Class Description Below:

Timeless Teachings and Meditation Practices

for Awakening to Our Innate Qualities of

Love, Compassion, and Wisdom

Allowing Us to flourish in everyday life.

Our goal with these practices is the realization of the natural, clear, open, and loving mind, (our natural essential nature) with which to create a meaningful life. A variety of practices will be offered to provide a strong foundation and support toward this goal

This special class series will introduce meditation methods designed to help you reconnect with your own innate, secure base of unconditional support; openness, compassion, and love. Once we reconnect in this way, we can be compassionately present for “parts” of ourselves that are experiencing stress, pain, and suffering. In this way, these “parts” can feel safe enough to unwind into their natural state of freedom. We often presuppose these “parts” of us are concrete and unmovable and factual, but we’ll discover they’re actually very open and insubstantial.

Reconnecting to your innate capacity for compassionate awareness will empower you, in turn, to spontaneously and naturally be present to others’ layers of pain or joy.

In this weekly class series, meditation practices, a compassionate ear, and practical suggestions for transforming stress and suffering into meaningful contentment will be offered. Each class builds upon and deepens the practices learned in the prior classes. While drop-ins are permitted, it is highly recommended to sign up for the entire series and attend all classes in sequence.

While I draw on the profound insights and wisdom of my Indo-Tibetan Buddhist teachers and lineage, as well as the wisdom of other religions, the practices we will be learning are non-denominational and suitable for people of all backgrounds. Many techniques introduced in these classes are inspired by teachings and practices from the Kagyu Indo-Tibetan lineage, Lama John Makransky (Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College and co-founder of the Courage of Care Coalition and the Foundation for Active Compassion), Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Dr. Daniel Brown, Ph.D. (Also please see the “Unending Gratitude” page for teachers who have deeply inspired my sense of a sacred commitment to share these precious teachings and practices).

Essential practices we’ll be exploring:

• Defining our intention and taking definitive aim toward the goal of transformative meditation practices.

• Taking refuge in openness, compassion, and wise, loving, inspiring figures and friends.

• Four contemplations to establish a stable and positive foundation for your practice.

• Taming the mind - Concentration and Calm Abiding Practices

• Compassion - Accessing and embodying a boundless source of love which is our true nature. This compassionate awareness can effortlessly hold and transform the vicissitudes and difficulties of life.

• Working with challenging situations on and off the meditation cushion. Techniques to use in everyday life.

• Generating an altruistic intention and dedicating the practice to break down our sense of isolation and unleash the spirit of generosity.

• Becoming a source of peace, creativity, compassion, and care for oneself and others.

I hope to have the opportunity to practice together with you, Hearty Blessings,

David