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Gladdening the Heart: Understanding Meditative Joy (online)

Program Type:
Teacher:
Time:10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Date:Saturday - July 30, 2022
Sessions:1
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This program will be held online via Zoom. All registrants will receive the link to join the program in their Order Confirmation email. Times are ET.

 If we cannot be happy in the midst of our difficulties, what good is our spiritual practice?
~ Maha Gosananda

 In more ordinary times, joy is an essential inner aspect of the path of awakening to understand and cultivate. It is one of the Seven Factors of Awakening as well as one of the Brahmaviharas, the four beautiful qualities of heart, that can be accessed via training. Without joy, the path is dry and our understanding woefully incomplete.

In these times of extreme stress in the world at large, joy can be neglected. It can seem calloused and insensitive to cultivate joy in the midst of such suffering. But meditative joy doesn’t dismiss or negate suffering. It is not superficial and does not involve efforts to pretend or to deny what is.

Meditative joy is a joy that includes the realities of life. As the great Cambodian meditation master Maha Gosananda points out, our spiritual practice can support happiness within all circumstances, the beautiful and the difficult.

This program is appropriate for both new and experienced meditators and will include guided sitting meditation, walking meditation, talks and discussion. Everyone is welcome.

Full and partial scholarships are available.


(Closed Captions (CC) for CIMC Programs are generated through “livestreaming” via Rev.com. CIMC programs are not livestreamed to any other platform for any other use.)

There are no prerequisites for this program. Everyone is welcome.

Retreat

Attending an In-Person Retreat at CIMC (see below for attending online retreats)

  • All participants must be fully vaccinated and document their Covid vaccination status via CrowdPass prior to arrival. You will be invited to do so upon registration for the program.
  • Masks may be required and is determined on a program by program basis – see description.
  • Please arrive at least 20 minutes early to check-in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
  • Retreats are held in silence. Please power off your cell phone, smartwatch, or other electronic devices for the duration of the retreat.
  • Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest taking public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
  • CIMC provides vegetarian meals at day-long, weekend, and multi-day retreats. We are unable to accommodate special dietary needs. If you have dietary restrictions, we invite you to bring your own vegetarian meal. Please note that nuts may be used in our kitchen.
  • Food and beverages, including water, are not allowed in the meditation halls.
  • We strongly recommend you dress in layers since the temperature in the meditation hall will vary throughout the day. The hall thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature range; however, please give yourself a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
  • Please leave shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor and keep your valuables with you at all times.
  • CIMC provides zafus (round cushions), zabutons (large mats), meditation benches, blankets, and chairs for your use. At the end of the program, we request that participants brush off their zabuton and plump up their zafu. All other items should be returned neatly to where they were found.
  • CIMC is a refuge. Out of compassion for those who may have chemical sensitivities, please avoid using scented products—lotions, deodorant, after-shave, hair products, perfume, clothes laundered with scented detergent, or dryer sheets—before you come to the Center.
  • Retreat Meal Dana: In keeping with tradition, we invite you to sponsor a retreat meal as a simple and meaningful act of generosity. You will have the option to share a dedication of your generosity, perhaps to someone in your life, to a special occasion, or to an aspiration. Please contact the office for more information on offering Meal Dana for this retreat.

Attending a Retreat Online

  • Sitting a retreat at home and online is certainly different from coming to a meditation center. Tending to your comfort and giving yourself a quiet, private sitting and walking space (if possible, in the environment you are in) will help keep your attention focused and support your practice and learning. Plan to bring as much simplicity and ease to your day as possible. The schedule of the retreat is structured to support your well-being and practice with regular breaks and time for mindful movement.
  • We will be using Zoom for this retreat. Before your retreat begins, be sure to download Zoom and familiarize yourself with using the program, including the chat feature. Specifics about how we will be using Zoom during your retreat will be covered at the beginning of the retreat; however, we are not able to provide technical support during the retreat.
  • We ask that you treat our virtual meditation hall as if we were together in person, in the same room. The teachers and other yogis benefit greatly from your full presence and careful attention.
  • Join each session of the retreat a few minutes early. This will support the teachers and your fellow retreatants.
  • Please maintain noble silence as much as possible for the duration of the retreat and take any necessary steps to limit external distractions such as incoming emails, texts, or other interruptions so that we can maintain the integrity of our practice together. Close all programs on your computer other than Zoom and turn off all notifications on your devices.
  • Ideally, power off phones and smartwatches for the entire time scheduled for the retreat on each day. Please don’t check your devices during breaks. We suggest that you put an “away” message on your email and voicemail and leave your devices in another room during your retreat hours.
  • Please keep your video on during our time together as much as you can. This supports a sense of connectedness and sangha.
  • Closed Captions for CIMC Programs are generated through “live streaming” via Rev.com. CIMC programs are not live-streamed to any other platform for any other use.
  • You will receive a welcome email from CIMC a day or two before your program that will include the zoom link, retreat schedule, and further information.