Daylong Retreat, in-person at the Northampton Friends Meeting House
Laying the Foundation for Belonging
with Booker
Saturday, September 24, 2022; 10:00am-5:00pm
Suggested donation: $24-60 registration + teacher donation (we encourage you to consider giving teacher dana equal to or greater than what you gave for registration)*
As we continue to emerge from a tumultuous few years, we might be in the inquiry of "who am I now?", "how do I want to show up?", and "how does my meditation practice support me in this?" In this daylong retreat, we'll be exploring Dana (Generosity) and Sila (ethical conduct) - the first two of the 10 paramis; these qualities or states of heart and mind that lead the way to liberation.
In laying down this foundation, we begin to see ourselves as a part of the collective as opposed to an individual trying to figure things out on our own; we remember that we belong to each other.
We’ll be exploring these two attainments of heart through both formal meditation and relational practices, and taking what we’ve learned on the cushion, and trying it on out in the real world as we explore not just what the Buddha said, but how he lived and learned. And if these practices are your growing edge, join this community and open up to the possibilities of how to incorporate them into your daily life.
IN-PERSON LOCATION: Northampton Friends Meeting House; 43 Center Ct STE 202, Northampton, MA 01060
See COVID protocols and parking info further below.
The Meeting House is fragrance-free. Please refrain from scented items (e.g., personal care or laundry) that can cause reactions in chemically sensitive people.
Benches and chairs available. Please bring your own cushion and covered water bottle.
Booker brings her heart and wisdom to the intersection of Dharma, Embodied Wisdom, and Liberation. She shares her expertise nationally on expanding our vision around culturally responsive teaching, and changing the paradigm of self and community care.
Outside of her formal trainings, she shared practice with NYC’s most vulnerable populations for over decade. Here is where she learned how to take her practice off the cushion and into everyday life. Booker is a co-author of Best Practices for Yoga in a Criminal Justice Setting, a contributor to Georgetown Law's Center on Poverty and Inequality's report: Gender & Trauma—Somatic Interventions for Girls in Juvenile Justice, and contributed to Sharon Salzberg's book ‘Happiness at Work’. She is a co-founder of the Yoga Service Council at Omega Institute and the Meditation Working Group of Occupy Wall Street. In 2020 she was invited in as Sojourner Truth Leadership Fellow through Auburn Seminary, graduated from Spirit Rock’s 4 year Retreat Teacher Training, and was voted by her peers as one of the 12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement.
COVID PROTOCOLS:
- Participants must wear N95 or KN95 masks; please bring your own (we will have some available if needed).
- Proof of vaccination required.
- If you have been traveling or caring for unvaccinated children or people, we ask that you take an antigen test before attending.
- There are windows we can open to provide fresh air and cross-ventilation.
- A Field Control Trio Plus portable air purifier will be running (like they have at IMS; H13 HEPA with an ultraviolet light component).
PARKING:
There is no on-site parking. While there's street parking and Masonic Street public parking nearby, they have 2-3 hour limits. For longer term parking, please click here. There is a list of long-term parking lots on the left hand side of the map, and each is color-coded on the map.
*In keeping with the Buddhist tradition of dana (generosity), the suggested registration amounts for our classes and retreats do not include any payment for the teacher. The teachers are paid entirely out of the students' generosity. Please consider giving a donation to the teacher in order to support their ability to continue to share the dharma. We encourage you to consider teacher dana equal to or greater than the amount you gave for registration. You may give a donation at the time of registration and/or give later donations through our teacher dana link or in-person at the course/retreat. Everyone is welcome to all of our offerings regardless of ability to donate.
You can give online or send checks to Insight Western Mass, 116 Pleasant Street, Suite 242, Easthampton, MA 01027. FYI: we check for mail once per week.
