Spring 2024 Practice Period
Cultivating Inner Peace in Chaotic Times
with Terry Magee, David Bornstein and Anna Douglas
There is an ancient Chinese curse that goes, “May you live in interesting times.” We can’t deny that our modern world, with its rapidly advancing technology, deep divisions and conflicts, and changing climate is “interesting”. It can also be stressful, unpredictable, turbulent, and downright dangerous. For most people, these are not the best conditions for cultivating spiritual awareness. These adverse conditions may evoke reactions of fight, flight or freeze. How then, in the midst of such conditions, do we use our spiritual practice to help us navigate turbulent events with calmness and courage. How does our practice become a place of healing and wisdom? Indeed, practicing the tools offered in the Buddha’s teachings helps us realize that, like the ocean floor during a hurricane, our inner world can be calm and undisturbed no matter what is happening around us. Nurturing inner peace enables us to remember what we love and value and respond to a world in chaos with greater clarity, courage and wisdom.
The great Zen teacher and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh wrote a lot about how to respond to violence in the world: The individual has to wake up to the fact that violence cannot end violence; that only understanding and compassion can neutralize violence, because with the practice of loving words and compassionate listening we can begin to understand people and help people to remove their wrong perceptions, because these wrong perceptions are at the foundation of their anger, their fear, their violence, their hate.
If you are new to the Practice Period and want to hear more, join us on Thursday, March 7. There will be a meditation at 6:00pm PT followed by an overview and sharing of the benefits of this practice. We hope you join us! CLICK HERE to be directed to the Thursday Night Meditation Group Page.
HOW IT WORKS
During this 9 day Practice Period, as you go about your daily life, you will choose from a menu of options for how you will practice. You might choose to attend one or more of the Group Sittings which will be offered, or listen from a curated list of Dharma talks, or practice mindful eating, or limit screen time.
How you practice is up to you. You will be supported by the teachers, Anna Douglas. Terry Magee, and David Bornstein. They will each lead a daily meditation group by Zoom. You will also be supported by daily recorded instructions, as well as opportunities for questions and discussion with the teachers.
Here is a list of what will be available to support you in deepening your practice and understanding:
Opening Ceremony, March 7, 6:00 pm PT
A Practice Period Pledge to fill out during the Opening Ceremony. CLICK HERE to view and download Practice Pledge.
Three daily sangha sittings, 7:00am, 12:00 pm, and 6:00pm, 40 min, led by Anna, Terry, and David.
A Discussion Group with Anna, Terry and David, 45 minutes via Zoom, to meet every day at 12:45 pm and 6:45 pm with the exception below.
You will be supported by Daily Recorded Instructions.
A curated list of Dharma talks and Guided Meditations to listen anytime.
Closing Ceremony: Mar 16, 10:00am-1:00pm.
WHEN
Thursday, March 7, 2024 6:00 PM PT through
Saturday, March 16, 2024 1:00 PM PT
DONATION
You have the opportunity to offer dana to support the teachers.
Suggested donation is $175 - $25. We ask you to give what feels generous. Your generosity is what allows IMT to continue offering Dharma teachings.
CONTACT
For any questions contact David Bornstein or Terry Magee at insightmeditationtucson@gmail.com or call 520-477-1897.
REGISTRATION WILL OPEN SOON RESOURCE PAGE ACCESS WHEN?
Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email. After Opening Ceremony you will receive an email with the printout Practice Pledge form, Meditation Hall Protocol, and a password, giving you access to the Practice Period Resource page which contains the Zoom link, Daily Instructions, and Selected Dharma Talks.
