~ September Newsletter
With this newsletter Jaya introduces a new feature--the monthly meditation theme. Please join in this Slinky September by practicing your Wild Walking. There are also sounds to hear, pieces to read, photos to look at, and plenty of tidbits of news. Enjoy!
by Jessica
(Photo: A tiny rock stream at Dharmaloca.)
In this newsletter
~ News
~ The Monthly Theme--Slinky September
~ Night sounds of Dharmaloca
~ Human Nature, Buddha Nature
~ Upcoming Events
~ News
Interviews
Jaya will do one-to-one interviews of 10-15 minutes each via skype on Sunday, 11 September, between 4:00-6:30pm her time (in Western Europe).
If you would like to schedule a time for an interview, please email Lizzie: interviews (at) opendharma.org
Radio Dharma
Jaya will give a radio dharma talk over the free internet radio site blogtalkradio.com on Saturday, 10 September at 4:00pm, in Western Europe. (The site lists the start time as 10:00am, as it's based in the Eastern US.) Please join in by following this link. If you don't want to miss it, click on "follow," just under the Open Dharma logo.
Self-Retreat at Dharamloca
There are still spaces available for self-retreat in September at Dharmaloca--almond harvesting, eating and carrying with you! To apply for an individual retreat at Dharmaloca, please follow this link.
November in San Francisco
Jaya will offer an evening of dharma in the San Francisco Bay Area during the first week of November. Contact Bodhi if you'd like to know more. sfbodhi (at) yahoo.com
~ The Monthly Theme
Jaya introduces a new feature to the newsletter, the monthly practice theme--Slinky September, the month of Wild Walking.
On our retreats, we explore walking as well as lying down, sitting, eating, sleeping, listening, being alive.
I encourage us all to uncover our "wild walk," the walk that comes from deep connection, from having time, from having permission to participate in this beloved life fully.
When we allow our bodies to move by themselves--instead of directing the body from the head--we find a silky, sinuous, deep, and powerful kind of movement. It often feels "illegal." So sensual that we may wish to walk where no one is watching. The feeling is like a wild leopard--juicily relaxed and full of power at the same time.
As we walk, sometimes the colors become more vivid, and the sounds more delicate and particular and round.
Each movement in walking has a different energy or "atmosphere"--lifting a foot feels different from putting a foot down. The left foot feels different from the right. Aah. We can let ourselves get absorbed in this intimacy with surprise and openness and subtlety.
We can walk into a wildly different, wildly open, wildly surprising world.
by Jaya
(Photos: A fox snacking on fallen plums right near the house at Dharmaloca, and, below, a snake by the river at the Old Bridge near Dharmaloca.)
~ Night Sounds of Dharmaloca
(Photo: At Dharmaloca. )
~ Human Nature, Buddha Nature
Here’s a link to an interview with John Welwood which appeared in the Spring issue of Tricycle magazine. In it Welwood, a psychospiritual teacher, discusses the idea of 'spiritual bypassing.' "When we are spiritually bypassing," says Welwood, "we often use the goal of awakening or liberation to rationalize what I call premature transcendence: trying to rise above the raw and messy side of our humanness before we have fully faced and made peace with it. And then we tend to use absolute truth to disparage or dismiss relative human needs, feelings, psychological problems, relational difficulties, and developmental deficits. I see this as an “occupational hazard” of the spiritual path, in that spirituality does involve a vision of going beyond our current karmic situation...."
His thoughts are detailed and thorough!
~ Upcoming Retreat Dates & Details
16 - 19 September 2011, retreat in East Sussex, UK.
Facilitators: Jaya
For information and registration, write to:
odbrighton (at) gmail.com
14 - 16 October 2011, Deep rest weekend retreat in Eastbourne, UK.
Teachings will be in English
Facilitator: Gemma
For information and registration write to:
info (at) retreattogayles.co.uk
www.retreattogayles.co.uk
21 - 23 October 2011 & 24 - 30 October, silent retreat, Mebane, North Carolina
Facilitators: Jaya and Gemma
For information and registration, write to:
opendharma.nc (at) gmail.com
October 2010 - October 2011, Freedom of Movement Lab
Facilitators: Jaya
For information and registration, write to:
interviews (at) opendharma.org
First week of November, 2012
Open Dharma is planning an event in San Francisco!
For more information, write to:
sfbodhi (at) yahoo.com
6 - 15 January, 2012, 17 - 26 January, and 27 January - 5 February, Silent retreats near Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India
Teachings will be in English
With Ajay, Gemma, and Jaya. Nicole Christin will join us on one retreat.
For information and registration, write to:
opendharmainfo (at) yahoo.com
8 - 18 February, Dharma Gathering in Sarnath, India
Teachings will be in English
With Christopher, Jaya, Zohar, and Jess.
Come any day; leave any day.
On an entirely donation basis.
Teachings will be in English.
For information and registration check:
www.bodhgayaretreats.org
24 - 31 March, and 1 - 11 April, Deep Rest retreats near Rishikesh, India
Teachings will be in English
With Ajay and Jaya
More information coming soon.
20 April - 20 May, One-month retreat with Ajay, Gemma, and Jaya in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, India
More information coming soon.
~ Welcome to Everyone
We would love to share your inspiration in an upcoming newsletter. Photos! Poems! Drawings! Musings! Reflections on a recent--or not so recent--retreat! (You can even tell us that you'd like to contribute anonymously.) Please feel free to send any contributions to newsletter (at) opencentre.es |
