Co-worker going to Spirit Rock tomorrow

Right. I might beat myself up for playing online poker or watching "Seinfeld" when I could be doing the noting practice. But if you're sitting there reading suttas and learning Pali or memorizing Wilber quotes instead of practicing, will it occur to you that this is pretty much equally counterproductive? It's a funny thought. I like how Daniel IDs religiosity as a huge red flag for the stalled yogi. Nobody is saying psychology has no merit, and if it's part of the reason a person isn't following the instructions then psychological work could be helpful on the path toward enlightenment. The problem comes when people conclude that psychological work and the instructions--whether vipassana or 2nd/3rd gear stuff--are one and the same. That seems to be the critical point of confusion today, and you don't hear a lot of contemporary dharma teachers say something like, "Listen, we're about to do some psychological stuff now. This can be really helpful, but I want to point out that this isn't really how you get enlightened. This isn't what the Buddha was doing, and we want to be careful not to get the two confused."
It's good that some teachers are starting to say this type of thing. Steve Armstrong appears to be sending this message at times, for example.

"you don't hear a lot of contemporary dharma teachers say something like, "Listen, we're about to do some psychological stuff now. This can be really helpful, but I want to point out that this isn't really how you get enlightened. This isn't what the Buddha was doing, and we want to be careful not to get the two confused."
"

THAT's a lot of what I find so annoying. Not that they are teaching this stuff, But that they aren't being clear on what they ARE teaching.

And, more of what you said Joel rings so true for me. I mean that whole self-improvement project (reading sutras, wilber, doing exercises, trying to become perfect or something) is just so painful and one of the best parts of practice for me was to be able to let go of all those impulses. To really be able live intimately with myself as I actually am moment to moment with no need to improve or change it.
Even if I am watching Seinfeld, playing poker or thinking about and/or having sex all the time -- one can note and/or notice all that just as well as they can doing what is thought of as dharma work and this is certaintly what I've done to finally get some peace. Who am I really? What I'm I really doing? And how does THAT feel? What are the sensations, thoughts, mind states and feeling tones associated with the stuff am really doing each moment. what does lying feel like? what does fear feel like? Or hate and resentment? The moments between taking a crap and pulling up my pants, between drying my hands and walking to open the bathroom door, between the elevator doors opening and stepping into the elevator? Freaking life as it is, not some religious cultural almost status-oriented fantasy version of the perfected person. What a relief to find out that all the supplies one needs for awakening and peace are already right here and not actually on sale at Borders or the Dharma Crafts site on the internet.

"To really be able live intimately with myself as I actually am moment to moment with no need to improve or change it."
Yes. The funny thing is, this is precisely the message you'll get at Borders or in books sold in the Dharma Crafts store. Who teaches the above more than Pema Chodron? But there's a big difference between actually doing it and continuing to use this stuff as entertainment.
Kenneth talks about "relentless clarification." It's our obstinacy that makes relentless clarification so necessary, I guess.

Turns out my friend didn't go on saturday but is going THIS saturday instead to this program:

spiritrock.org/calendar/display.asp?id=DR4H10

She wanted to go to the one I hightlighted but couldn't get in I guess. I sent her the podcasts and she was thrilled.