Hello Soma Sangha! 
Just a few things to say here. First, I want to say how much I enjoyed working through the Brahmaviharas series of classes with you. If you missed anything or want to go back to revisit some part of the stuff we covered, you can always come to any class and bring up the subject for discussion. The little books we used from Ajahn Amaro are always freely available electronically or by asking for them in paperback by going to our webpage and getting them. I also keep copies of the Metta Sutta on hand at the sit if you'd like one to take home, just ask. 

As it turned out, I was asked to lead a daylong retreat in Eugene during this series and the topic they requested was Loving-Kindness (Metta), so I was all primed for it. As I arrived in Oregon, I got some scary news that a skin cancer biopsy I had days before came back malignant and needs to be surgically removed. This is where the benefits of the practice come into the spotlight and of course having a loving, supportive partner in Emily and a loving supportive Sangha in you all. I'm told it is a very routine procedure and that I have nothing to worry about. 
The following week, Em and I practiced a 3-day silent retreat in Joshua Tree with Noah, Rebel Saints & Co. and found the Three Jewels alive and well in the high desert. It felt like a family affair... because it was. I highly encourage the silent retreat experience. If you'd like recommendations, please let me know.

Onward, this week (June 5th) We'll wrap up the series with a second discussion around Equanimity, review the four sublime abodes as a whole and see what else we can tie into the methodology and benefits of Metta practice.

Next week, June 12th, We have a special Guest Teacher, Jason Murphy, coming in to lead our group!
This is a rare treat not to be missed. Catch Jason before he heads back overseas once again! (More info Below). 

Join us for a pizza party on June 26th, 5:30 at Little Joes to help celebrate a couple of pinnacle milestones I'm traversing :) I couldn't have done it without you and would like to share appreciation. So if you'd like, please RSVP so we have a chair for you, then just come and enjoy!

The Soma Sangha Kayak Tripoffered by Chris, Owner of HMB Kayak Co. is on deck for late summer, probably August. If you haven't already signed up for this FREE GIFT, please do the next time you come sit with us.

Emily's artwork: still some special edition prints available.
I'll have a batch of rock-album stickers ready for the 6/12 sit.

And of course, ongoing weekly meditation sittings, Dharma talks, and discussion! ~Cuz that's our JAM!

JUNE 12th!​
Teacher: Jason Murphy-Pedulla (photo below)

 This evening event is open to anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of Insight meditation practices and Buddhist psychology.
No prior meditation experience necessary.

All teachings are freely offered and your practice of generosity is appreciated. 
​
Participants will gain an understanding of the basic tenets of the Buddha’s teaching i.e. wisdom, compassion and ethical integrity. How we can apply this ancient wisdom teaching to our current life and society?  The teachings found in early Buddhism are a revolutionary and rebellious path to inner freedom. This sit will focus on engaged Buddhist practice as well as everyday mindfulness. Rebel Against Greed! Against Hatred! Against Delusion! Join in the Rebellion!
Jason Murphy-Pedulla MA, LMFT has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1994. He is a meditation teacher, and therapist helping youth, families and adults for over 20 years. Jason has studied and trained with several prominent teachers in the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah and Burmese Masters Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Pandita. Among them are Ajahn  Sumedho, Ajahn Passano and Amaro Bhikkhu. Other teachers and mentors have been: Mary Grace Orr, Gil Fronsdal, John Travis, Sylvia Boornstein, Jack Kornfield and Steven Smith. Jason has sat long-term residential retreats in the U.S as well as in Asia. He received ordination in the Mahasi Sayadaw lineage in 2016. Jason is empowered to teach by the Spirit Rock Teachers Council. He received his training with Noah Levine, Mary Grace Orr, Spirit Rock teacher and Bob Stahl, Ph.D., guiding teacher at Insight Santa Cruz, international teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and author of several books including Living With Your Heart Wide Open.

• NEW PRACTICE SERIES
• NEW ART
• RETREAT
• IN THE WORX
• HAPPY TO HELP

 NEW PRACTICE SERIES
Springtime is for the heart practices at Soma Dharma!

Beginning mid-April, 2019 we will begin a series of classes focused on the topics of the Four "Brahma-Viharas" or "Sublime Abidings" as taught by the Buddha and commentaries.

Learn or enliven skills to befriend and care for ourselves and others, in any state of being, through understanding the true resting state of our hearts is found in freedom from fear and connection to others. This culmination was referred to by the Buddha as “the sure heart’s release” and considered to be the fulfillment of a spiritual path.

During these groups, we will refer to written words by Sharon Salzberg's "Loving-Kindness; The Revoutionary Art of Happiness" and primarily work through these FOUR wonderful little books, recently produced by by Ajahn Amaro available to download free by clicking the links below:

1. Loving Kindness (Metta)
2. ​Compassion (Karuna)
3. ​Appreciative Joy (Mudita)
4. Equanimity (Upekkha)

Or by going to the Abhayagiri Monastery eBook store and requesting (Free) printed copies.
Better yet, plan a visit to the Monastery in person, located in Ukiah, CA and join the Monks for lunch!


New Art!
Em's Big Show and a New Print for Our SanghaOn March 20th, Emily was a featured artist in the Half Moon Bay Arts League annual juried art show. Many of our friends and family made the scenic and slow drive out to the coast to show their support. We had no idea so many would come and we were both absolutely elated! She was also interviewed and written up in our local newspaper: Here's the article. 
This beautiful Sunflowers print will be available to our Sangha exclusively, starting this week. And we still have a few of the Bowl and 3 of Jewels available as well. These are super high quality, only available here and are yours for a donation to the Sangha of $20.
Check out more of Em's work on her Instagram link below.

Emily's Artsy Groove


​
Annual Spring 3-day retreat in Joshua Tree.
Led by Dharma Teacher Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx, Against The Stream, Heart of the Revolution and Refuge Recovery. Taking the time dedicated to retreat will deepen our practice of meditation in a supportive community and is essential to our personal liberation. Taking some time away from the busy schedules and responsibilities of our daily lives gives us the opportunity to experience for ourselves the benefits that come from sustained meditation practice. This retreat will be held in silence. There will be Dharma talks, meditation, and meals together. This retreat will include formal sitting and walking meditation, and the opportunity to meet with teachers in a group setting. 
This retreat is open to all levels of experience, beginners and long term practitioners alike. 

~ These are my people, y'all! Noah is a friend, supporter of Soma Dharma an amazing Dharma teacher, retreat leader and all around good human. Rachael and I are in a cohort together with just a few other select die-hard Dharma bad-asses in training. Although she is officially assisting, the cohort knows if we're there, we're on call, which is exciting for me. The location is absolutely deep, beautiful and dares I say; Ultra Spiritual. This is a rare and special opportunity. If you have the will, ways, and means, please don't miss out.
Joshua Tree Retreat

IN THE WORX...
CLASS FIELD TRIP! We're working on a Kayak outing for the Sangha. Who's in?
An opportunity to be one with the serenity of evening ocean life among friends, and led by our resident professional guide, Chris. We will nail down a summer date soon and we do need to get a feel of how many would be interested, so please let us know!
This will be a donation based event, of course ;) 
Check it out here.


EUGENE BOUND:
I've been invited to lead Eugene Oregon's Friday night Refuge Recovery meeting and the following day hold a DAYLONG RETREAT on the subject of Metta.
May 18th, 10-4:00, Buddha Eye Temple, Eugene, OR 
Hosted by Refuge Recovery Eugene
Facebook link here

and now for a little blogging...

"HAPPY TO HELP" 
Last week I made a rather blunt statement about authentic, diligent meditation practice. (Who me? - go figure)Speaking of Mindfulness specifically, but the same applies to our development and cultivation in the way of the Bodhisattva. That is, to free ourselves by working to free others from suffering whenever and wherever possible. The statement was something like "Knowledge of Mindfulness without a personal practice is like knowing how to swim without the use of water". 
Same goes for acts of kindness and generosity. It takes practice. and actually doing kind and generous things. In Mindfulness training we learn that radical change and benefit occur through short periods of awareness, repeated many times, becoming automatic and continuous. Much like mindfulness, it doesn't take huge leaps and bounds to make real change and lasting impact on your life and the lives of others through acts of kindness and generosity. It just takes consistent practice, and it starts with small things, repeated many times, becoming automatic and continuous. 
Being of service then becomes as much an act of nurturing as it is of self-care. Sure, an altruistic motive is cleaner, but why not enjoy the benefits of feeling good about what you can see of your actions? Because many times more, you'll just never know the rippling, sometimes even contagious and far-reaching effect one small act of kindness may have.
On the shadow side of this, sometimes we unintentionally cause confusion or harm beyond our intentions or knowledge as well. The risks of humanity and especially communication. May I always be open and available to your comments, questions, and concerns. Please forgive me for any mistakes or confusion I may have caused. 
May we all awaken the compassionate heart, for the benefit of all living beings.
May all beings be happy
May all beings be at ease
May all beings be free from suffering.



OK... One last thing...
THE OAKLAND BUDDHA
Here's how one random, perhaps even somewhat self-serving act of kindness and generosity transformed a whole community in Oakland. 
Check THIS out!


That's all for now, good people.
Keep sitting and keep smiling!
with Metta, Jeff & Emily

Hi everyone. Just a quick update here...To let you know what's happening and how we're doing.
​
Our Space, the final frontier:
First of all, if you haven't checked out our new "forever" home at 5051 Mission, come check it out. Big thanks to The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy management and Brian, our host for working with us to make this happen. We've got it down to a system now of getting there to roll out the rug and transform that room into a meditation center smoothly and efficiently. The heater works well on these cold nights and the warmth of the Sangha has particularly made this move a transformative experience. I'm not much of a mover myself, I like to know where 'home' is. So if you've hung back for the last month or so while we bounced around a bit and waited for us to settle in, I get it. And, it's safe to come out now! ;)
This location does have some nice perks: like our own parking lot, the whole place to ourselves (sorry if you'll miss having band practice downstairs) and nice clean separate bathrooms. Easy ride-share, Muni and Balboa Station Bart is a 10-minute walk away. There are only stairs to get up, and we have hands to help if needed.
Speaking of helping hands: if you would like to commit to a position of service at our meeting, please let me or Emily know and we will find a specific task for you to help with weekly. This is a beautiful way to share generosity and form accountability to your practice and Sangha.

CLASS SERIES:
The Four foundations spilled into
The Four Noble Truths spilled into
The Eightfold Path
...of course!
Starting the first week of February we got into an 8-week practice series taking on an intentional investigation of each aspect of the path into our lives for a week each. Let's learn about the Buddha's advice on Skillful View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration.
 
Catch as many as you can and dropping in is just fine too. (This is not a linear path).
Come prepared to take a few notes and journal your weekly insights for contributing to the group experience in conversation. 
Materials are provided and instructions offered on ways to integrate the concentration of each aspect into our daily lives for seven days each.

From Bhikkhu Bodhi; “The essence of the Buddha’s teaching can be summed up in two principles: the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The first covers the side of doctrine, and the primary response it elicits is understanding; the second covers the side of discipline, in the broadest sense of that word, and the primary response it calls for is practice. In the structure of the teaching these two principles lock together into an indivisible unity called the dhamma-vinaya, the doctrine-and-discipline, or, in brief, the Dhamma...
... it would be pointless to pose the question which of the two aspects of the Dhamma has greater value, the doctrine or the path. But if we did risk the pointless by asking that question, the answer would have to be the path.” From “The Noble Eightfold Path; Way to the End of Suffering”
(Recommended reading and referencing for this series - available at class) 
 

SCHEDULE:
(Right View & Intention: were 2/6 & 2/13)
2/20: Right Speech, 2/27: Right Action, 3/6: Right Livelihood, 3/13; Right Effort, 3/20: Right Mindfulness, 3/27: Right Concentration.
Like everything else, this schedule is subject to change!
 
I will (eventually) share some of the key points and takeaways on the Journal page of our website, for what it's worth. We would much prefer your attendance and participation in person. These notes would mainly just be a reflection for those who attend or choose to share their own insights this way.

Guest Teacher(s):

• Our friend, teacher and Dharma brother Noah Levine 
  was in town and dropped by to give an impromptu (co)teaching on January 30th. It was wonderful to see the turnout and some traveling quite a ways on short notice to join us in supporting Noah, as he supports us.
• We also welcomed MC Yogi into our Sangha this night, if you don't know his gift to the music and yoga-loving world, please do!
• And please check out our good friend Dayla Soul's film "It Ain't Pretty" A documentary about the challenges and triumphs of female big wave surfers fighting sexism in the water, in competition, in the media, and in the surf industry with the support of a closely-knit community of like-minded women.

Moving forward, I'll continue to hold it down the best I can and enjoy leaning on you all to be engaged and cooperative in learning together. As I am currently in a training course with a cohort, I'll invite my colleagues to come and hold space, practicing facilitating the group if and when they may be able. My hand is also outreached to local teachers and facilitators to join us as a guest. If you have the opportunity or means, please let me know if you would like to invite a particular teacher/facilitator. Also if you have suggestions and ideas for future topics or areas of focus.
The request is in, that following the Eightfold Path Series, we practice with the Four Sublime Abidings; The Brahmaviharas. Seems like a great way to welcome Springtime!
IN THE MAKING: Since we're the new kids in the block, we thought it would be nice to bring a house gift to the neighborhood. So, we're asking and looking around into what local charitable programs we may be able to contribute our Dana proceeds or efforts toward. Please bring suggestions. Thank you. 
ALL ARE WELCOME AT SOMA DHARMA!
ANY LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND
CLASSES ARE FREELY OFFERED AND GENEROSITY IS APPRECIATED
PLEASE SHARE THIS INVITATION

The following is a copy of a newsletter we send out from time to time. If you would like to recieve these, please let us know by using the contact form. Thanks. Enjoy...


We have a new home for our weekly groups: 5051 Mission Street San Francisco. 
Here's a MAP 
&
There's parking available for us! In the lot just left of the building
 Every Wednesday beginning January 23 at 7:30 pm.
Donation based.

New home... same intention.

Thanks for bearing with us through this transition.

Some of you came to the location we tried for the last two weeks back in South of Market. Although I thought it was kinda hip and unique, the logistics were not going to fly for us even if we were able to stay longer than they offered, which was only a couple of months. Yeah, it wasn't so much the "please don't do coke in the bathroom" sign, or the residents getting to their rooms across our sits... but the stripper pole that was installed on the stage last week - yep, that was it. Traffic noise and band practice, ok, but I'm drawing the line on this one.

So... Emily and I just felt it would be ok to pull the plug on that deal and take advantage of the bird-in-hand of 5051 Mission.
Brian hooked us up with this place and they are really happy to have us. I have to admit I struggled with the feel here. So, I asked if it would be alright if we tweaked it a bit to better suit my pallet.

We bought a really nice rug and a couple of lamps and they are allowing us to store them onsite between meetings. That bit of hospitality and compromise, along with the generous offer of waiving storage and set up fees, not to mention Brian, who has offered to commit his time to open and close up the place every week? Come on now! It's looking pretty great.
Parking, clean bathrooms, and totally ours for this time slot.
Let's do this!

I know we'll make it beautiful, and we know it's all Dharma. 
As always, please offer any suggestions you may have. Bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and a friend.

Oh, I also updated the website - HERE

Moving forward, I'll continue on the trajectory of offering an investigation into the Four Noble Truths and on into the Eightfold Path in the weeks (months?) to come. This is a path with lots of side roads, so we'll see where the discussions take us - this is where your contributions to the conversations come in to play!

This fall I was invited to continue formally training again and last weekend in LA, I met the new group of my cohorts that I will be working closely with through 2019. I'll invite them to come and practice leading our group if any happen to be in the city (they are from all over) and... our Teacher, Noah Levine has interest in returning to teach for us from time to time, or perhaps even just coming by to join in sitting with the Sangha. I also had a conversation with Scott Tusa over dinner with this group in LA who showed interest in joining us as a visiting teacher as well.

In this spirit, if you (or a friend) happen to have a connection to a local or visiting teacher or facilitator, let me know if you would like to invite them to practice here as a guest in the future.

Let's keep it going by sending out.

May you all be healthy and happy, may all beings be at ease.

See you there.

~ Jeff & Em

​December 26th was a special night at 1436 Howard Street. Not only would it be the last sit of 2018 but also it would be the last sit in this space before moving on to our new home next year.
The invitation was to bring a snack to share if you’d like and come prepared for a little different scene and enjoy time together in closing with music and fellowship.

I gave a bit of an overview of the four foundations talk and held the spotlight over the three characteristics of existence. This seems easier to connect to given the season of ending and beginnings. Nothing stays the same, or gives ultimate lasting satisfaction, and most importantly none of it is personal.

In true unorthodox fashion, my offering of a year-end reflection and intention setting ceremony was not run-of-the-mill. Infusing some experience with shamanic journeying and journaling, the meditation was visually descriptive enough to paint one's own picture of traveling back through the seasons of last year and collecting what was revealed in reflection. Then moving forward in time, noting and collecting aspirations, fears, and intentions. Finally, we imagine carrying this load of plans and memories and releasing them, getting a feel for renunciation and freedom of present time awareness and refocus. With intervals placed in the meditation for writing what was discovered, Emily created and provided each of our guests with hand-painted stationary and envelopes. People had the option of taking them home or handing them over, sealed, to be mailed out to them in one full year.

I wrapped it up with a personal story about the importance of intentions and the value of giving attention to one another. Then it was time to crank up the jams, have a tasty treat and shoot the breeze. We hung out for half an hour or so and each had a chance to say 'hello' and 'goodbye' in this place. We announced the winner to Arie’s art raffle, AJ took some great photographs (shown here) and I even had some door-prize mala beads to hand out as gifts.
​
At the end of the night, almost everything packed into the car, I made one last trip up the stairs to grab the last bag and take a long look. It was a moment with that space and me all alone. The single, empty, cheap-ass plastic white chair sitting there against that artless wall seemed to nod its head at me and say, “You’re alright.”
 
And now? The SoMa Dharmilita goes Nomad!
At least for a couple weeks in January of 2019. I’m soaking in gratitude for the efforts and innovations of the Sangha members who have offered leads to potential places to land. We’ve got a couple places to check out together and I’ll be listening to the collective vibe and opinions about whether we continue in one or any of the spaces we’ll be sitting at in the coming weeks.

The first of which is next week, January 2nd. This will be upstairs at 5051 Mission Street. One of the perks of this place (if you drive) is that we have a small parking lot, just for us, to the left of the entrance. Same time and day as usual, 7:30-9 Wednesday night. Hope to see you there!

Happy New Year!

One of the most beneficial aspects of training and traveling with circles of meditation facilitators in teacher training, (among other venues we find ourselves in), are the conversations, the connections and once in a great while, finding someone who you know is true spiritual friend, a "Kalyanamitta". During the Summer of 2018, at the 4th annual Refuge Recovery Conference in Los Angeles, Rachael and I, along with our mates sat down for lunch after the last day of the event. We had known OF each other before this time but in the few hours we chopped it up around the table, it was as if we'd found a lost sibling. 
Rachael is DRIVEN! Her love for the Dharma and enthusiasm in providing pathways is admirable. Co-founder of Rebel Saints Meditation Society in Seattle and assisting Noah Levine and Refuge Recovery hold residential retreats as of late puts her in Bodhisattva status.
In September, I was invited to lead an evening and half-day retreat for Rebel Saints and had a ball. The best part, in my opinion was a spontaneous co-teaching with Rachael on the following Sunday. It wasn't until October that SoMa Dharma was born and soon as it was, of course I asked if we could return the favor and host her in our new home… and as timing would have it, enjoy a Thanksgiving weekend together as well.
The room lights up when Rachael walks in and this night was no exception for the large turnout we had of San Franciscans looking to see what Seattle had to bring! No problem for this dedicated practitioner. Rachael can talk the talk because she walks the walk and holds little reservation about her passion and wise view. Almost jarring, raw and real perspectives and illustrative lecturing on topics that almost don’t “feel safe”. ‘That’s the whole idea, here folks!’ as Rachael might put it. ‘Let’s be real and be with what really is’ She has a way of pulling the shroud off believing you are entitled to safety in this world by armoring up with loving kindness, equanimity and forgiveness – for yourself first! It’s a powerful message and it landed right in the middle of this room with laughter and levity.
Rachael’s experience facilitating a group shines through in how gracefully she engages everyone without pressuring anyone. Using an ancient council method, the entire group had a chance to put their own authentic feeling and voice into the experience.
Honestly, I felt proud to be able to house her talent and even more so to be called her friend and colleague. The Sangha was drawn to her after the sit for questions and conversation and Rachael had patient and undivided attention for each. I’m excited to see and hope to be with Rachael as she continues to blaze her path.
If ever in the Seattle area – you must stop by and sit with Rebel Saints or at very least, visit her store Vajra on Tenth.
Thank you Rachael and SoMa Dharmilitia!

~This life... what a trip.
If anyone is about to read this and doesn’t know who this guy is, stop here and check out the body of work he's covered in his career thus far. Oh sure, you'll get a flood of juicy propaganda around the recent allegation, you can come back to that, but first practice a little restraint and see how Noah had and carried out a vision to bring the Dharma and Buddhist meditation practice to an entire population that would have been otherwise overlooked and continued to be snubbed by the upper-middle-way of the status quo in western Buddhism back we he got into it (not that's it's a whole lot different now). That is; the misfits. The addicted, incarcerated, mislead, forgotten, beaten down and kicked out youth of all ages. (Yours truly).
Pick up a copy of "Dharma Punx" and read it. Follow it up with the next two: "Against the Stream" and "Heart of the Revolution". You'll get a feel of just how down-to-the-ground and real-world-vibe he brings it. Am I a fan? Sure I am. I am alive today because of what he created and I was lucky enough to be in the wake of his creation back around 2006 when the Dharma Punx group (later known as the Back of the Bus) crew was meeting over on Fulton Street on Friday nights. Either Vinny Ferraro or Gene Lushtak was usually at the helm back then. It was raw and real - no frills - kinda like what we're starting up again over here at SoMa Dharma. Which brings us to the current end to this tale. The return of the founder!
I didn't get it right away. I wasn't sure why I was going, or kept going, but I was hooked into something back then. Like the idea that I don't have to obey every thought I have and that I hold the key to my own self-made prison door. I took me a while of spiraling downward toward rock bottom and right about the time I did - Noah had just finished writing Refuge Recovery. A Buddhist oriented recovery program. Devine intervention perhaps - if there was such a thing in Buddhism. Gory details aside, this was how I came to be back in the game of life and full on for the Dharma. And how I now too could offer words of wisdom to ALL those who came looking - no matter what they had done or where they have been. I knew I could share from my wounds, from what they were worth. 
I also knew I was green and way out of the club of these spiritual revolutionaries (Like Noah and those who had trained with or under him). But I was hot, so I took on Refuge Recovery meeting facilitation, and took classes in secular mindfulness like MBSR and Mindful Schools.
Then my big day came. I was on retreat with Noah teaching back in 2014 when I had a chance to have a conversation with him. I was all ambitious (not a good thing to these types) and was like "Hey man, I've been attending for a long time, I got clean and sober and been doing some training. How do I get in with this crew and start learning how to teach Dharma, man? I wanna do that!" He looked me over and was like "Yeah... aren't you in construction or something? A contractor right? - Why don't you just do that?" I visibly shrunk. Somewhere between 'I never should have asked' and 'this guy is a total dick' Then he says; "Listen I'm gonna need some help over there at the new (San Francisco) center, getting it opened up, why don't you build a stage and some shoe shelves or something - see what they need over there". 
Aw man! Same old shit. I chugged along with it though. I was happy to be a part of helping out and be appreciated for it. I stayed the course for couple years before I got the invitation to apply for the Against the Stream Facilitator training with Vinny and Joanna (then guiding teachers). It wasn't until almost the end of that year that I told Vinny about this story. How Noah dissed me and that it wasn't until now that anyone had given me a chance - (I was still feeling like the stinky kid and others were getting stuff I deserved) - he gave me the usual 'slow down, dude, you'll get there' speech. Then he gave me a little more. See, back then, when Noah said to go build shoe shelves... that was actually the only skillful way he had to put me in the game at the time - and the right way. Like; 'Let's see what you can do with a little, and then you can have a little more'. The vetting had begun. 
​(click "read more" for the rest.)

I first met Nils during a workshop he did for the Against the Stream facilitator training group in 2016.
Nils is the real deal. A monk for seven years, in Thailand and other European cities, came back to Minneapolis to found a gay men's meditation organization. He's the meaning of "Do no harm, but take no shit". His smile and presence of peace is contagious. - I was shocked to learn he occasionally suffers from anxiety, which is one of the things I love about teachers like him. Nothing is beyond what is present and real. It was helpful to know he deals with some of the same troubles with life as everyone else, even after many years of practice.He may just deal with it with more skill and grace than most.
The Buddha mentions Mara's return many times throughout his teaching career, after his enlightenment. Mara never dies, Buddha just learned how to be chill with the nature of suffering coming to visit from time to time.
Nils gave a "Jazzy" talk; bits and pieces all over to choose from and had us set up in a circle so we felt a bit more connected to each other in this somewhat smaller group. He incorporated a couple of mini break-out session were we shared ideas and discoveries with each other. We closed the evening with a beautiful exercise in feeling the life of support others have afforded us, known or unknown, and then sending that vibe back out into the world.
Thank you Nils. Happy trails, come back anytime!
Love, JC

My first lead at the new place.
After Devin kicked us off with a talk on ethics and taking of the 5 precepts last week, seemed like the natural progression was to bring in the subject of the 3 refuges. 
Here's a little behind the scenes: Part of my creative process is to write out an entire talk, then read it back to myself out loud - then I wonder who the hell wrote this, and throw it in the trash. A little check in with my core teacher and a trusted friend, and I did what I know how to do best; show up and have a friendly conversation to people I care for and talk about the thing I love - Dharma. (with a few reference notes and a reading - of course ;) 
Keeping it simple, an overview of Buddha's awakening and what became known as the three refuges: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. How do these three 'factors of being' show up for each of us individually, in real time, in real life - today? The invitation was left open for the group to consider taking these refuges in a ceremonious way at some point through retreat practice under the guidance of an empowered teacher. And the invitation that we can start anytime and contemplate as often as we like on the beauty of this wisdom. 
It all felt easy and comfortable and a couple folks left nice compliments - I appreciate the encouragement and well wishes. 
With Love, JC