Tag Archives: Retreat

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.

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Out of the soil of friendliness
grows the beautiful bloom of compassion
watered by tears of joy
and sheltered by the cool tree of equanimity.

~ 14th Century Tibetan Poem

The Tucson Community Meditation Center comments on this poem:  “The Four Brahma Viharas are four beautiful qualities of heart and mind for dwelling in the world, and can be cultivated through meditation and daily life practice.  They are composed of:  1) Metta or loving friendliness, 2) Karuna or compassion, 3) Mudhita or appreciative joy, and 4) Upekkha or equanimity.”

Join us as we cultivate the four qualities of the heart in service of our amazing planet Earth.

East Bay retreat

Goddess in the GardenTreat yourself to three hours of yoga, meditation, fellowship, and eco-inspiration.  The East Bay retreat will be a week early this month, landing on the first Sunday of the month instead of the second, in deference to Mothers’ Day.

“Curving back on myself,” says the Bhagavad Gita, “I create again and again.”  Take recourse in your Self, take recourse in the Sangha, and get activated for mindful action!

East Bay retreat

CLIMATE TRAIN/METRO

Each month we gather for a few hours to get centered, collected, and inspired. We start with easy stretches and silent meditation, then engage with a guest speaker who tells us their story of earth stewardship and community activism. This month our guests will be Linda Currie, Green Sangha board member and co-founder of Transition Berkeley, along with Green Sangha members Trish Clifford and Chuck Trumble. Linda, Trish and Chuck will tell how they  became involved in environmental activism and share their experiences aboard The People’s Climate Train trip across the country to demonstrate in New York City in advance of the Climate Summit called by Ban Ki-moon.

Bring an earth-friendly potluck item to share (we try to avoid plastic wrappings). Donations support Green Sangha’s programs of mindful activism.

You can read Linda’s narrative of her trip to NYC on the People’s Climate Train.

East Bay Chapter Retreat

Please join us for our monthly Green Sangha Retreat in Berkeley.

This month we’ll meet in a local garden and be inspired by the beauty and abundance around us.
The retreat will include a walking meditation, updates on actions, potluck and social time, practice discussion and letter writing action.

Please RSVP to: info@greensangha.org, or 510-532-6574
Location: will be provided upon RSVP
Bring: A potluck dish to share, serving utensil and your own dishware, cup, utensils, a jacket or sweater
Cost: By donation for support of the oganization, activities and actions

Imagining the future we want

“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.”  – Jonathan Swift, Journal to Stella (1726)

Sat Jan 18, 10 am – 1 pm.  Join us for our monthly mini-retreat in the lovely Sienna Room of the Edgehill Mansion at Dominican University.

Program
10 am.  Gentle Yoga and meditation
11:00. Conversations about the future. Maeve Murphy will lead us in exploratory exercises from Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects, reflecting on our wishes and hopes for the future, imagining the resources we need to realize our dreams for the planet.
12:00. Announcements & actions
12:30. Potluck refreshments (avoiding plastic as possible!)
12:50. Clean-up
1:00. Closing circle

AAT conversationLocation & directions.  Edgehill Mansion is on Magnolia Avenue at Dominican University.  We meet upstairs, entering from the south or east side of the mansion.  On this map of Dominican, the Mansion is under the upper right corner.  From 101:  exit Central San Rafael. If coming from the N, turn L on Mission; if from the S, turn R on 2nd.  In either case, proceed one block & turn L onto Grand Ave.  Proceed to Acacia, which T’s onto Grand.  R on Acacia.  Acacia merges into Magnolia; veer slightly R onto Magnolia.  At T go straight ahead through driveway with large stone pillars on either side.  You have arrived; parking lot to L.  Join us in the Sienna Room upstairs on second floor to the R.

Donation.  Free-will donations support our programs of mindful action and cover the cost of rental.

For more information:  write info@greensangha.org or call (510) 532-6574.

Nimai & Danny at MSSThe deteriorating conditions of our world and the plight of other beings impinge on us all.  We are in this together.  Never before have our destinies been so intertwined.  The fact that our fate is a common fate has tremendous implications.  It means that in facing it together openly and humbly, we rediscover our interconnectedness in the web of life.  From that rediscovery spring courage, a deeper sense of community, and insights into our power and creativity.

– Joanna Macy & Molly Brown, Coming Back to Life (1998, p. 63)

Special retreat: Green Gulch, Sun 10-13-13

Pumpkin madonna  IIRefresh yourself, inside and out!

Come to Green Gulch Farm on Sun, Oct 13, for an afternoon of fresh air, fellowship, and fun. This day will take the place of our regular East Bay & Marin County monthly retreats.

Schedule
12:15  Lunch in the dining hall – vegetarian, organic, delicious
1:10 Gather at the stop sign for orientation. To the fields!
3:30 Clean up. Muffins & tea.
4:00 Green Sangha meeting, led by Maeve Murphy.
5:00 Meditation in the Zendo.
5:45 Return home.

You can choose work that suits your interest and energy.  Sample tasks:

  • Removing the fence next to the old farm road in the 6th field
  • Taking out cape ivy
  • Splitting wood

What to wear: layers for changeable weather; sturdy, close-toed shoes; hat and other sun protection
What to bring: bottle for your water; gloves if you have them; favorite gardening tool if you like.

Site manager Sukey says: “There is now a new farm road that swings out into the field in a slight meander . . . to allow the creek to swing out next summer in a more elaborate meander. Come see it!”

Reservations required for lunch.  RSVP:  info@greensangha.org or (510) 532-6574.

AWAKENED ACTION TEA!
Saturday, November 16, 4-6 pm
Lake Merritt United Methodist Church
1330 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland 94606

Joanna close smilingEnjoy the company of mindful activists at our 6th Annual Fund-raiser, with meditation, music, vegan treats and tea, and a keynote address by Joanna Macy (photo credit:  Adam Shemper).

For more information, go to Awakened Action Tea.  Tickets are $20.  Send your check to Green Sangha, PO Box 20261, Oakland, 94620, or buy online here.

 

POSITION OPENINGBoard of Directors
Do you have a deep desire to restore the earth? Are you inspired by the mission of integrating mindful practice and awakened action? Do you enjoy cooperative planning, leading by listening, and the art of governance? Green Sangha is accepting applications for our board of directors, a close-knit team of dedicated, creative, collaborative professionals with a love of mother earth. Details here.

 

 

Bill Carney – sustaining personal creativity

Marin chapter retreat:  Saturday, January 20, 10 am – 1 pm

Our guest speaker this month is Bill Carney, president of Sustainable San Rafael (SSR).  Bill has been a leading force behind the conception, drafting, and implementation of San Rafael’s Climate Change Action Plan.  Knowing the scale of climate change, touching every ecosystem around the Earth, Bill understands the need for both decisive action and conscious self-care.

Back to camera, Bill instructs fellow demonstrators on Moving Planet Day in SF, Sep 24, 2011

Bill will reflect on sustaining personal creativity while cultivating change within the community.  He served for 25 years as landscape architect and project manager for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency.  He is the author of Cities, A Nuclear Peace Poem, and the forthcoming Mountain, An Evolutionary Epic.

The meeting takes place in San Anselmo, Sun Jan 20, 10 am to 1 pm.  Donation requested.  For address and directions, write to info@greensangha.org or call (510) 532-6574.  We respond quickly!

Monterey County retreat, Apr 27-29

COME TO VENTURE VALLEY
Imagine a world where worn-out resources are reused and recycled instead of dumped, where legacy methane is harvested from old landfills, and waste management agencies promote zero waste.

Imagine a world where activists recharge their inner batteries with yoga in the redwoods, contemplative walks in the afternoon, and singing under the stars.

Imagine a world where the inner practices of awakening are integrated with the outer work of gardening, community-building, and environmental activism.

This is the vision of Green Sangha, and it’s coming true already.  For a full glimpse and a rich taste of this new world, join us for our Monterey County retreat on April 27-29.

Highlights of the weekend include:

1)  A guided tour of the Monterey Regional Waste Management facility with environmental educator Jeff Lindenthal

2)  Yoga classes with certified yoga instructor and Green Sangha President Stuart Moody

3)  Incredible, amazing, and delicious organic food, much of it grown on site

4)  Dances of Universal Peace with Marcia Rayene

All in a peaceful, hospitable, and comfortable mountain retreat at Venture Valley.

For more information and to register, click here.