Ajahn Chah taught there are two kinds of peace: the peace of calm and the peace of wisdom. With peace of calm we can turn toward the hindrances and sense how they manifest somatically and in the mind/heart. We may come to know the hindrances as dhamma or nature.
Joy as a balance to the human tendency of attending to difficulty. The natural arising of kindness, compassion, and joy as the heart softens and the body opens through mindful movement. Exploring the somatic patterns of the hindrances. Understanding mudita or sympathetic joy. Love as our birthright.
Reflections around Dukkha and its cause, the two fundamental roots, and the importance of contemplating change. Guest/dust simile and noticing that which never changes.
In our current global situation and resulting personal life challenges, anxiety is a natural reaction. However, our bodies are not designed for chronic stress, and it can derail our well-being.
Our day retreat will utilize mindfulness and embodied practices to relieve anxiety and restore a sense of trust in our body’s ability to self-regulate. Our sessions will weave Dharma wisdom, rhythmic breath work, and mindful movement emphasizing somatic awareness.
These practices are designed to release chronic tension, regulate our nervous systems, calm reactivity, and develop a gentle relationship with ourselves. This process of resourcing will reconnect us with our innate calm presence, for agency over our responses and greater resilience. We will then turn toward the hindrance of anxiety and investigate its nuances with kindness and self-compassion. We may come to know anxiety as a teacher—one that deepens mindful awareness and a tender connection to our inner states.
