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May 2016
Building Social Courage
FIVE SECRETS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION If you care about the environment, you care about communication. And communication, with diverse stakeholders on issues of public health and community well-being, can be challenging! One of the most limiting factors in environmental advocacy is the fear of conflict. What do we say when people disagree with us in unpleasant ways? How do we respond to hostile remarks and tactics in public hearings? Many of us avoid political engagement altogether because we are not sure that we will respond…
Find out more »East Bay retreat
Planting seeds of wholeness. Join us for three hours of stretching, relaxing, meditation, and reflection. Green Sangha retreats are our favorite time to come together for inner peace and fellowship. We are a diverse group of earth stewards and activists, bonded by our common love of the planet and community. Members take turns leading different portions of the meeting, which always includes a practice discussion -- reflecting on one or more of the Green Sangha principles of activism and how…
Find out more »June 2016
Renew and refresh
Our chapter retreats are designed for refreshment, renewal, and connection with the community of awakened activists. We gently stretch, we meditate, we share stories and successes. Please bring a small potluck item to share. We aspire for zero waste, so reusable packaging is always a plus! At a member’s home in Oakland. RSVP for address & directions: info@greensangha.org. Out of the soil of friendliness grows the beautiful bloom of compassion watered by tears of joy and sheltered by the cool tree of…
Find out more »July 2016
Summer coolness
Join us for an early evening's retreat with mindful walking, meditation, and visioning for the planet. Our chapter retreats are designed for refreshment, renewal, and connection with the community of awakened activists. Once again we will meet at the home of a member in Oakland, opening with a mindful walk in the nearby forest, returning about 6 pm for meditation and sharing. Please bring a small potluck item. We aspire for zero waste, so reusable packaging is always a plus! Love…
Find out more »August 2016
East Bay retreat – on mindful leadership
What does mindfulness look like in environmental leadership? Stuart Moody, Green Sangha director and lead trainer for the Mindful Ambassadors program of the University of Arizona, will share findings from his research, then lead a conversation on stresses, challenges, and coping techniques used by participants as well as by other Green Sangha members and community leaders. The retreat begins with introductions and a 20-minute silent meditation. Please bring light offerings for an earth-friendly potluck snack-time at the end. At the home of a Berkeley…
Find out more »October 2016
East Bay retreat
Retreat into action! We're putting our hearts and our hands to work this weekend: 1. Phone bank for the bag ban, 10 am to noon. Miriam Gordon, California Director of Clean Water Action, will be our team leader. Miriam has been an activist for years, and helped when we were lobbying for bag and foam foodware ordinances in Marin County. Working directly with Miriam is a rare and valuable opportunity. Address: 350 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 200 | Oakland, CA 94612.…
Find out more »December 2016
East Bay autumn retreat
Our chapter retreats are designed for refreshment, renewal, and connection with the community of awakened activists. We gently stretch, we meditate, we share stories and successes. Please bring a small potluck item to share. We aspire for zero waste, so reusable packaging is always a plus! At a member’s home in Oakland. RSVP by Friday, Dec 9 at 5 pm for address & directions: info@greensangha.org. Out of the soil of friendliness grows the beautiful bloom of compassion watered by tears of joy and…
Find out more »January 2017
New Year’s retreat
Refresh, renew, and connect with the community of awakened activists. We gently stretch, we meditate, we share stories and successes. Please bring a small potluck item to share. Aspiring for zero waste, reusable packaging is always a plus! Love donations invited to support our programs. At a member’s home in Oakland. RSVP by Friday, Jan 6 at 5 pm for address & directions: info@greensangha.org. The practice of Zen Has no secret, Except standing on the Verge of life and death. - Takeda Shingen (1521-1573)…
Find out more »April 2017
April retreat in the East Bay
Relax, refresh, re-connect. This month we meet at a member's home near Pt. Richmond, a warm and comfortable place for three hours of meditation, conversation, potluck snacks, and renewal of our commitment to live wisely and inspire wise actions in our communities. RSVP to Corbina for directions and address: (510) 282-5005. After Meditation How beautiful the morning, gray sky cleaning everything below: red clay soil shining, long pine needles shining, cedars, madrones, oaks, grasses – all bright beneath the clouds. Everywhere the…
Find out more »July 2017
Retreat with Jared Michaels, MFT
PEACE IN ACTION: Berkeley retreat Green Sangha began with monthly retreats in members' homes. These gatherings were the incubators of peace, clarity, and new ideas -- ideas such as the Magazine Project, Rethinking Plastics, and the Garden Wheel -- each a high-impact campaign. This month, Jared Michaels, licensed family therapist and ordained Zen priest, will share his vision of Bearing Witness -- using the silent power of meditation to raise awareness of environmental issues and mindful living. Join us for brain-calming and brain-storming,…
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