Committing to not burn out: Friendly to ourselves, merciful towards others

December 7th—December 8th (2019)

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  • $150 Program Price
  • $200 Patron Price
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How can we sustain and nourish our own capacity to be present with our life? What does it mean to bring a quality of gentleness and vitality to our everyday experiences?

The Saturday session will focus on settling and grounding our experience through sitting and walking meditation. We will focus on teachings grounded in Pema Chodron’s work on bodhisattva activity. We will practice the easeful experience of caring using this framework, with time for discussion about the space between caring for ourselves and caring for others.

Sunday will look at what it means to commit to not burn out as a way of practicing kindness to ourselves. When we begin to tune in to the vast suffering in this world, and when we commit to offering ourselves towards the practice of creating a society that can support dignity and joy, we may become overwhelmed. We may respond to the vastness of the task we have taken up by working so hard that we collapse, or we might become dispirited, or angry at others who aren’t working as hard as we are. People who experience harms because of social relations of oppression - in terms of race, class, disability, gender, sexuality, immigration status, and more - often experience this danger more acutely, for a whole range of reasons. In a recent article, Mushim Ikeda says that we who care about this world might do well to take a “vow not to burn out.” In this retreat, we’ll discuss what this provocation might mean for us. How can we take care of ourselves in order to take care of the world and all the beings in it?

With a combination of deep sitting meditation, gentle engagement exercises, and time for reflection, this  retreat offers a time for us to rejuvenate and to set practices to avoid burnout and cultivate inspiration in our lives.

All welcome!

Please register by November 27. It really helps if you register early so we can plan accordingly.

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When available as an option, your generosity in offering the patron price helps cover the costs for others who are not able to pay the full price. Any amount offered above the Program Price is considered a charitable donation to the centre, and will be included in a tax receipt issued by email in February of the following year.

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Our Refund Policy:  For convenience you can pay online using a credit card via PayPal. If we cancel the program for any reason, we will give you a full refund. We understand that sometimes after you have pre-paid, you might be unable to attend.  We will be happy to refund your payment if you request it at least 24 hours before the program starts.  Due to the difference in PayPal charges for purchases and refunds, we charge a nominal amount of $5 for a refund.