Classes and Events

In relational mindfulness, we practice mindfulness in interactions with other people. Paying attention to others and receiving attention from others can help us deepen concentration and mindfulness.

Relational mindfulness is always grounded in the practices of kindness and joy. In these drop-in sessions, we will cultivate curious, open attention amid live interactions with other people. During this series people of all ages will deepen their capacity to enjoy the simplest sorts of interactions with others.

Register for one week or for all weeks. Participants need not attend all sessions to gain insights and benefits!


Dates: Thursdays, June 24, July 1, July 8, July 22, July 29
Time: 5-6:30pm, PST

Beginner and advanced level classes are available to suit your practice, including: 

• MAPs I for Daily Living
• MAPs I for Daily Living- Taught in Japanese
• MAPs II: Next Steps - Improve Your Meditation
• MAPs II: Cultivating Positive Emotions
• MAPs II: Turning Obstacles into Allies
• MAPs II: Working with Difficult Emotions
• MAPs III: Continuing Group Practice

Start times and dates vary, see the schedule for more information. Sign up soon to reserve your seat.
 

This all-day retreat is dedicated to deepening your mindfulness practice. Sometimes in meditation we find our bodies are uncomfortable or tense. Since ease and relaxation serve our meditation practice, this retreat will devote significant time to mindful movement, also known as "Easy Stretching Postures." These postures can be useful for cultivating relaxed awareness, ease in the body and an open heart.

We will use various activities to cultivate mindful attention including sitting, walking, stretching and eating. The day will also include lecture and discussion.

This retreat is suitable for new or experienced practitioners.

Date: Saturday, July 10
Time: 10am-4pm, PST

Often when we speak of boundaries, we're referring to boundaries with others: our partner, family, colleagues..., not realizing that unless we have created healthy boundaries for ourselves with ourselves, it may be hard for us to do it with others.

In this 3-week virtual class we will explore the why and how of creating mindful boundaries with ourselves at the physical and action level, at the mental and thinking level, and at the energetic and emotional level.

There will be teachings, tools, practices, and Q & A.

Date: Sundays, July 11-25
Time: 10:30am-12:30pm, PST

In this series of mindfulness practice and exploration, we will consider the place of the self and self-conscious emotion. On the one hand, mindfulness practice helps foster self-confidence, respect, and tenderness towards oneself. 

On the other hand, afflictive emotions and distorted behavior arises through self-clinging: shame, defensiveness, self-criticism. We’ll explore the mechanisms of self and how we build self-acceptance while simultaneously exploring the freedoms of the fluid self.

The series will include formal mindfulness practice, lecture and group dialogue.

All are welcome.

Dates: Tuesdays, July 13- 27
Time: 7-8:30pm, PST

Judgments of a reactive and compulsive nature are very strong in most of our lives. They can distort our perceptions, make relationships with others difficult, and undermine our work. In this six-week course, we will examine what judgments are and how to work skillfully with them.

We will use mindfulness, lovingkindness, compassion, and practices to help us identify and transform the limiting beliefs that drive many of our more chronic self-judgments and judgments of others. These tools help us to preserve the discernment often found in judgements, while working through the destructive aspects of judgments.

While most of the course will involve more “inner” practices, we will also give some attention to how to work with and transform judgments that appear in our interactions and relationships.

Dates: Thursdays, July 15- August 19
Time: 10am-12noon, PST

This online retreat will include periods of:

• guided mindfulness meditation
• instructions on integrating mindfulness into daily life
• small group periods for discussion and social connection
• workshops on art, creativity, dance, music, nature, and other topics

You should let your family and friends know what you are doing, but this retreat will NOT require complete isolation from them as on normal silent meditation retreats. We encourage as much separation as possible from the use of technology other than for the purposes of the retreat.

This retreat is open to anyone of ages 16+

Dates/Time: Friday, July 16, 7pm - Sunday, July 18, 1pm, PST

As Resmaa Menakem, Bellaruth Naperstek, Peter Levine, and Bessel van der Kolk discuss, oppression and violence get recorded in our bodies. Chronic stress related to racism and other oppressions impact how long we live, how well we live, and the lifecourse of future generations. Qi Gong (chee-gong) is an ancient and contemporary mindfulness practice that involves breath, awareness, and movement.

In this experiential session, we will learn about qi gong as an anti-racist practice and framework. Water, comfortable shoes, and an open heart are recommended for this session, which will include movement accessible to all bodies.

All are welcome to this FREE event.

Dates: Thursday, July 22
Time: 7-8pm, PST

Meditation is a subtle art and even seemingly simple instructions are easy to misunderstand or misapply. We often repeat the same habits in meditation that operate in daily life. There is no endpoint where we have finally understood the instructions and can simply go about implementing those instructions. In other words, we’re always discovering how to practice.

All of this can get confusing, and meditation is often best learned in honest dialogue. During our time together, Matthew will provide a framework for understanding how practices relate to each other and the value of experimentation in practice. We will explore a range of meditative approaches and include time for discussion.

All are welcome.

Date: Saturday, July 24
Time: 10am-4pm, PST

Explore the full spectrum of mindfulness.
Many of us have tried mindfulness meditation: where we concentrate closely on the breath or other object of attention. "But awareness spans a much wider domain," teaches Diana Winston.

In contrast to effortful and focused practice lies natural awareness - a state of peace, connection, and ease. If you've ever been absorbed in the flow of a sport, a walk in nature, or an artistic activity, then you've had a taste of this effortless and expansive experience.
With Glimpses of Being, this pioneering meditation teacher invites us to explore the full landscape of presence, with a special emphasis on natural awareness.
Here, you'll first learn about the wide range of mindfulness practices, from focused to flexible to natural awareness. Then, through an engaging variety of guided meditations, Winston helps us to experience them firsthand.
"With awareness, no practice is 'better' or 'superior,'" she explains. "Each one is helpful for different times and complements the others."

Highlights:

• Session one: "The Spectrum of Awareness"
• Session two: "Focused Awareness"
• Session three: "Flexible Awareness, Part 1 - Investigative Awareness"
• Session four: "Flexible Awareness, Part 2 - Choiceless Awareness"
• Session five: "Natural Awareness"
• Session six: "Natural Awareness in Daily Life"

For beginners, seasoned practitioners, and even those who've struggled with conventional mindfulness meditation, these supportive sessions open the way to illuminating new realms of being - and show us how to create our own foundation for lifelong discovery, enjoyment, and transformation. 

Find this Audio Course at these retailers:

• Sounds True: https://www.soundstrue.com/products/glimpses-of-being
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Glimpses-Being-Training-Expanding-Awareness/dp/1683647890/
• Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Glimpses-of-Being-Audiobook/1683647904