"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." Audre Lorde
Dear Ones,
Happy New Year, Happy New Decade!
I've been listening to the season, and trying to be a bit more still in this season of great rest. I spent most of January in California sitting with my teachers (Phillip, Gina, Larry and Lila), training, and teaching with the Dear Sangha at Mission Dharma in San Francisco. And in this time of rest, I've been sitting with the question, of what it is that I can let go of.
I've decided to be with the Paramis this year, this collection of the 10 Perfections...so why not start with renunciation to kick it off! Check out my talk on the Weekly Dharma Gathering where I speak on Renunciation: How We Get Free.
Community Meditation Center Sunday, February 16th 10:30am - 12pm
Bernie Wohl Center
647 Columbus Avenue, New York City (NE corner of 91st.)
Darlings, I'll be guest teaching at the Community Meditation Center in New York this Sunday morning!
As I work through the Paramis this year, I thought a good place to start, was with Renunciation.
Nekkhama, the Pali word for renunciation historically
We can begin to look at renunciation not as a practice of repression and deprivation, but rather one of wisdom, discernment and compassion.
It's about getting free.
Contemplative Minds for Higher Education Conference Keynote Workshop: Embodying Radical Presence
Saturday, March 7th 2020
9am - 12pm (Continental Breakfast begins at 7am)
Virginia Tech University, Roanoke Virginia
We live in a culture where turning towards our embodied wisdom, intuition and heart is seen as counter culture and weak. Parker Palmer says that “Relational trust is built on movements of the human heart such as empathy, commitment, compassion, patience, and the capacity to forgive.” The intelligence of the body can inform our state of presence, our purpose, relationships with our bodies, and our connections and relationships with others. In this workshop we'll be unpacking these themes through embodied wisdom, relational practices, mindfulness and joy.
Finding Your Ground: Mindful Yoga and Embodied Meditation With Anne Cushman Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Woodacre, California
March 26th - 28th, 2020
8am - 6pm
(*This is a non-residential retreat, light breakfast and lunch will be served)
Again, one of the yummiest retreats of the year with the awesome Anne Cushman!
How do we stay grounded, centered, and rooted in compassion and wisdom—especially in times of personal and global challenges? In this three-day silent retreat, we’ll offer teachings and tools from the dharma and yoga traditions for settling our nervous system, grounding our energy, and connecting in an embodied way with what matters most. We will draw on the wisdom of the Buddha’s noble eightfold path and the traditional eight limbs of classical yoga to support us in our exploration. Each day will include periods of gentle guided yoga; seated, walking, standing, and lying-down meditation instruction and practice; and dharma reflections and discussion.
James, La and I had such a great time on the Mindful Meditation Teacher Certification Program retreat last year, we decided to open up our April retreat this year to all who wanted to come!
A mindful and openhearted awareness is the gateway to wellbeing, insight, and liberation. During this 7-day silent meditation retreat, we will join together to quiet the mind, heal the heart and see our human life with the eyes of wisdom. The retreat days will include a daily rhythm of sitting, walking, guided meditations, daily teachings, practices of the heart and small groups with the teachers. Held in the high mountains, the retreat will offer a container of care and delicious silence.
Faculty of this retreat will be mentors from the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program: James Baraz, La Sarmiento, and Leslie Booker.
Our mailing address is:
Leslie Booker
PO Box 132
New York, New York 10031
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