Much gratitude to
Ruth King for her weekend of teachings. We will put the video from her Friday night talk on our homepage soon, and post the talk from Sunday morning, where Ruth and Mark Nunberg shared reflections on racial healing and non-harming.
Mark will be offering a six-week
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation course beginning this Tuesday, March 5th, 7:30-9:00pm. There is still plenty of room. This is a great course for beginners or anyone who wants a more structured grounding in the essentials of mindfulness practice, including lovingkindness practice and daily life practice. Click
here for more info and to register.
Shelly Graf will be leading the
Lovingkindness practice group this Friday, 7:00-8:30pm.
Ajahn Jotipālo will lead a
Daylong Retreat on Saturday from 9am-6pm on
The Creative Power of Good-Will - Metta. He will teach a method of Loving-Kindness meditation that draws greatly on the creative process of using visualizations, memory, and sense impressions.
On Sunday, Shannon Gibney and Arleta Little will lead a workshop on
Writing as a Practice of Freedom. From the description: How can we hone our writing craft, so that the Creative can arise to its fullest potential, and hopefully be a force for positive transformation in our own lives as well as in others'?
peace,
Gabe Keller-Flores, Office Manager
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Course with Mark Nunberg
Six Tuesdays, March 5 - April 9, 7:30-9:00pm
Lovingkindness Practice Group with Shelly Graf
Friday, March 8th, 7:00-8:30pm
This program usually occurs on the first Friday of the month, but was rescheduled this month to accommodate Ruth King's visit.
Writing as a Practice of Freedom with Shannon Gibney and Arleta Little
Sunday, March 10, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Mindful Self-Compassion Practice Group with Jean Haley and Jane Rauenhorst
Friday, March 15, 7:00-8:30pm
Community Conversation for Those Who Embody Masculinity, facilitated by Louis Alemayehu, Gabe Keller-Flores, Mark Nunberg, Omkar Sawardekar, and Malik Watkins
Sunday, March 24, 1:00-3:30 p.m.
Buddhist Studies Course: Understanding the Wholesome and Unwholesome Roots in our Heart
Four Mondays, March 25 - April 15, 7:30 -9:00 p.m.
Optional Sitting Period 7:00-7:30 p.m.
The Buddhist Studies Program is designed for people who have attended three or more mindfulness retreats (of any length) and have a commitment to daily meditation practice.
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Workshop with Gail Iverson
Saturday, March 30, 9:15am-12:45pm
Noble Eightfold Path Workshop Series with Ramesh Sairam: Right Intention
Saturday, March 30, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
WAITLIST ONLY: Mindful Self-Compassion with Jean Haley & Jane Rauenhorst
Eight Wednesdays, April 3 – May 22, 1:30-4:00 p.m. & Half-day Retreat, Saturday May 11, 1:30-5:00 p.m.
Upcoming Retreats
Lovingkindness Retreat with Ajahn Jotipalo
Saturday, March 9, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Madison Insight Meditation Group Non-Residential Retreat (limited residential spots available) led by Mark Nunberg:
The Middle Way: Seeing Clearly, Relating Wisely, and Releasing the Heart.
March 8-10, 2019 at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin
For more information or to register visit the above link.
Daylong Retreat with Mark Nunberg
Saturday, March 23, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Half-Day Retreat with Mark Nunberg
Saturday, April 6, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Community News
Minneapolis Winter Parking Restrictions
To facilitate the passage of emergency vehicles, the city of Minneapolis is restricting parking on the even side of non-Snow Emergency routes. This means, until April 1st (or the snow melts), don't park on the Common Ground side of 26th St.
Interested in driving Ajahn Jotipalo?
If you are interested in connecting with a Buddhist monastic (and nice guy!), you might consider giving Ajahn Jotipalo a ride back to St. John's University in Collegeville after his retreat on Saturday (or Sunday morning). Let
gabe@commongroundmeditation.org know if you're interested. Please note that monastic etiquette prohibits monks from being alone with a woman, so the driver would have to either be male or be accompanied by a man.
Accidentally Swapped Shoes
We have a case of swapped shoes at the center. Did you attend Qigong last Wednesday, Feb 27, and take home a pair of black Merrills that are not quite the right size? Dennis would love to hear from you: 612-616-5545.
Looking for trash and compost collection volunteers
As you may have noticed, Common Ground doesn't have a trash or compost collection service. This is to avoid having a dumpster on the premises. We rely on volunteers to take trash and compost home when we fill up bags. If you come to Common Ground on a weekly basis and would be willing to take trash or compost home please let
gabe@commongroundmeditation.org know. Thanks!
The Teen Meditation Group is on hiatus
We're gathering email addresses from interested teens and once we have a sizable group we will reach out to find a schedule that works for everyone. Interested teens can email
gabe@commongroundmeditation.org.
Saydaw U Tejaniya Quote of the Week
There is a lot you can learn from what you think are
unfavorable conditions for meditation. There may be
unhappiness or suffering. Don't make judgments that
that these conditions are bad for practice. In Dham-
ma, there is only what's happening. Accept
the situation and be aware.
All Common Ground programs are offered free of charge in the spirit of generosity. There is a donation bowl and credit card reader in the lobby or an online tool available on our website if you would like to support the center and the teachers. The center is completely dependent on your gifts. Volunteering is also a wonderful way to support the center; let us know if you are interested. For more information on the practice of generosity, programs, the current newsletter and calendar, please go to Common Ground's website.
