Dharma, Intimacy, and Ecology: Finding the Path in Every Step
With Brian Lesage, Molly McCormick and Robin Craig
June 11 - 18, 2024
The Buddhist path is about unhooking our habitual ways of being in the world. One of these habitual patterns is the experience of being disconnected from the environment, which cultivates a sense of not belonging. We will be exploring ways of practicing that reconnect us with the natural world through the lenses of ecology and the early Buddhist tradition.
We will also be describing and exploring the relationship with the present moment, relationship with place, and larger connections to environment and planet. This will be supported with an interweaving of noble silence through much of the day along with discussions to help deepen both the meditative and ecological explorations.
There will be sitting, walking, standing, and lying down meditation, as well as ecological explorations. This retreat includes outdoor practice times, weather permitting. Please bring outdoor sitting support, if possible. Examples: Crazy Creek or similar light weight chair, travel bench, small pad or cushion for sitting, mat or pad for lying down practice.
COVID Safety Measures: Please review our current COVID Safety Measures, which are subject to change.
Teachers
Brian has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 and has taught since 2000. He has studied in the Zen, Theravada, and Tibetan schools and was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996. His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and India as well as numerous retreats in the U.S. He leads retreats and teaches meditation courses nationwide. Brian also has a private practice in Somatic Experiencing, which is a naturalistic approach to healing trauma.
Learn more about Brian Lesage
Molly McCormick is a botanist and restoration ecologist specializing in dryland ecosystems of the Southwest. She has 20 or so years of experience working with people and the land, facilitating reciprocal and meaningful relationships. Some of her job titles have included naturalist guide, native plant farmer, restoration story-teller, citizen science coordinator, rainwater harvester, facilitator, and science communicator. She is also an herbalist, permaculture designer, and dancer. Molly is currently the program manager for the Southwest Fire Science Consortium, supporting land management, communities, fire managers, and the more than human world on an increasingly unpredictable planet. She’s been co-leading mindful ecology…
Learn more about Molly McCormick
Robin brings her understanding of the physiology of resilience to her meditation and counseling practices, and supports a joyful exploration of the deep spirituality and interconnection that is ours by nature. She is a Certified Meditation Teacher in The Mind Illuminated tradition, which is rooted in Theravadan and Tibetan Karma Kagyu traditions with lineage to the Venerable Ananda Bodhi. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and on the Faculty of Organic Intelligence®.
Learn more about Robin Craig