RETREAT - Award - Wisdom

Due to the uptick in Covid cases in Chaffee County and in cooperation with Chaffee County Public Health recommendations, Salida Sangha requires that for the time being, all people wear masks at our indoor gatherings.

September 3-4 Retreat With Brian Lesage
At MeadowRock Ranch in Nathrop
A 2-day Insight Meditation Retreat on
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness  

Saturday - 9am to 4pm  
Sunday - 9am to 3:30pm  
The Buddha's teachings of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are the bedrock of understanding and practicing mindfulness. In this weekend retreat we will gather to explore each of these foundations in a way that is relevant to your formal meditation practice and to your life.   We will cultivate continuous mindfulness in sitting and walking practice, and will be in silence throughout the day.  Experiential meditative approaches will be offered throughout the retreat and will be supported by optional discussion times. 

This retreat is designed for both beginners and experienced practitioners. If you are new to this teaching, this will be a good introduction. If you are already familiar with these four foundations, deeper facets of each one will be offered to explore.  Please register early as the retreats tend to fill up quickly. 
CLICK HERE to Register
 
Brian Lesage Public Talk:
The Weight of the World is Love: The transformative Power of Compassion
Friday September 2, 2022 at 6:30 pm
A Church, 419 D St, Salida, CO 81201
Please bring your friends!  Everyone is welcome.
 
Words of Wisdom From Brian
We recently contacted Brian to make sure he was OK as the fires raged near Flagstaff.  He sent this in return:
"That is so kind of you to reach out.  We, ourselves, are not in harm's way in terms of where we live and at the same time, we are heart-broken to witness at such close proximity parts of this sacred forest that has now been decimated by multiple fires just in the last couple of months. And it is an important heart break.  One that is a testimony to our love and connection to this land and her beings." This is a lovely reminder for us here as well to maintain our love and connection to our land and her beings.

Pride Award
On June 4th the sangha received this lovely recognition from PfCA.  Denise Ackert gave a very warm hearted and love-infused acceptance speech at the event.   The award certificate is on display at the sangha house.
 We noticed when we received this that there was a lot of confusion in the audience as the what a "sangha" is.  So the board made a decision to use "Salida Insight Meditation Community" as our name going forward.

And Finally...
 As Buddhist practitioners we often discuss how to navigate our very troubled world. 
Shared with her permission, here are some helpful words from former Salidan Susan Tweit from her book "Walking Nature Home"
“A civilized society is created as much by our private, every-day acts as it is by the laws we pass and the contracts we sign. Our personal behavior sets the model for what we expect of others.”
It feels like humanity is wandering and quite lost, but there is something each of us can do: Be the best humans we can be. Live with love in our every days, in our every interaction. Our own behavior contributes to turning the tide of gun violence, war, climate change, racism, and all manner of other ills.  
Be a light in the darkness. Be the model for the world you want to see.
​Be fierce in defense of the world we all love. Your individual actions matter.
Thank you Susan!