jon-tyson-unsplash

Connecting Communications: Giving Voice to Our Boundless Hearts, CC 5/17 – 5/31

Practice Wise Speech Using the Four Brahma Viharas

3 Fridays: May 17, 24, and 31 City Center, 300 Page Dining Room 7:30 – 9 pm

Are you tired of all the negative and divisive speech you’re hearing these days?

As kind, compassionate, and connecting speech takes care and attention, we are offering these events as opportunities to support and give us all ways to practice communication based on heartfelt and heart-connecting qualities of the Brahma Viharas: kindness (metta or matri), compassion (karuna), inclusive joy (mudita), and equanimity / balance of mind (upekkha).
 
Join us for the whole 3-part series or on a week-by-week, drop-in basis.

• May 17 - Kindness (metta or matri)

• May 24 - Compassion (karuna)

• THIS Week: May 31 - Inclusive Joy (mudita) 

Each of the three sessions will focus on one of the first three qualities and begin with a meditation to establish the fourth quality, upekkha, or equanimity. We’ll then engage in structured exercises developed off of the phrases from each quality’s meditation points in order to know and connect to that boundless state.

For instance, with metta, or kindness, the meditation includes phrases on friendliness, well-being, and peace. After the meditation, we’ll then engage with others in exercises to bring forth how we know when friendliness, well-being, and peace are present. After a few rounds of these structured exercises in dyads or small group and facilitated discussions in between, we’ll then have open time, with tea and refreshments.
 
The aim of these sessions is to foster connecting communication by creating an environment for each of us to strengthen and practice kind, compassionate, and joyful speech.

Fee: While there is no set registration fee for attending these sessions, you are invited to sustain both the teacher and SFZC through your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Suggested sliding scale of $15 – $25 per session. Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability.