Braver Things: Training the Heart for Greater Clarity, Resilience, and Joy
"Go back and take care of yourself. Your body needs you, your feelings need you, your perceptions need you...Go home and be there for all these things." - Thich Nhat Hanh
The world is finding new and creative ways to stay connected in these times. In order to stay engaged in our practice and connected with each other, we are offering a very special day-long retreat and we invite you to join us.
The theme of this online mindfulness retreat is Braver Things: Training the Heart for Greater Clarity, Resilience, and Joy, and will be led by the dharma teacher Valerie Brown. With this online format, we are excited to reach those of us who may not otherwise have had the availability or affordability to join us for a residential weekend retreat.
Watch video below to hear from Valerie about our online retreat
During this online mindfulness retreat from the comfort of our homes, we will practice mindfulness in the Plum Village tradition, enjoying mindful sitting, walking, eating, resting, speaking and listening, as well as Dharma talks and community support.
Tentative Schedule for Saturday April 4. We will send an update to those who sign up.
8:30am (Optional) Zoom training session for those new to the Zoom technology
9:00am Introductions and welcoming, Setting the Container for the Day (Valerie)
10:00am Meditation and Dharma Talk (Valerie)
11:30am Break for you to do outdoor walking or walking meditation
12:00pm Eat your lunch at home (we encourage you to make ahead)
12:15pm (Optional) join a small breakout group for meeting and chatting while mindfully eating. We will offer regular reminders to come back to your breathing and mindful eating
12:50pm Break, prepare a nest for your deep relaxation
1:00pm Guided Deep Relaxation
1:30pm Stretch break
1:50pm Dharma Sharing in Small Groups - each group will have a skilled facilitator
3:00pm Second Dharma Talk (Valerie)
3:45pm Sitting Meditation
4:00pm Closing Circle
4:30pm Final bell
Valerie Brown
Valerie Brown, Afro-Cuban descent, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is an international retreat leader, writer, leadership coach, and Principal of Lead Smart Coaching, LLC, specializing in application and integration of mindfulness in daily life. She is an ordained Dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition and a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Her books include, The Mindful School Leader: Practices to Transform Your Leadership and School (Corwin, 2014). She leads an annual pilgrimage to El Camino de Santiago, Spain, to celebrate the power of place.
At the Opening Heart Mindfulness Community, we aspire to become more calm, alive and genuine, and to extend greater understanding and compassion. Our finances depend partially on our annual residential retreat, and like other small non-profits, we are working with a very narrow fiscal margin and depend on community support.
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REFUND POLICY: Because this is an online format, where you will be given a web link to join us, we are unable to offer refunds. If you have a special circumstance regarding needing a refund please email us at info@openingheartmindfulness.org
The $85 fee is cost prohibitive and I would like to join the online practice.