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Don't Forget to Put Brian's Talk on Your Calendar Friend's and Family are All Welcome to Join Us!  Cindy Sasso's Awakening Joy Class Series Begins in September  "Awakening Joy - 10 steps to Happiness" is an international well-known course based on James Baraz’ teachings (which thousands have participated in since 2003) and his book by the same name. This 10-week course is designed to evoke joy through various themes, exercises and group discussion that train the mind towards more well-being and provide deeper insight. We will cultivate joy and well-being using mindfulness; thus learning to see, dwell on and enjoy the good experiences and pleasant moments when they are present. We will learn to embrace ourselves kindly in challenging situations and perhaps even learn to value our own good qualities. Gratitude will also be on the agenda as several studies show how helpful it can be to train this "muscle" as well.
The class is based on "what you practice grows stronger", as well as the knowledge about the brain and plasticity that has been found in neuroscience in this regard. Psychologist and researcher in neuroscience Rick Hanson says that "positive experiences are like teflon for the brain and negative experiences like velcro". In order for positive experiences to be registered in the brain, we need 1) mindfulness to notice the experiences and 2) to dwell / concentrate our attention on the pleasant experiences, so that new neural networks of well-being are formed in the brain. Genetically, we are wired to be on the lookout for the dangers. In this class, we help the brain to be on the lookout for the good moments in life, and we learn to relate kindly to ourselves so new neural networks of joy are formed in the brain. Board Member Opening With Elizabeth Ritchie's move to North Carolina we have an opening for a new Board Member. If you are interested in joining the board please reply to this email or phone Roberta at 719-221-1853. Yard Cleanup We had a great turnout for our recent yard cleanup and it looks great! Big THANKS to everyone who joined in!!! There will not be a Sunday Sit on September 4th because of our retreat that weekend. With gratitude and blessings to all, The Salida Insight Meditation Community Board
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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! September 3-4 Retreat With Brian Lesage Hopefully 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 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. Sunday Tea with Cindy Cindy Sasso has reinstated out teatime after the Sunday evening sit on the first Sunday of the month which is MAY 1st! Please join us for some snacks and socializing. Yard Help Needed If anyone has any time to offer for sangha house yard maintenance and watering this spring and summer please contact Paul Vosburgh at 505-350-0338. Thanks! Elizabeth's Party The sangha house was packed for our potluck party to wish Elizabeth Ritchie our love and blessings for her new life in Asheville, NC. She is on her way there now. We owe her a special thanks for leaving her beautiful thanka and her Buddha on our altar for the enjoyment of our sangha. It's so typical of her generosity and we'll think of her every time we look at them    ALL HELPERS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
SATURDAY, APRIL 2 AT 9:30 A.M. DRINKS, SNACKS AND CLEANING SUPPLIES PROVIDED BY THE SANGHA HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! THANKS Sangha House Opens Up In compliance with current Chaffee County and CDC guidelines it seems that we can safely gather once again in our home at 248 D Street. Mask wearing is recommended for anyone who is not vaccinated or is in a high risk category. And because our top priority is keeping everyone safe, we also request that you maintain social distancing as much as possible. If you have not been there before, the entrance is actually through the back door.  Tuesday sits at noon will be a hybrid format, both in person and with Zoom, beginning next week, March15th. The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4871693695 Sunday sits at 5:00 pm will be in person at the sangha house beginning March 20th. There will not be a Zoom option on Sundays at this time. House and Yard Cleanup SAVE THE DATE, Saturday, April 2nd! The house is in need of a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. We will gather at 9:30 to divide up the work inside and out. Tea, coffee and snacks will be provided along with cleaning supplies. We hope you will join us as many hands make for swift, fun work. Jeanne Rasmussen Our dear, wise, special friend Jeanne recently passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family at home in Denver. She will remain in our hearts and we send metta to her family. As The World Faces New Challenges, Remember This... Every moment of mindfulness reduces the forces of greed, hatred and delusion and fosters generosity, kindness and wisdom.
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Salida Insight Meditation Community 248 D Street Salida, CO |