In our busy lives, sometimes it is challenging to prioritize a meditation practice. We are not taught to “just sit there.” Many of us are constantly on the move with a never-ending to-do list.
But just think— how would your life change if you did make a shift into more intentional stillness? What would it feel like to experience the joy of just being? How would your relationship to yourself and others change if you were able to cultivate more presence and compassion?
This March, we are offering an opportunity to support you in exploring these questions through our “Stepping into Meditation and Community” course. This is an online, interactive, six-week course that will guide you to the most present, compassionate, and connected aspects of yourself. Through inner exploration and engaging with community, you will learn accessible, time-tested Tibetan Buddhist practices that will allow you to awaken into deeper peace, joy, compassion and balance in your life.
This course is a great starting point for those who are just stepping into meditation and Namchak and want to create the habit of a daily practice, supported by others doing the same. This is also a great place to start for the more experienced practitioner who is looking for connection with the Namchak Sangha.
We hope you will join us in this beneficial endeavor that has the wonderful potential for positively impacting your personal life, your community, and the world.
If it is possible, we also encourage you to invite local friends, family members, partners, neighbors and co-workers to take this course with you. We are hoping to support you in cultivating a local sangha and creating a weekly ritual of joining this class together in a shared space!
Details – Online via Zoom:
We will meet for six consecutive 90-minute weekly sessions on Monday evenings. Each session will be facilitated by Namchak facilitators (not Lama Tsomo).
- Mar 13, 5:30-7pm MST
- Mar 20, 5:30-7pm MST
- Mar 27, 5:30-7pm MST
- Apr 3, 5:30-7pm MST
- Apr 10, 5:30-7pm MST
- Apr 17, 5:30-7pm MST
- Apr 24, 5:30-7pm MST (optional Learning Circle transition meeting)
Course Outline
- Week 1: Course Overview, Intention Sharing & Body Scan
- Week 2: Intention Deepening & Shamata Exploration
- Week 3: Shamata Continued & Mind of the Meditator
- Week 4: Tonglen – A Compassion Practice of Giving and Receiving
- Week 5: Engaged Buddhism: Exploring our Work in the World
- Week 6: Round Robin and Carrying the Gems Forward
- Week 7: Optional Learning Circle Transition Session
Login Info
The Zoom link will be provided upon registration and a reminder email will be sent out each week with the login info. Please note: Confirmation emails from Eventbrite often end up in spam/promotions tab. Please check there if you do not see the confirmation email with the Zoom info.
Tuition: Our intention is to make this workshop financially accessible to all, so we offer a tiered fee structure. Please choose whichever level works best for you.
If program costs present a financial barrier or you are interested in a stipend to offset the cost of childcare, please contact [email protected].
Course testimonial:
“Connecting with others who were, just like me, wanting to learn more about the Dharma, develop a daily practice, and be a part of something special has made this tumultuous and overly uncertain year a lot more enjoyable and gratifying. I loved the weekly conversations, the learning about Tibetan Buddhism and meditation methods, and the camaraderie that grew in spite of and because of our differences. I hold the greatest gratitude for Namchak for hosting these events and I’m looking forward to being a part of many more.” – Laura
Our Community Commitments
In order to co-create a brave, inclusive, anti-oppressive and learning centered space, in our community we each agree to:
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- Be inclusive of diverse opinions and backgrounds through treating each other with respect and appreciation.
- Commit to words and actions of non-harm within our group interactions.
- Learn by immersing in and committing to the practices at hand.
- Hold personal sharing in confidence.
- Be present, practice mindful listening, and not offer unsolicited advice.
- Allow and invite for equal sharing of voices as well as the right to pass.
- Take care not to speak for others in the group.
- Assume good intent and come from a place of curiosity and care.
- Come as we are with permission to be “raggedy.”
- Be mindful of and take personal and collective responsibility for our own biases including the use of language that may “other,” “cancel,” or dehumanize any person, groups of people, and/or their experiences.
- Ask for consent before hugging or initiating physical contact during in-person gatherings.
- Use the “Ouch/Oops” tool to address hurtful comments and language in the moment and to allow space for repair.*
We aspire for this sangha to be a place of refuge
*Ouch/Oops . This is a tool for addressing hurtful comments/language in the moment. If someone says something hurtful, anyone can bring attention to it in the moment by saying “Ouch” and then explaining what was hurtful. If it is a word choice issue, be sure to give the first speaker the chance to rephrase and try again (remember, it’s okay to be raggedy, and we are all assuming good intent!) When someone says something that comes out wrong or hurts someone else, they should start with “Oops” – first, acknowledge the impact of their words, and then try again. This can also be done outside of the event if someone feels an “Ouch,” but does not feel comfortable sharing it with the group at that time. We aspire for this sangha to be a place of refuge.
