Tergar Bozeman
Joy of Living Practice Group
Tibetan Buddhist Foundational Meditation Practices/Teachings
Meeting Times:
Wednesdays: 5:30-7 PM (Mountain Time);
Tea Social Time: 5:00-5:25 PM
In person and via Zoom
Co-Leaders: Sheila Devitt & Janet Dochnahl
Email: bozemantergar@gmail.com
Ter is a Tibetan word for treasure, Gar means gathering. So, Tergar can be understood as a place where people come together to find the sublime treasure … that helps us calm our minds, open our hearts and awaken wisdom.
Wednesdays, 5:30 – 7 PM (Mountain Time)
Please arrive in the meditation hall by 5:25.
If you are new to meditation, please come at 5:15 to receive instruction on how to sit on a cushion (if you choose, chairs are also available). Each evening there are two guided meditations, which will give beginning instructions of meditation. The practice coordinator for the evening can update you on what the Joy of Living group is currently studying and practicing.
We look foward to meeting you.
All are welcome!
We are a practice group within the Tergar International Meditation Community under the guidance of Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Based on the Joy of Living teachings of Mingyur Rinpoche, our weekly meditation group explores awareness meditation techniques designed to calm the mind, open the heart, and awaken wisdom.
Each week we will explore a different topic, using guided meditations, video teachings from Rinpoche, short readings from his first book, The Joy of Living, as well as group discussion and ways to apply these practices to daily life.
We are using Mingyur Rinpoche’s book The Joy of Living as a supplement to our sessions to give greater context to the practices we share. It can be purchased by order at Country Bookshelf or online at Amazon.
If you are new to meditation and would like to learn more, or if you are a seasoned practitioner and would like to deepen your practice, please join us as we learn how to transform the challenges of day-to-day life into sources of joy and inner peace. Mingyur Rinpoche’s teachings offer a fresh, accessible approach to these ancient practices. Drop in any time. All are welcome.
Monthly Session Topics
Beginning Feb 28 to May 1st we will do a “deep dive” into “Opening the Heart” – Loving-kindness and Compassion practices.
When meditating on loving-kindness and compassion, we begin by learning to appreciate ourselves which enables us to understand the basic human desires to be happy and free from suffering. This lays the foundation for cultivating loving-kindness and compassion for others, through which we develop a deeply connected relationship with all life.
During these months we will deeply practice lovinging kindness and compassion for Oneself, for a Loved one, for a Difficult one, and for Neutral ones/All Beings.
All are welcome to join us in this exploration of these beautiful teachings and practices.
Those who are subscribed to our weekly newsletter will receive additional information and practice tools related to the topic.
General Schedule
5:00 – 5:25 Tea Social Time
5:15 Newcomer Instruction
5:25 Gather
5:30 Opening Aspiration
Participants check in on their practice
Meditation (15-20 minutes)
Group discussions on particular questions related to the current topic.
Meditation (15-20 minutes)
Q&A
7:00 Closing Dedication
* We do two 10 min walking meditations every 3rd week in the Practice only session
Joy of Living is a path of meditation practice that can be followed by anyone, regardless of religious or cultural orientation. Though rooted in the ancient Buddhist teachings of Tibet, the practices in the Joy of Living are not religious in nature. They deal with basic functions of the mind, such as mindful awareness and the movements toward happiness and away from suffering. In working with these qualities of mind, we gradually transform our relationship to present–moment experience, learning to approach every thought, feeling, emotion and sensory experience with unconditional warmth and acceptance.
Read about some of our members’ experiences here.
Learn more about Tergar International!
Find more information about Tergar’s online, self guided Joy of Living 18 month online course, click here (requires a monthly membership fee).