The Bozeman Dharma Center’s annual community meeting is an opportunity for the board members and staff of the BDC to share the organization’s goals and get feedback from the community. On Friday February 20th, join us to hear about actions taken based on last year’s community meeting feedback, get updates about the finances and direction of the organization and connect with the current members of the Board of Directors. Come at 5:30 to socialize, the meeting will start at 6 PM. www.bozemandharmacenter.org. 406-219-2140. Free! Open to all.

Guest Teacher Cara Lai will join us via Zoom for this daylong workshop on Saturday, February 14 from 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM. There will be a break from 12-1.  Hybrid.

The number of parents  in the world is tremendous, and yet it’s easy to believe that parenthood, or caregiving more broadly, presents a barrier to deep practice. The lack of sleep, the constant attention to others, the endless list of agenda items, and the obstacles to going on retreat all might lead to the belief that one has to choose between having a serious practice and becoming a parent or caregiver. And yet, parenthood and caregiving are clearly abundant with opportunities for practice in metta, generosity, patience, and letting go. This day of practice and connection will explore and celebrate the many ways that being a caregiver has tremendous potential to be its own path to awakening. We will share stories, practice, reflect, grieve, and laugh together; and we will remember the wisdom of parents walking the path before us, to recognize the richness of our awakening as caregivers.

Bio: Cara Lai is a meditation teacher, artist, and writer who helps people step out of the cycle of suffering and into the fullness of life. She spent most of her life trying to figure out how to be happy, or at least avoid total misery, which ultimately led her to spend the majority of her adulthood meditating. She’s explored what it means to be alive through many adventures in consciousness, including a full year of solitary retreat, living with chronic illness, and having two whole humans come out through her vagina.

She once worked as a wilderness guide, social worker, and psychotherapist, but traded it in for an all-out mindfulness rampage. She’s a working mom whose teaching is relatable, authentic, funny and sometimes crass, and is accessible for many people. She is authorized to teach in the Theravada Buddhist Lineage through IMS/Spirit Rock, and she teaches at centers across the country, for the Happier app, Ten Percent Happier, Hatch, and more. She lives with her husband, toddler, and new infant in Hinesburg, Vermont, ultimately hoping to get woke enough to bend spoons with her mind in front of large audiences. And to help everyone get free.

Learn more about Cara and her offerings here: CARA LAI

At some point, meditators find themselves challenged with their practice. You may feel like you are doing something wrong, but everyone experiences obstacles! We’ll explore your questions and challenges together in community and come away with new tools and inspiration. Led by Amy Strom and Michãel Palmer, on Saturday February 7 from 9 AM -12:30 PM. Please register online. Hybrid.

Come learn about meditation and the Bozeman Dharma Center! The first Tuesday of every month, we host a newcomer orientation. Receive basic meditation instruction and learn about what the Center offers. The next one is on Tuesday February 3,  from 5-6 PM. Bring your questions!  No registration necessary. In person.

On Monday February 2, 1-2 PM, the Dharma Book Club will be discussing the book Down to Earth Dharma by Rebecca Bradshaw.

Bradshaw is a Buddhist teacher in the Insight Meditation community, and she offers teachings that are simple yet require us to explore aspects of ourselves that go against much of our social conditioning.

“With deeply thoughtful, lyrical prose, this book invites readers to engage with the world from a unique perspective that encourages feeling, intuitive understanding, embodiment, interdependence, and sacredness. Weaving together classical Theravada Buddhist teachings and mindfulness practices, the book teaches us when and how to channel our receptive and active orientations—sometimes called the feminine and masculine paradigms—to feel more at home in ourselves and the world and drop more deeply into the Buddhist teachings on suffering and happiness.”

Join us! This is an informal discussion, come even if you haven’t read the book. No registration necessary.

Tergar will not be meeting on Wednesday December 17 in order to allow time for our group to attend the movie Wisdom of Happiness, which is playing at the Rialto at 7 PM.  

Are you thinking about starting a meditation practice this year? Or learn about the Bozeman Dharma Center? On Tuesday January 6 from 5 – 6 PM we will host our monthly orientation. This is a great way to learn about the Center, get your questions answered, and receive basic meditation instruction. No registration required. Free!