Category Archives: Lineage

The Joyful Body Retreat

Half-Day Retreat, Non-denominational, Tibetan

Join us on Saturday May 16, 8:30 AM – 12 PM for a nourishing half-day retreat exploring the body as a doorway to awareness and innate joy. This retreat invites you to discover how simple moments of embodied presence can reveal a natural sense of ease, openness, and well-being that is already within you.

Together, we will gently explore practices that help you reconnect with your lived, felt experience—using the body not as something to fix, but as a direct path to awakening. Whether you are new to meditation or deepening an existing practice, you are warmly invited.

During our time together, we will explore:

  • Movement-based practices to awaken embodied presence
  • A breathing practice to balance energy
  • Guided meditations rooted in somatic awareness
  • Contemplative journaling and quiet reflection

This retreat offers a supportive space to rest into your experience and discover a sense of wellbeing that emerges when awareness and body meet.

Meet the Teacher

Stephanie Wagner is a long-time meditator and meditation teacher with the Tergar Meditation Community, studying under the guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. She has trained with other renowned Buddhist teachers including Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, and Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche.  She is also the Director of Learning and Development at Humin, a global nonprofit founded by acclaimed neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, where she works at the intersection of neuroscience and meditation.

Getting Familiar with the Flavors of Dukkha

Insight

Bozeman Insight Community welcomes Ann Brand (in person!) to the Thursday May 7 sangha meeting from 6:30 to 8 PM. Please join us!

Ann Brand is a mindfulness teacher, facilitator, and mentor based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Since receiving her mindfulness teacher training in 2014, Ann has brought the practice of mindfulness to both K-12 and higher education and her community in Western Wisconsin. In 2019, Ann started mentoring with Dave Smith, rooting her practice and study in Theravada Buddhism and Secular Dharma.  Ann mentors meditation students one-on-one, integrating Insight meditation practices, concepts from early Buddhist teachings, and contemplative Christian practices to encourage individuals in cultivating a practice that supports flourishing, skillfulness, and ease.

Intro to Meditation

Classes, Non-denominational

To begin to meditate is to look into our lives with interest in kindness and discover how to be wakeful and free. – Jack Kornfield

Meditation is a simple but powerful tool that can help us cope when we feel overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed. Meditation is a useful tool at other times too with known health benefits. If you’re interested in starting a meditation practice and aren’t sure how to start, this class is for you! We’ll discuss and practice different styles of meditation including practicing with the breath, body scans, working with a question, Metta practice and Tonglen. You’ll leave with an understanding of meditation fundamentals such as different postures that work well, how to work with attention, and ways to support your meditation practice.

This event will be held in person and via Zoom on Saturday May 2, 9 AM – 12:30 PM. We plan on recording the class and sending the link to registrants who request it.

Zen Half-Day of Practice

Non-denominational

Join the Bozeman Zen Group on Sunday April 26 from 8 AM to 12 PM for a half-day of practice including sitting and walking meditation with an emphasis on zen forms including musical instruments used in Zen practice. There will be opportunities to practice and receive instruction with chanting (kokyo), bell ringing (doan), altar-care (chiden).

How Can Everyday People Create Peace?

Non-denominational

with Betsy Johnston

“How can everyday people create peace?” This question prompted Betsy’s curiosity and led to her collecting responses from 108 people from 40 countries in the book “Gaku’s Question: How Can Everyday People Create Peace?”

The question remains relevant today as we wonder what we can do to impact global peace.

On Saturday April 18, Betsy will lead a discussion about everyday peace and our ability to affect peace in our daily lives and beyond.  We will explore some of the responses to this question and have an opportunity to reflect, write, and share our own responses.  Megan Higgs will guide us with opening and closing meditations. Free and open to all! Please register so we know how many people are attending.

Betsy Johnston sees all the work she does as peacebuilding. For more than 30 years, Betsy has been transforming change with a wide range of audiences, including government entities, corporate teams, higher education institutions, schools, military units, and NGOs. At Montana State University (MSU), Betsy teaches Global Leadership & Cultural Humility. She is also an active member of the Bozeman Dharma Center’s Tergar group.

devon + nico hase at Bozeman Insight Community

Non-denominational

On Thursday, April 17th, 6:30-8:00 pm, the BIC will welcome devon and nico hase to discuss their latest book This Messy, Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership that just launched! Hybrid.

devon and nico are longtime Buddhist teachers (and married to each other for nearly 20 years) who bring humor, honesty, and deep practice to the messy reality of long-term relationships.

Join the BIC for an evening exploring how Buddhist wisdom meets the beautiful chaos of partnership. devon and nico will share key insights from the book and lead a practice together.

This is a free, open evening—all are welcome, whether you’re partnered, single, married, dating, or somewhere in between.

Want to go deeper? We’re also forming a book club to read and discuss the book together over the next 6 weeks. We will meet again on Wednesday, June 10th to discuss what we’ve discovered.

This book club is perfect for:

  • Anyone in a relationship wondering if it’s supposed to be this hard
  • Buddhist practitioners curious how the dharma shows up in partnership
  • Folks who want community around relationship questions

Space is limited to 25 people so we can have meaningful conversation.

Newcomer Orientation

Non-denominational

Come learn about meditation and the Bozeman Dharma Center at a newcomer orientation on Tuesday April 7,  from 5-6 PM. Free!

Receive basic meditation instruction and learn about what the Center offers. Bring your questions!  No registration necessary. In person.