Join us for a New Year’s Intention Setting Workshop on Saturday January 4 from 9 AM to 12:30 PM. In this art and journaling workshop, we will focus on naming and expressing our practice intention for the new year. We will use collage, markers, paint, and stencils to manifest our intuition and values on a 12” x 12” substrate. Supplies will be provided. You do not need to know how to draw or paint to participate! Space is limited; please pre-register.
Enjoy an afternoon making cards with friends on Sunday December 15 from 2:30 – 4 pm. Cardstock, stamps, ink pads, and markers will be provided. You don’t need to be an artist or know how to draw to create beautiful cards to send to people who need connection. Space is limited. Please pre-register.
108 Bell Rings and Metta Practice with Megan Hollingsworth
November 30, 2024 10:00 AM to Noon
Lost Species Day is a chance each year to explore the stories of extinct and critically endangered species, cultures, lifeways, and ecological communities and provides an opportunity for participants to make or renew commitments to all who remain. It is also a time to develop creative and practical solutions.
With special attention to genocide and anthropomorphic species extinction, our practice on Remembrance Day for Lost Species (also known as Lost Species Day) will include silent meditation, Metta practice (guided loving kindness meditation), 108 bell rings, and open sharing.
108 bell rings represent the 108 human vexations. Each strike of the bell clears one of these to bring forth joy that remains when we are fully present. Practicing 108 bell rings on November 30th, the last day of the month, aligns with the original practice as it is thought to have begun at Zen temples in China.
Megan Hollingsworth, MS, is a writer with an interdisciplinary education in community health and environmental studies. Her work is deeply influenced by her Quaker upbringing, Engaged Buddhism, and faith in essential goodness. Meg is creator of the spiritual practice Extinction Witness. She began participating in international Lost Species Day activities in 2014 and has also served on the leadership team. Meg is currently an East West Psychology and Art PhD student at California Institute of Integral Studies. https://www.meganhollingsworth.com and Remembrance Day For Lost Species
Bearing Unique Witness with the Pen Sunday, November 17 from 1:30-3:30 pm.
In this mindful creativity practice, Megan Hollingsworth will support participants in weaving personal and collective experience into poetry and prose. Meg will provide prompts for collective experience and encourages participants to bring references relevant to their personal experience and worldly concerns. Participants are also encouraged to bring their favorite writing tool and notebook or journal. This process of bearing witness to what is really happening is an exploratory and initiatory practice. Previous writing experience is unnecessary.
Megan Hollingsworth, MS, is a writer with an interdisciplinary education in community health and environmental studies. Her work is deeply influenced by her Quaker upbringing, Engaged Buddhism, and faith in essential goodness. Meg is creator of the spiritual practice Extinction Witness and author of Frog Song, an educational book on the global ecological health crisis that features an interspecies love poem illustrated by Bonnie Gordon-Lucas. Meg’s writing has been published in several online journals and print anthologies. She is currently an East West Psychology and Art PhD student at California Institute of Integral Studies. https://www.meganhollingsworth.com
Find inspiration and support for your practice by sharing words of wisdom in this month’s mindful creativity class on Saturday October 26 from 10-11:30 am. Participants will make a small book of quotes, using their own cherished mantras, words, phrases, haikus, or short poems, and adding new ones gathered from others in the class. By transcribing these quotes and adding images or illuminating the pages with patterns, drawings, and color, you will be creating a book of collected wisdom—as well as collecting the encouragement and good wishes from the gathered sangha.
Bring a selection of words, quotes, phrases, haiku, short poems that inspire you, and support your practice. Have 5 or 6 or more to choose from. These will be used for your book and to support others.
Some optional things to bring:
Please pre-register so we can ensure that we have enough space and supplies!
Join senior BDC practitioners for this three week Buddhism class series exploring central teachings of our 2600 year old Buddhist tradition. The class will meet on Wednesdays from 7:15-8:30 PM starting on October 23. Each of the classes will have a presentation, meditation, practice, question and answer, and dialogue. Great for those new to meditation and Buddhist practice. Seasoned practitioners are warmly encouraged as well. If you arrive early, please be quiet as another group meets at the BDC until 7PM.
We plan to explore the following topics:
This week’s Intro to Meditation class features a Body scan guided meditation, instruction on working with a question, and an introduction to mindfulness practice. We will meet on Wednesday, September 18 from 7:15-8:30 PM. Learn to work with your monkey mind! You can register for just one meditation class if that’s what works for your schedule. Click here for the registration link.
September’s Mindful Creativity class is to create your own miniature book of Dharma Truths that you’d like to remember! In interest of time, the miniature accordion books will be premade (you will get instructions on how to make the book). Instructor will provide lettering options, and page design inspirations. All you have to do is transcribe your favorite quote, image or reminder on the pages, and illuiminate the page. Materials will be provided for you to share, but amounts are limited, So, if you have some favorite markers, pens, stamps, etc. bring them along.
Bring a selection of words, quotes, phrases, haiku, short poems that inspire you, and support your practice. Have 5 or 6 or more to choose from. These will be used for your book and to support others.
Some optional things to bring:
Please pre-register for Mindful Creativity: Dharma Truths so we can ensure that we have enough space and supplies!
Our Intro to Meditation class series begins September 11 and will run for three consecutive Wednesdays! Meditation can help us work with our monkey minds which like to swing from topic to topic nonstop. Learn several different styles of meditation and find a style that works for you. Sign up for the whole series or a single class. Taught by Karen DeCotis and Michãel Palmer.
Week 1: Posture, breath practice, walking meditation, how to start a meditation practice at home
Week 2: Body scan guided meditation, working with a question, mindfulness
Week 3: Metta practice, Tonglen
Feel free to bring water or tea in a closable container. Please do not bring food into the meditation hall. You may want to bring a notebook and pen to take notes although most of our class time will be spent practicing meditation.
We suggest casual, loose and comfortable clothing. Shoes are not worn in the meditation hall; please leave them on the shoe racks provided by the front door.
Please avoid wearing scented products even ”natural” and “herbal” ones! This includes shampoos and conditioners and clothing that has been washed in fragranced detergent. People with fragrance sensitivities are attending and will need this support from all of us in order to be in the room. We aim for a fragrance free meditation hall. THANK YOU!
Our Intro to Meditation class series begins September 11 and will run for three consecutive Wednesdays! Meditation can help us work with our monkey minds which like to swing from topic to topic nonstop. Learn several different styles of meditation and find a style that works for you. Sign up for the whole series or a single class. Taught by Karen DeCotis and Michãel Palmer.
Week 1: Posture, breath practice, walking meditation, how to start a meditation practice at home
Week 2: Body scan guided meditation, working with a question, mindfulness
Week 3: Metta practice, Tonglen
Feel free to bring water or tea in a closable container. Please do not bring food into the meditation hall. You may want to bring a notebook and pen to take notes although most of our class time will be spent practicing meditation.
We suggest casual, loose and comfortable clothing. Shoes are not worn in the meditation hall; please leave them on the shoe racks provided by the front door.
Please avoid wearing scented products even ”natural” and “herbal” ones! This includes shampoos and conditioners and clothing that has been washed in fragranced detergent. People with fragrance sensitivities are attending and will need this support from all of us in order to be in the room. We aim for a fragrance free meditation hall. THANK YOU!
