, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$165 For More Information and to Register

• Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai

In the middle of the rush of a life full of distraction and responsibilities, we are rarely afforded the opportunity to stop and simply exist, and as a result we forget the tremendous value of doing nothing. This day of meditation is an opportunity to put down our burdens, agendas, and any obligations other than simply existing. Mindfulness guidance suitable for practitioners of any level will be offered. In the spirit of giving ourselves absolutely nothing extra to do, participants will be invited to take a break from other technology (aside from that necessary for the retreat) and outside obligations, to whatever extent they are able. All are welcome to join. Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

• Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston

If you are struggling with anxiety, you are one of millions of people who face daily anxiety, worry, and fear. Much of our anxiety may be appropriately situational, nearly a year into the pandemic with the resulting health-related, economic, political, and moral uncertainty and challenges. Some of us have long-standing anxiety. While mindfulness is not a cure-all, it can provide us with tools to work with and guidance for new ways to relate to fear and anxiety. In this day of mindfulness, we will learn how to be mindful amid fear. We will discover how to use mindfulness to prevent out-of-control ruminations by returning to the present moment. We will also learn to cultivate states of mind that counteract these emotions such as fearlessness, ease, and kindness. We will spend the day with sitting and walking meditations, lecture, dialogue, and reflections. Suitable for all levels. Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2023 Venue: UCLA Campus Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information and to Register

We at MARC want to you wish you a happy and healthy new year! We look forward to being in community with you this year through our online and in-person events, classes, daylongs, and retreats.  We are excited to announce the start of in-person events on campus. Join us for our Drop-In Meditation at the Hammer Museum on Thursdays 12:30-1pm, PT. You can still attend virtually as every session will also be broadcast live on the Hammer's website.   Join us for our first return to in-person daylong retreats as Diana Winston holds a Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety on February 12.  Please note that in-person events will have limited registration so sign up early. All in-person events will stick to UCLA-mandated Covid protocols.  Stay tuned as more in-person events will be announced for February and March.   Our signature Intensive Practice Program is now open for applications and will remain fully online, although local people will have access to in-person events. We will work to build community in whatever form of engagement with MARC you choose.  2023 Offerings Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort Pre-recorded Intro & Advanced Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) classes: Jan 9: MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care with Gloria Kamler Jan 12: MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston Jan 15: Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions For Our Lives And World In 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull Jan 21: Day of Mindfulness: Energize Your Practice with Gloria Kamler Jan 29: MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh Feb 4: Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai Feb 12: Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston Intensive Practice Program 2023 Cohort This 10-month online program (March-December 2023) provides a cohesive mindfulness practice and study course taught by UCLA trained facilitators and teachers. Our Intensive Practice Program (IPP) is for dedicated students who wish to deepen their personal mindfulness practice in a supportive community. Students will have prioritized access to MARC classes and events, engage in monthly supervision sessions, receive mentorship, and connect in peer support groups. Further personal growth will be enabled by several outside requirements. Application Deadline: Sunday, February 12, 2023 (11:59PM) Learn More & Apply Today Live-Online and Pre- Recorded MAPs Classes

MAPs I- For Daily Living MAPs II: Next Steps - Improve Your Meditation MAPs II: Cultivating Positive Emotions   MAPs II: Working with Difficult Emotions MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care MAPs II: Turning Obstacles into Allies MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness MAPs App: Paying Attention Mindfully Cultivating Forgiveness

MAPs II: Mindful Self-Care Part 2 with Gloria Kamler This class is for students who have taken MAPs I and MAPs II classes and wish to deepen their mindfulness practice. Open to anyone who is interested in Self-Care as we focus on qualities of the heart. You do not need to have taken Part 1 to benefit. We will cultivate mindful attention through sitting, walking and stretching meditations to enhance practice on the cushion and in daily life. This class will also include lecture and discussion. In addition to the traditional ways we do mindfulness practice, we will also incorporate specific movement practices that foster self-care and the cultivation of altruistic qualities of the heart. Dates: Tues, Jan 10-Feb 14 Time: 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information & to Register MAPs III: The Buddhist Roots of Mindfulness with Diana Winston This class will explore the core Buddhist teachings that are implicit in mindfulness practice. In particular, we will look at the Four Noble Truths, which in classical Buddhism are said to incorporate the whole of the Buddhist teachings. We will investigate these Noble Truths personally, how they are understood in Buddhist philosophy, and how they can deepen and enhance our meditation practice. Dates: Thurs, Jan 12-Feb 16 (No class Jan 26) Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$200 For More Information & to Register Day of Mindfulness: Setting Conscious Intentions For Our Lives And World In 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull Recognizing the importance of setting clear and supportive intentions for our lives and our world, this day-long retreat offers mindfulness practices for renewal and transformation,  In celebration of the new year, you will be invited to listen deeply, reflect, restore, and create anew. You will be invited on an embodied journey bridging personal and collective awakening. Rather than setting New Year's resolutions based on the myth of self-improvement, we will set intentions from the heart of our being, supporting each other in moving beyond limiting beliefs and the illusion of separate self. Grounded in mindfulness and acknowledging the gravity of the times we face, we will seek to cultivate compassion, clear-seeing, and possibility through meditation and mindful inquiry, reflective writing, and somatic practices. All are welcome to join. Date: Sun, Jan 15, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register Day of Mindfulness: Energize Your Practice with Gloria Kamler This all-day retreat is dedicated to deepening your mindfulness practice. Sometimes in meditation we find our bodies are uncomfortable or tense. Since ease and relaxation serve our meditation practice, this retreat will devote significant time to mindful movement, also known as "Easy Stretching Postures." These postures can be useful for cultivating relaxed awareness, ease in the body and an open heart. We will use various activities to cultivate mindful attention including sitting, walking, stretching and eating. The day will also include lecture and discussion. This retreat is suitable for new or experienced practitioners. Date: Sat, Jan 21, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register MAPs Applications: Paying Attention Mindfully — The Key to Well-Being in 2023 with Mitra Manesh Do you know where your attention is right now? Often, most of us don’t know the answer to this question! We do know life has changed. Our old norms are gone, we’re bound to re-create new ways of living and working… and hence we come to realize there is an even stronger call for us to learn to command our attention more intentionally and more mindfully. In this virtual live 4-week class, we will identify the value and nature of our attention, explore ways to mindfully discern what we want to pay attention to, and learn methods and tools to direct our attention along those lines. There will be lectures, practices, dyads, journaling, and Q&A. This is a participatory class that requires your full attention!   Dates: Sun, Jan 29 - Feb 19, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00AM- 12 Noon, PT Cost: $0-$165 For More Information & to Register Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, No One to Be: A Day of Mindfulness Online with Cara Lai In the middle of the rush of a life full of distraction and responsibilities, we are rarely afforded the opportunity to stop and simply exist, and as a result we forget the tremendous value of doing nothing. This day of meditation is an opportunity to put down our burdens, agendas, and any obligations other than simply existing. Mindfulness guidance suitable for practitioners of any level will be offered. In the spirit of giving ourselves absolutely nothing extra to do, participants will be invited to take a break from other technology (aside from that necessary for the retreat) and outside obligations, to whatever extent they are able. All are welcome to join. Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2023 Venue: Live-Online via Zoom Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register Day of Mindfulness: Working with Anxiety with Diana Winston If you are struggling with anxiety, you are one of millions of people who face daily anxiety, worry, and fear. Much of our anxiety may be appropriately situational, nearly a year into the pandemic with the resulting health-related, economic, political, and moral uncertainty and challenges. Some of us have long-standing anxiety. While mindfulness is not a cure-all, it can provide us with tools to work with and guidance for new ways to relate to fear and anxiety. In this day of mindfulness, we will learn how to be mindful amid fear. We will discover how to use mindfulness to prevent out-of-control ruminations by returning to the present moment. We will also learn to cultivate states of mind that counteract these emotions such as fearlessness, ease, and kindness. We will spend the day with sitting and walking meditations, lecture, dialogue, and reflections. Suitable for all levels. Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2023 Venue: UCLA Campus Time: 10:00 AM- 4:00 PM, PT Cost: $0-$75 For More Information & to Register