Saturday April 4, 9 AM to 12:30 PM, Hybrid!
Senior BDC practitioners, Katie Travis-Arnold and Nick Woodward, explore central teachings of our 2600 year old Buddhist tradition. The class will discuss the different lineages of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and the precepts. Great for those new to meditation and Buddhist practice; seasoned practitioners are warmly encouraged as well.
With Brittany and James Nepenthe, Saturday March 28, 9 AM-12:30 PM. Zoom only!
This half-day workshop offers practical tools for directly investigating the sense of self. Through guided inquiry and experiential exercises, participants will learn how to look closely at present-moment experience and examine whether a separate self can actually be found. The emphasis is on active investigation rather than philosophy, supporting clear seeing in everyday life.
Brittany & James Nepenthe are dharma practitioners specializing in the intersection of relationship as spiritual path, transcendent awakening, and trauma healing. With years of extensive silent retreat experience, they are committed to deep realization in the midst of ordinary life. As a married couple and expectant parents, they are devoted to awakening as householders, with no part of life excluded from the path.
Yamama! is back on Friday, March 20 from 7- 8 PM.
Explore meditation and connection through sound. Yamama! will offer a meditative soundscape using drums, percussion and vocals. No registration necessary. Donations welcome! Any funds collected will be split evenly with the artists. In person.
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 March 3, from 5-6 PM. Bring your questions! No registration necessary. In person.
Karen DeCotis will be in Bozeman in early March! She will be giving a public talk on Friday, March 6 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm and a Daylong retreat on Saturday, March 7 from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Our Inmost Request: Consciousness and Ethics in Buddhist Practice
Suzuki Roshi encourages us to be fully who we are, not to try to figure out who we are or have an idea of how to be.
What is an authentic life? How does Mind help or hinder our authentic self? What does this mean for our approach to how to be in the world?
To be fully who we are, we look to realize our inmost nature, our inmost request of ourselves. As we identify this, we must find how to maintain this, to have a continuous practice and have this deep request inform our effort in all of our arenas of practice – meditation, relationships, parenting, activism, art, service.
This weekend we will explore the quest of our inmost aspiration and how it relates to being upright in a wonderful and troubled world. It will include meditation, instruction, Dharma talks, writing and reflection and group conversation.
If you’re interested in starting a meditation practice and aren’t sure how, come to our Intro to Meditation class on Saturday January 10 from 9 AM – 12:30 PM! 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. Please pre-register.
January is when many people set intentions for the new year. Can we do this from a place of mindfulness and not self-judgment? Join us on Saturday January 3 from 9 AM to noon for a workshop that will include guided meditations, journal exercises and a meditative inquiry from Tara Brach’s book Radical Compassion. The day will be held in companionable silence to allow us to each stay tucked into our own experience. Please bring a journal.
Join us for a Day of Mindfulness in the Plum Village tradition, settling into meditation and mindfulness practices that water our seeds of well-being and reawaken us to the wonders of life.
November is a time of growing darkness and quiet as the pulse of life slows. Imagine resting with a blanket of snow covering the landscape and us, where we settle into deep comfort, and at the same time, we are waking up to the wonders and magic of life. We can use this time of slowing down to revitalize ourselves and our relationship with the Earth and one another. During our day together, we will enjoy ways to renew our energy and act with intention and deep gratitude for the gifts before us in this deepening season of darkness.
Practitioners from all traditions and any level of previous experience are welcome. Lunch is brown bag.
Gina Garlie is a Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village Tradition founded by Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh. She received the Lamp Transmission in the Tiep Hein Order of Interbeing of at Plum Village in the spring of 2025. She started Open Sky Sangha in Kalispell, MT, in 2010, and collaborates with sanghas across Montana in helping to organize retreats and Days of Mindfulness. Gina spent thirty years as a public school teacher, teaching middle school sciences, and interspersed practices of mindfulness into her daily lessons. When she is not engaged in Sangha Building, she can often be found oil painting or enjoying time in nature. She also offers personal consultations for developing or deepening personal meditation practices and mindful living. Contact Gina at openskysangha@gmail.com.
On Saturday October 11, step into a morning of exploration from 9:00 AM to noon where guided meditation, mindfulness, reflective exercises, and practical tools open the way to freedom from limiting patterns of heart, mind, and body. This retreat offers practical pathways for embodying your true nature, cultivating presence, openness, and love in everyday life.
Highlights:
Elaine Huang (MSW, MA, SEP) is a seasoned mindfulness teacher and guide, with 25 years of experience facilitating individuals, groups, and corporate teams. A dedicated meditator for over 35 years, she holds certifications in Mindful Leadership, Search Inside Yourself, and Somatic Experiencing. Elaine leads mindfulness retreats, intensive workshops, and half-day offerings in a variety of settings, and facilitates trainings for leaders and teams across companies of all sizes and industries. With master’s degrees in social work and clinical psychology, she brings a rich educational foundation to her work. Elaine’s focus is supporting individuals on their journeys of personal growth, presence, and awakening to their true nature.
The Zen Sesshin offers inspiring practice with zendo forms in place – right at the Bozeman Dharma Center. Enjoy zazen, service, dharma talks, and oryōki (formal eating) practice. We will be providing two oryōki meals with instruction provided by Nomon. These meals are part of the practice and will be held in silence.
The sesshin will happen over the course of four days, October 23-26, from 7:00 AM– 5:00 PM Thursday – Saturday and from 7 AM to noon on Sunday. Although participation can be flexible, priority for attendance will be given to those who sign up for all four days.
Nomon Tim Burnett has been a student of Zoketsu Norman Fischer since 1987 when he was a resident at San Francisco Zen Center’s Green Gulch Farm. After sitting practice periods at Green Gulch and Tassajara Zen Monastery, Tim helped found the Bellingham Zen Practice Group in 1991. Tim was ordained as a Zen Priest by Norman in 2000, received Dharma Transmission in 2011, and was installed as Guiding Teacher of the Red Cedar Zen Community in April, 2017. A person of wide-ranging professional interests, Tim has been a botanist, carpenter, elementary school teacher, writer, and computer programmer. In addition to his work at the Guiding Teacher of Red Cedar Zen Community, Tim is Executive Director of Mindfulness Northwest where he offers the Dharma in the form of secular mindfulness to many in local communities and professions.
