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.

Schedule

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

What to Bring

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.

What should I wear?

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.

What NOT to wear?

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!

Enjoy a relaxed afternoon mindfully creating cards of compassion using collage and paint. Because art can offer a way of exploring things that trouble us and allows us to practice getting to a non-judging place, it can be a useful way to grow compassion. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to enjoy this offering!

Compassion begins when we can accept all aspects of a person, letting go of judgment and recognizing the universality of the human condition. Using collage and paint, we will compassionately explore something troubling us. It could be different aspects of ourselves: what we like to present and what we prefer not to show in public; it could be a strained relationship, it could be trying to have compassion for a friend… you decide what you would like to work on (although we suggest that you start small). We will explore our feelings on postcard size paper and write messages of compassion and encouragement on them. You have the option of having us mail these cards of compassion to yourself or the intended recipient later in the month.

Space is limited. All materials included. Please pre-register so that we can set up the space accordingly.

About Our Mindful Creativity Classes

The BDC Mindful Creativity classes offer creative ways to explore the teachings of the Buddha. Using arts, crafts and/or writing methods, facilitators from our community will lead creative activities with the purpose of expressing the wisdom, inspiration and compassion of the Dharma.

You do not have to practice Buddhism or have prior experience with the art form to join; everyone is welcome.

There will be a suggested sliding scale fee which includes registration and materials costs for every meeting; scholarships are available on request.

Sample Meeting
● Welcome/introduction
● Meditation (10-20 minutes)
● Introduction to creative activity.
● Creative activity
● Group sharing on the experience of practice or the reading
● Clean up
● Short closing sit and Dedication of Merit

Background on Creativity and Buddhism

Creativity, innovation and imagination have been part of the Buddhist tradition since the first century BCE when the oral tradition of Theravada evolved into the narrative sutras of the Pali Canon etched into palm leaves. Statues of Buddha were created in the 3rd century Pyu period of Burma. The Dunhuang caves of China revealed a multicultural collection of 5th century Buddhist manuscripts and mural paintings. Tibetans have created thangkas and mandalas for 1,300 years inspiring the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. The history of Zen in Japan is replete with poems, drawings, paintings and books based on Buddhist themes. Modern western Buddhism is currently producing art, in all its forms, as an exploration of the Buddha’s teachings. Our Mindful Creativity Group will continue this tradition.

We’re excited to have Dr. Marilia Librandi host a writing meditation workshop for our Mindful Creativity series on April 14. Marilia excels at creating a space to create freely, to experiment with forms and content, to discover our spontaneous mind, to let our inner critic speak but not to stop us, to express ourselves effortlessly and to surprise ourselves with the energy of our listening words.

It’s a workshop inspired by the encounter between Allen Ginsberg and Trungpa Rinpoche, carried on by Natalie Goldberg’s writing practice, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s spiritual writings and Brazilian Clarice Lispector’s “writing by ear.”

Marília Librandi has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She taught Brazilian Literature and Culture at Stanford University and at Princeton University. She is the author of Writing by Ear (Univ.of Toronto Press, 2018) and co-editor of Transpoetic Exchange (Bucknell Press, 2020). Learn more on her website: https://mywritinglab.org/

Here’s what past participants have said about Marilia’s workshops:

“Marilla’s writing lab spurs my daily creativity in ways I never expected. I’m delighted to have more clarity about my intentions, with fresh ideas on how to live and work. Most of all, the rich exchange of sharing spontaneous writing is a treasure. Kind listening and warm encouragement ‘ go a long way to make writing both joyful and rewarding.” -Margaret Kachadurian

“I really appreciate how Marilia makes the Writing Lab a group experience where it feels safe to write from a place of freedom and vulnerability. She offers inspiring prompts for our writing and maintains a structure that supports good conversation and writing time. I thoroughly enjoy my time at the Writing Lab!” -Travis Burdick

Registration fees will be split between the BDC and the facilitator. No need to bring extra dana.