Painting by Alex Grey
Lets talk about sex – PLEASE NOTE THIS WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE FOURTH WEDNESDAY – 28TH MAY
The Wake Up Engaged session for this month will be a men only sharing group and actually taking place on the 4th Wednesday of this month – 28th May. We will have a very valuable opportunity to create a safe and supportive space for reflecting on the Third Mindfulness Training : True Love. During the evening we will be exploring our relationships, intimacy and how we relate to our sexual energy. There will be an opportunity for exploring what mindfulness can offer us for healing and exploring our sexual energy. We will also have the chance to touch on issues relating to our cultural ideologies, media portrayal of women, masculinity, sexuality and issues around pornography.
Please arrive from 7.40pm so we can start at 8pm. For all the ladies – please watch this space for an announcement about a women only sharing group on the same topic.
Wake Up in Rhythm
Wednesday 7th May 2014, 8pm to 9.45pm
Led by: Charlie Shuttler
From the heart, to the beat, to the movement of your feet!
Touching the stillness and silence of our bodies,
We can hear the soft thunder of our own heartbeat.
Starting by sitting, standing and walking in mindfulness, we will explore how rhythm brings out the unity, joy and dance of life.
With both our inner drum, music and instruments we will listen to rhythm with both our ears and our bodies, exploring the music we are …
No experience necessary except of being alive!
“If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing!” – Zimbabwean proverb.
There will be stethoscopes …
Feel free to arrive from 7.40pm to settle in and have a cup of tea.
Mindful Consumption and Online Media Ecology
Wednesday 16th April, 8pm to 9.30pm
An evening of movement and stillness
Wednesday 2nd April, 8pm to 9.30pm
We will use gentle yoga-based movements to explore how an awareness of the body, the spine and the breath can feed into the stillness of our sitting practice. We will also use some simple therapeutic touch to see how we can support each other in finding ease and lightness in the body. This will be followed by a deep relaxation and we will finish with a short seated meditation and some time to share our experiences.
All activities will be accessible for everyone, even if you have health challenges or have never tried yoga before. The challenge for this evening is not how physically flexible you are but how fully you can inhabit the body!
Please wear comfortable clothing that you can move in. You may also want to bring some socks and something to cover up with so that you can stay warm during the relaxation. Bring your own yoga mat if you wish to or there will be some available to borrow.
Compassionate Action in Society
Wednesday 18th March, 8pm to 9.30pm
“Words and thoughts concerning compassionate action that are not put into practice are like beautiful flowers that are colourful but have no fragrance.”
Thich Nhat Hanh, “Creating True Peace”, 2012
Join us for a talk and open discussion on how we can build a more compassionate society through our everyday actions. The evening will begin with a guided meditation, then, drawing from different sources, the talk will explore how some of the key themes from Thay’s writings on citizenship, creating true peace and engaged Buddism can be seen in different models of activism – from civil society initiatives, to grassroots diplomacy and public interest advocacy.
Join us for a talk and open discussion on how we can build a more compassionate society through our everyday actions. The evening will begin with a guided meditation, then, drawing from different sources, the talk will explore how some of the key themes from Thay’s writings on citizenship, creating true peace and engaged Buddism can be seen in different models of activism – from civil society initiatives, to grassroots diplomacy and public interest advocacy.
After the talk we’ll open up into a discussion and sharing circle on how we feel we in the Sangha community, through individual and group actions, can contribute to a more compassionate society.
Playfulness in Life
Wednesday 5th March, 8pm to 9.30pm
- Is it possible to remain playful about ourselves, our life and the things happening in it?
- Can playfulness grant a certain perspective that helps to sustain inner peace?
Moving Together, Supporting Each Other
Wednesday 5th February 2014
8pm to 9.30pm
We will begin with a warm-up to awaken our bodies and settle our minds, followed by several exercises to open our senses to the space and each other. We’ll then spend time exploring what it is to be with and support each other with improvised movement. The whole contents of the class is suitable for everyone – both experienced and not-experienced movers, and builds confidence and freedom to be both natural and expressive. It’ll be a lot of fun too! We’ll also make time for a short sharing circle at the end.
Deepening and Nourishing our Aspirations
Wednesday 19th February 2014
In our first session of Wake Up: Engaged we will have the precious opportunity to contemplate and clarify our future aspirations with the help of the collective energy and support of the community. The activities will guide us in deeply exploring our dreams and intentions through meditation and sharings. We’ll also consider how we relate to our aspirations and how to take care of ourselves on the journey.