The Dark & Light of Black Joy: The Role African-American History Plays
To help bring in and celebrate Black History Month we’ve asked NCMC board director Les Arthur, a former teacher of African-American history, to give us some of his reflections. Please join us in any of our programs this month to inspire your own reflections.
The Dark & Light of Black Joy
:
The Role African-American History Plays
By Leslie Arthur
“The struggle continues!” This is a statement(1) that our Black Elders during the Civil Rights/Black Power movement used as an important mantra all the time. But why is there a need for constant struggle? And what is the significance of protest and social movements?
When we look to nature we try to understand and study Harmony and Struggle. Both forces are opposites and yet are one in nature. For example, cold as opposed to heat, rest as opposed to movement, dark as opposed to light. We see these actions in our outdoor activities like hiking, forest bathing, cycling, etc.
If we apply the ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang to ourselves, we too reflect these forces. Often time with family and friends we give our time, our energy, our ideas, and our efforts, but then there are other times that we receive many positive actions and opportunities. Both reciprocal forces occur in our lives daily.
The efforts to attain human rights for Black and Brown People has been a struggle for hundreds of years. And with opposing forces, conflict must always be met with solutions. A People’s culture and history is just such a solution.
African-American history teaches us how our elders survived the hardships of the transatlantic slave trade. How we fought and emerged from being enslaved and cultivated our own farm land. How we built schools and businesses during the Reconstruction Era. How the Black People organized protests and fought back against structural racism, Jim Crow laws, and segregation. How our constant social movements of the 20th century provided us the energy and wherewithal to pursue the vote, economic opportunities, and avenues for full citizenship.
We are presently, though, facing another backlash as extreme conservative forces fear their conception of “democracy” is fading. If there was ever a time to continue and increase our knowledge of African-American history, it is now. Self-esteem through black aesthetics, beauty inventions, achievements, education, and access to knowledge of how the world works — those solutions to the opposing forces of conflict are rooted in African-American history.
Black history teaches us how we are the change agents that we need to be right now and right here. African-American history gives us Black Joy. It gives us the positive affirmations of culture and shows us that no matter how difficult a situation is, it is possible — as the elders teach us — to “see things, rearrange things, and make some new things for the future.”(2)
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1 A luta continua (in English: the struggle continues) was originally the rallying cry of the FRELIMO movement during Mozambique’s war for independence.
2 Quote by the late Cliff Carter one of the founders of the Chad School in Newark and a community activist.
Leslie Arthur worked in the NJ Public School System for 30 years teaching African American History, U.S. History, Latin American Culture, and Economics and is a Ph.D. candidate in African American History from Rutgers University. He is also an avid hiker and a certified hiking leader with the Appalachian Mountain Club, which promotes diversity in hiking and outdoor activities.
Nov 23 NEW MOON CEREMONY: Raising the vibration of love and healing in Newark
An experience of empowerment, meditation, and art making. Scheduled every new moon with different themes and emotional tropes worked through.
Join us for these Monthly Ceremonies Downtown at The House at 2 Park Place, Newark NJ on the 2nd Floor.
Facilitator Kayla 11 Muldrow | Ages 16 years and older. Under 18 must be accompanied by adult. | Suggested Donation Per Session Adults $15, Students $10, Youth (age 16-18) $5.
Participants will have an opportunity to exercise and explore a variety of meditation techniques to combat anxiety and depression. Ceremonies will include workshops revolving around healing and self-love cultivation while engaging in a safe community network. There is also a creative aspect of these sessions with participants given tools to write or draw how they feel.
Registration Required. Please register in the Age Category you fall under.
About Donations The amounts given are suggested but give what is within your budget. As these are donations, we cannot give a refund if you need to cancel. However, if we are notified no less than 24 hours before the event we can give you a credit for another program.
Access There is no elevator to the 2nd Floor.
Covid Concerns We leave it up to each participant to wear or not wear a face covering. Please respect each other’s choice and sensitivity to distancing.
A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization delivering transformative programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.
Nov 19 FALL INNER CITY HIKE — Hoboken to Liberty State Park
The Static Sidewalks of Hoboken meet the Dynamic Nature of Liberty State Park
Start in Newark 10AM.
Hike Leader: Kazi | Distance: Choice of 3 mi or 6 mi | Difficulty: Beginners | Fee: FREE | Age: Adults and Youths able to walk the distance (Youths 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult)
Walk, meet new friends, talk, listen, smell, look, touch. Upon reaching the park, we will practice nature therapy, mindful movement, and walking meditation. We’ll also enjoy a bag lunch while there.
We will meet at Newark Penn Station between 9:30-9:50am at the ground-level entrance to Track 1-Path Train. We will depart at 10:00am riding the Path to Hoboken. Our Hike will then begin at Hoboken Station and take us to Liberty State Park in Jersey City, where we will turn around for the return leg of the hike.
This Beginner’s Hike is 3 miles in each direction for a total of 6 miles. For the shorter journey, those who wish can take the Light Rail back to Hoboken Terminal to connect to the PATH.
Registration Required. We ask that you kindly cancel if your schedule changes.
Wearing Masks/Face Coverings is optional.
If you have any questions, contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org.
A free program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization delivering transformative programs to the Greater Newark Area and beyond.
Newark Center for Meditative Culture Awarded a $70,000 Grant from the Kataly Foundation
The funds will go toward the general operations of NCMC’s downtown Newark space and for freelance staff
NEWARK, NJ (July 27, 2022) – The Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC), a nonprofit that offers diverse, mindfulness programs to the greater Newark area, announced today that it was awarded a $70,000 grant from the Kataly Foundation, an organization that moves resources to support the economic, political, and cultural power of Black, Indigenous, and all communities of color. Specifically, the grant was disbursed by The Kataly Mindfulness and Healing Justice Program (MHJP), which supports community-based mindfulness programs, teacher trainings, and restorative practice retreats led by and for BIPOC communities. The grant will be distributed in two parts with NCMC having already received $30,000 this year and $40,000 to be disbursed in the next grant cycle in 2023.
NCMC’s mission is to provide a safe space for local area residents to gather to learn and practice methods of meditation, mindfulness, self-care, and self-healing. This grant will permit NCMC to increase the capacity for its meditation classes, healing workshops, mindful movement sessions, and other programs it offers. The funding will be used to operate NCMC’s brick-and-mortar space located in downtown Newark and to hire freelance contractors to support volunteer staff. This is the second grant that NCMC receives from MHJP. The first grant awarded in 2021 was to fund NCMC’s BIPOC Mindfulness Retreat in Nature that was held successfully in June of 2022 with 28 participants attending the three-day program.
“We are very grateful for the generous support of the Kataly Foundation,” said Ib’nallah S. Kazi, Spiritual Director of the Newark Center for Meditative Culture. “The Kataly Mindfulness and Healing Justice grant will directly impact local residents and will help us educate them about mindfulness and meditation techniques that will positively impact their lives.”
For more information about NCMC’s programs please visit https://newarkmeditation.org and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates and information on upcoming events.
About Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC)
Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides transformative programs to the Greater Newark Area and beyond. NCMC aims to be an inclusive community center that provides connection, empowerment, and resources for all people who seek a purposeful, conscientious lifestyle within a spiritual context. NCMC’s mission is to provide a safe space where like-minded people can gather to learn and practice methods of meditation, mindfulness, self-care, and self-healing and to become intentionally engaged together as changemakers within our multicultural and diverse population.
For more information about NCMC, please visit https://newarkmeditation.org/.
PRESS CONTACT:
Sodelba Alfaro
email: pr@newarkmeditation.org
Thrive at Five Party for NCMC’s 5th Anniversary to be held on Saturday, July 16th
Join us for a body, mind, spirit celebration!
Creative expressive fun for adults and kids!
Newark Center for Meditative Culture invites you, your family, and friends to attend our 5th Anniversary Celebration THRIVE PARTY and OPEN HOUSE on Saturday, July 16th from 12pm to 4pm. It will be held both OUTSIDE in our Rector St. Parking Lot and INSIDE in The Medicine Room at our center on the 2nd floor at 2 Park Place.
We’d like this to be a giving event, so we will be holding a Food Drive as part of the party to help those in need to nurture the BODY! You are welcome to bring non-perishable canned or dry foods (a 5 count for our 5 years if you like!). We’ll build a Food Pyramid on site during the party with the goods before they go to the designated charity to help the hungry.
In harmony with the MIND we will be offering mini sessions in reiki, kids mindful movement, yoga, taichi and meditation. Free self-care self-aware handouts included.
In the SPIRIT of our ancestors we will make circles of drums and peace chalk art in the parking lot.
If you would like to help make this event a success, please contact us about volunteering your time and talents! We also have space for a few vendors. Inquire with Keyana Jones at keyana@newarkmeditation.org.
Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering transfor programs to the Greater Newark community.
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
Natural, Spiritual, and Social Success in the New Un-Normal
A BIPOC Mindfulness Retreat
Now Open to all Non-Local Attendees as well as Greater Newark People!
June 17th-19th
(Friday evening thru Sunday lunchtime)
Register by June 10th
Pumpkin Hollow Retreat Center
1184 County Route 11, Craryville, NY 12521.
Climate shifts, viral mutations, and social upheaval are proving to be a constant in our world.
Business and life as usual have become a test in adaptation, innovation, and relaxed uncertainty.
The setting of this retreat is a retired farm with beautifully groomed grounds including a waterfall, nature trails, labyrinth, peace prayer pole and organic garden. The weekend will be an introduction to the protocols, practices, mental maps, spiritual compass, and kindred relationships we will all need to survive and thrive during this ‘in-between time.’ Enjoy mindful movement, grounding, energy medicine, medicine walking, wilderness bathing, fire talk, sky gazing, silent nights, free time for meditation, personal rest, and more. No prior retreat experience necessary.
Retreat Facilitators
Ib’nallah Kazi, Leslie, Shaka Georges, Victoria Guevara-Lovgren, Kamilah Crawley, Ihsaan Muhammad, Andrea Lee, Travis Spencer, Javier Cruz
(See bios below.)
Fee Schedule
Accommodations: Cabins, dorms, campsites.
Fee for lodging attendees: $300/person (Includes room, meals, and retreat activities.
Fee for campsite attendees: $220/person (Includes camping ground, meals, and retreat activites. Must supply own camping gear.)
Scholarships are available: For those who cannot afford the fee, request a scholarship during Registration.
Whether attending the retreat in its entirety or not, the fee is the same. See Cancellation and Refund Policies below. Space is limited, so register soon. An attendee waiting list will be available.
Transportation
You can choose to travel on your own by car or we will also be providing limited bus/van transportation for a fee of $20 per person (non-refundable), including for those with scholarships. Ride shares also may be available to split fuel and toll expenses.
Meals
Three simple vegetarian meals a day will be provided from dinner the first day through lunch of the last. If you want a snack between meals, or supplemental protein, you can bring a small quantity of packaged nonperishable food.
Restrictions
• Must be Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color.
• Must be 18 Years of age or older.
• Cabins are Not Handicap Accessible.
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES PAYMENT POLICY: Registration fee of $100 is due upon registration. Full amount can be paid upon registration as well. Full amount is required if registering on June 3, 2022, or later. Payment in full is due by June 10, 2022.
CANCELLATION POLICY: If you cancel your retreat at any time, the $100 registration fee is not refunded. If you cancel within 30 days of the retreat no refund will be given, but in an emergency, we may grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
COVID GUIDELINES: We will require proof of vaccination or negative test within 3 days of the retreat. It will be up to each individual to choose whether they want to wear a mask or not. Many activities will be outdoors, but attendees will be sharing spaces so we will need to respect each other’s choices.
Space is limited, so register soon.
Facilitator Bio-Notes
Ib’nallah S. Kazi is a New York-based spiritual wilderness guide, born in Panama and raised in New York. He graduated from Adelphi University, in 1981 with a BA in Psychology. Following careers in human services, public education and public health in the New York City area, he then placed an emphasis on wellness and spiritual cultivation through his own program, presently known as Our Shaman Song. Along with his friend and hiking partner Sala Nolan, Kazi founded the Harriet Tubman Hiking Society in 1988 to expose the African-American community to the strengthening, healing and spiritually grounding benefits of immersion in nature. Kazi lived in Newark, NJ from 2004-2017. He is the Spiritual Director and Lead Meditation Medicine Teacher with Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Leslie is the founder/lead instructor at I’m So Yoga in Newark NJ. She started her journey because she had been in and out of depression. At 13 she was diagnosed with scoliosis and after years of suffering from back pain she found yoga at the Newark YMCA. She went to classes about three times a week and after a month felt amazing as her back pain level went down. She created I’m So Yoga after she realized everyone should feel as good as herself with yoga.
Shaka Georges began his martial arts practice at the age of 9 years old. He immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti in 1975, and ever since then has studied various forms of martial arts including Wing Chun, White Crane Kung Fu Capoeira, and Tai Chi Long and Short Forms. He is a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner from the Mahamudra Lineage and has been meditating for over 10 years. He has also been a fitness coach and instructor in Newark. Shaka is a certified tai chi and qi gong teacher practicing in Montclair and Harrison NJ (Discovering The Healer Within on Facebook) and is a mathematics high school teacher in West Orange.
Veronica Guevara-Lovgren is a Jivamukti yoga instructor and Level II Reiki practitioner. She has also received training in Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra through Ohana Rising Yoga School. Although Veronica always had an interest in yoga and Reiki, she did not always have the means to access the practice. This led Veronica to create Tres Ositos Yoga as a way to share healing modalities with those interested at no cost or by donation to fundraise for local nonprofits and organizations supporting human and non-human communities. Veronica is also the Assistant Dean of Arts and Humanities at Ocean County College.
Kamilah Crawley, MPH is a public health professional, mindfulness facilitator, and intrinsic health & well-being coach. She has over a decade of experience in planning and implementing evidence-based interventions, health education workshops, and trainings. Kamilah is an adjunct professor at Kean University and the founder of The MindfulWoman, LLC. The Mindful Woman, LLC centers on sharing mindfulness practices that support the cultivation of self-care, inner peace, and healing. Kamilah merges her professional knowledge in public health, her mindfulness practice, and training with her passion for cultural healing. Kamilah served as a founding board member of the Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC), in Newark, NJ and she is a visiting mindfulness presenter with the organization. Kamilah is currently a student in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP) by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.
Ihsaan R. Muhammad graduated from Rutgers Law School and has been until recently a practicing lawyer. Still retaining his law certification, he is now a branding and marketing communications consultant at his own company IHSAAN Designs. Born and raised in the Vailsburg section of Newark, New Jersey, Ihsaan is a founding board member of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, which is a non-profit diverse urban meditation community serving The Greater Newark Area. He also happens to be a proud graduate of The Rutgers School of Law, Class of 2013. Ihsaan has practiced mantra meditation for over six years under the guidance of Reverend Jaganath Carrera of The Yoga Life Society, a practice that aids health and wellness.
Andrea Lee is a Preschool Assistant Teacher at Montclair Cooperative School in her hometown of Montclair, NJ. She is an intern organic farmer at Rabbit Hole Farm in Newark where she resides. She is a senior disciple of Reverend Jaganath Carrera, Spiritual Head and Founder of Yoga Life Society. She recently completed seminary training and was ordained a Yoga Life Minister. She performs Kirtan with Mirabai Catherine Moon and is a certified Yoga instructor.
Travis Spencer, MA is a licensed mental health therapist and mindfulness teacher/facilitator. Over the years he dedicated himself to serving Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) through counseling adults, teens, children, and families. Travis is also a mental health coordinator for Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (IBme) retreats in Virginia and in California which provide highly relational mindfulness programming for youth as well as the parents and professionals who support them. Travis also established several Mindful Teen Circles (MTC) programs throughout Washington, D.C that employ mindfulness to support the psychosocial development of teens. Additionally, Travis established The Institute of African American Mindfulness (IAAM). IAAM is a healing and wellness organization that supports the natural capacity of African Americans and Allies to live in an inclusive community devoted to Mindful Living. Travis is a graduate of Trinity Washington University with a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
JJavier Cruz was born in Puerto Rico but has lived in the Greater Newark area for decades. He is bilingual, speaking Spanish and English. He was introduced to meditation in 1999 and has had a committed meditation practice for over 10 years. Through his practice he became a hospice volunteer and a Buddhist practitioner with residential retreat experience. He is a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher through (MMTCP) with Jack Kornfield & Tara Brach. He continues to study with his main teacher, Dennis Maurer, of IMCNJ, under the guidance of Narayan Liebenson. His main practice is lovingkindness. He is also a bilingual mindfulness and meditation instructor with Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
A program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture made possible through a grant from the Kataly Foundation.
Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.
Space is limited, so register soon.
Wednesdays 7pm EST ONLINE in April: SELF-AWARENESS SELF-CARE SELF-HEALING — Power Tools for BIPOC Strategists, Activists, and Supporters
FREE ONLINE PROGRAM:
Link to sign-up: https://ncmc-bipoc-power.eventbrite.com
Co-facilitators: Kazi & JJavier Cruz | Dates: Wednesdays, April 6, 13, 20 & 27 | Time: 7:00pm to 8:00pm EST | Cost: FREE | Age: Adults 18 years and older | Guidelines: You must be a Person of Color or identify as such to attend. You must be active in a movement. You can attend from any location in the world. | Platform: Zoom |
The ongoing grassroots movement for freedom, justice, and equality waged by peoples of color (POC; BIPOC) in the Americas has for the most part been carried forward on the shoulders of a few — fighting unselfishly and relentlessly for the rights of the many.
As rewarding as the occasional victories may be, the day-to-day struggle can be filled with stressors that often lead to compromised physical and mental health issues such as depression, misplaced anger, anxiety, burnout, addiction, domestic strife, and a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
Join us for four weeks of discussion, engagement, and sharing solutions for keeping the movers of our movements mentally healthy, physically strong, and conscientiously clear.
Link to sign-up: https://ncmc-bipoc-power.eventbrite.com
A free BIPOC program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
New! Free Brick City Mindfulness Handbook
Free 24 page, full-color e-Handbook for all online and limited quantity paper Handbooks for qualifying Newark organizations and groups to distribute and use.
Our intent in creating this handbook was to benefit individuals and families new to the practice of meditation and mindfulness. It will introduce you to the basic concepts, practices, tools, and tips to gently guide you as you explore, experiment and evaluate the role of meditation in your life. See what works for you — what fits your situation (time, location, access, etc.) Includes Family Mindfulness practices.
Both during and after the pandemic we feel that the content especially will be supportive to Newark families and constituents who are stressed and might learn some basic practice tools from the Handbook. Even learning one simple thing from it might make all the difference to them.
The Handbook in either format can be used as content for learning at a beginner’s study group, discussion group, or workshop, but it is simple enough for self-learning as well.
Free e-Handbook
Available now to anyone, anywhere.
For your convenience the handbook is downloadable and printable. (Once you’ve read the handbook, please take our survey by using the link on the last page.)
READ OR DOWNLOAD NOW.
Free Paper Handbook
For qualifying Newark organizations and groups.
We have a limited quantity of printed handbooks for you to order and share within your staff and communities. It’s a great basic learning tool — with or without guidance! Each handbook comes with a two-sided flyer that you can insert or use with your constituents as you prefer. It’s a simple Mental Health Quick Guide that lists basic contact information to city and local mental health services and NCMC practice links.
LEARN MORE.
Basic Reiki Workshops on Saturdays Nov. 13th and Dec. 18th at 1:30pm EST
These workshops are an opportunity to intentionally gather, share, and ask questions on Reiki and to receive a Reiki healing experience.
Hybrid Attendance: Choose In-Person (limited distanced seating) or Online
Guest Teacher Veronica Guevaras-Lovgren
Workshop 1: Intro to Reiki and Healing Experience | Sat. Nov. 13th | 1:30 to 2:30pm EST | Participants will learn what Reiki is, its benefits, and receive a Reiki healing experience. Reiki is an energetic healing technique that promotes overall well-being and peace.
Workshop 2: History of Reiki and Healing Experience | Sat. Dec. 18th | 1:30 to 2:30pm EST | Participants will learn the history of Reiki, current research on Reiki’s efficacy, and receive a Reiki healing experience. Learn about those who developed the system of Reiki we practice today, and about the research being done to support Reiki’s effectiveness as an integrative therapy that supports mind-body-spirit wellness.
While some students might be seated for the experience, most prefer to lie down. Note that there will be no direct contact or closeness during the experience in order to maintain our social distancing. Dress comfortably and in layers for sitting and a little mindful movement. If you wish, bring/prepare a yoga mat, blanket, and water. Feel free to have paper and pen available to document your experience. If attending in-person, yoga mats and blankets will be provided.
These are stand-alone workshops so you can choose to attend just one or both.
Covid Protocols For IN-PERSON attendance, Covid-19 Vaccination Card or proof of a current negative Covid-19 Test is required to enter each workshop. Masks are required and sanitizing of hands at entry. Limit 10 students seated a range of 4 to 6 feet apart. An Air Purifier will be turned on before and during class. | For ONLINE attendance: There are no restrictions.
Facility Concerns: The Center is on the second floor unfortunately with no elevator or wheelchair access.
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Teacher Bio-note
Veronica Guevara-Lovgren is a Jivamukti yoga instructor and Level II Reiki practitioner. She has also received training in Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra through Ohana Rising Yoga School. Although Veronica always had an interest in yoga and Reiki, she did not always have the means to access the practice. This led Veronica to create Tres Ositos Yoga as a way to share healing modalities with those interested at no cost or by donation to fundraise for local nonprofits and organizations supporting human and non-human communities. Veronica is also the Assistant Dean of Arts and Humanities at Ocean County College.
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A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501c3 non-profit organization.
Giving Freely: Dana, an earnest appeal
Greetings NCMC friends,
In the spiritual and meditation domains, giving and generosity (also known as an ancient term of dana, pronounced daa·nuh) is considered a practice — even an art — that can be finely tuned and developed, partly through discipline, partly as maturing compassion.
At NCMC, as a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of you, our community, to support us through various channels — especially through monetary donations and service (time and energy). We in turn provide teachings and activities, free and donation-based, that we feel the Newark community is responsive to, appreciative of, and benefits from.
Right now, with a new opening of NCMC close upon us in a larger space and excitedly implementing and planning important projects through our first grant awards, our committed volunteers are at full capacity in their service with NCMC. We are reaching out to you to help and be a part of our team, be it through donations or service.
Larger donations might provide the funding we need to hire professionals for special projects that need to be done. Smaller donations can help to keep our bottom line secure.
Service as a volunteer is currently needed for:
1. Providing content for and integrating social media.
2. Hands-on help in the new Center with cleaning and preparing for upcoming programs.
3. Hands-on help at upcoming events (Sun Aug 29 and Sun Sep 19).
4. Optimizing and configuring our website (IT person).
Do you have spare time that you can commit either to a project or as an ongoing volunteer? Is there some other service you can offer that we may not have listed? Please let us know, we may need it!
Contact us by email to discuss potential volunteer service at info@newarkmeditation.org.
Donations by credit/debit card or PayPal can be made quickly through the top “Donate Here” button of our Linktree site or through the button below. Checks can be sent to us at Newark Center for Meditative Culture, PO Box 182, Newark, NJ 07101.
We appreciate your time in reading this.
In gratitude,
The NCMC Team
Third Saturdays: CREATIVITY AS A REMEDY — Free Basic Therapeutic Art, Meditation & Journaling Series
Six free stand-alone sessions for ages 10 through adults! Learn to use creativity as a tool to relax, reduce stress and get beyond the climate of fear. Self-exploration through movement, meditation, and color. Perfect for Individuals, Families, Groups — Children, Teens, Adults, and Seniors.
View RECORDED Sessions on YouTube any time: https://bit.ly/3xpNT3T
Uploaded a week or two after each live session.
Register for LIVE Sessions on Zoom: https://bit.ly/3yE5d6g
Scroll down for details.
Instructor Jewell Singletary
Dates Third Saturdays: Jun 19, Jul 17, Aug 21, Sep 18, Oct 16, Nov 20.
Time 10:00 to 10:30am EST
Level No experience necessary
Cost Free
Ages 10 years to adults and seniors
Location Live Online Zoom.
Participants are guided through gentle upper body tension release movements, meditations, and an interactive art activity. Every session ends with an open share and space for questions and comments.
This free program is intended to support the mental health and well-being of families and individuals of Newark (and beyond) during this stressful covid period.
Supplies you’ll need: Notebook or paper, pencil or pen, and crayons, markers, or colored pencils.
Stand-alone classes: As each class is a specific topic, you can choose to come to as many as you like.
REGISTER ON ZOOM: https://bit.ly/3yE5d6g
TOPICS
Session 1 • June 19 • ANCESTRAL ART | Includes • Skull Shining Breath/Breath of Fire Meditation • Drawing hieroglyphics and adinkra symbols. • Writing what each adinkra symbol means in your life.
Session 2 • July 17 • SOUND & SHINE | Includes • Sound Bowl Meditation • Drawing sun rays with self at the center • Writing affirmations flowing outward from the center sun.
Session 3 • August 21 • LION’S BREATH | Includes • Lion’s Breath Meditation • Drawing your crown • Writing what you would like to have fill your crown with abundance in the next season.
Session 4 • September 19 • FLEXIBLE & FREE | Includes • Body Scan Meditation • Drawing a stack of birds • Writing what it means to have wings and be flexible and free.
Session 5 • October 17 • RELEASE & REPLACE | Includes • EFT Tapping | Drawing teacups with steam releasing • Writing what you want to release with the steam and what you want to fill your cup with instead.
Session 6 • November 21 • GROW IN GRATITUDE | Includes • Gratitude Meditation • Drawing floral/nature plant life • Writing what you are grateful for past, present, and future.
REGISTER ON ZOOM: https://bit.ly/3yE5d6g
BENEFITS
The top three benefits of creative practices are that they can increase resilience, lower stress, and improve mood and mental clarity.
Research shows a consistent meditation practice increases the “feel-good hormones” dopamine and neurotransmitters like serotonin. Over time, the prefrontal cortex portion of the brain thickens which contributes to retention of positive thoughts and deflection of negative ones, and the amygdala shrinks and eases our “fight, flight, freeze” stress response.
Writing, coloring and drawing activates a part of our brain called the RAS — this helps to strengthen our focus. Working with color helps to stimulate the limbic system portion of the brain which rules emotions, feelings and memories.
INSTRUCTOR BIO-NOTE
Jewell Singletary is a creative entrepreneur, educator, and multidisciplinary artist. She specializes in performance and textile art as well as holistic wellness videos and digital documentary films. Through teaching and creating, Jewell inspires her community to utilize art, music, movement, and meditation as healing tools to achieve mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
A free community service program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture made possible through a grant from the Victoria Foundation.
Newark Center for Meditative Culture is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.
Please donate if you are moved to do so.
Sunday, May 23 — Spring Urban HIKE: Iron & Brick meets FLOWER POWER
(Vaya al enlace de abajo para la traducción al español.)
A free guided hike in the Ironbound Section of Newark NJ. Bring your sunniest disposition (or the hike will make it sunny!), wear your most colorful or flowery clothes, and let’s breath in some outdoor air together and make new friends!
We’ll explore through body, mind, and spirit and walk, see, listen, touch, meditate, and exercise in green spaces and city sidewalks.
Perfect for Individuals, Families, Children, and Groups. Limited space so register soon! Well-behaved pets welcome to join!
When registering you can join the “NCMC Hikers” Group, create your Own Group, or go it alone!
Hike Leaders: Kazi and Les | Distance: 3 mi. (complete route) 1-2 mi. (short route) |Difficulty: Easy | Fee: Free | Age: For all ages who can walk the full or partial route (youths under 17 must be accompanied by adult) | Language: English with Spanish translation.
For Details and to Register go to ncmc-hike-caminata-ironbound.eventbrite.com.
24 Tips to Creating a Sacred Space: NCMC tip featured in Redfin article
Learn some simple steps to make an ordinary room your sacred space!
NCMC was asked by Redfin to participate in their article Transformative Tips for Creating a Sacred Space in Your Home. Kazi then submitted a tip on the importance of choosing the right seat. Check out their informative article here.
And by the way, don’t forget that Kazi’s Divine Light Sunday Morning 3-Part Series starts on March 14th at 9am EST and he’ll be going over some of his other advice on creating a sacred space and making good associations in the first session.
We appreciate the invitation from Redfin and their shining a little light on NCMC!
RISE AND SHINE YOUR LIGHT DIVINE: 3-Part Online Learning Series starts Sunday, March 14th
Live online Sunday learning sessions with Kazi guiding you in Meditations, Movement, Messages, and Meals to put the Mojo in your Mornings.
Register at ncmc-divine-light.eventbrite.com
Teacher: Kazi | Dates: March 14, 21 & 28 | Time: 9am to 10am EST | Donation: $20 suggested for the series | Age: Adults (Youths welcome for free accompanied by adults) | Level: All welcome, no experience necessary | Platform: NCMC Zoom.
Learn to:
–Weed your time mind to align with nature’s auspicious and propitious cycles.
–Seed your intentions in the soul-soil of the season.
–Feed your soul roots vital chi food trapped in body tension via Xtension.
Bonus soul food vital break-fast recipe!
Bio-note:
Ib’nallah S. Kazi is a New York-based spiritual wilderness guide, born in Panama and raised in New York. He graduated from Adelphi University, in 1981 with a BA in Psychology. Following careers in human services, public education and public health in the New York City area, he then placed an emphasis on wellness and spiritual cultivation through his own program, presently known as Our Shaman Song. As a spiritual wilderness guide, he gently awakens the inner guidance of wellness seekers through the process of integrating the medicinal forces inherent in our Heavenly (spiritual), Human (social) and Earthly (natural) environments. Along with his friend and hiking partner Sala Nolan, Kazi founded the Harriet Tubman Hiking Society in 1988 to expose the African-American community to the strengthening, healing and spiritually grounding benefits of immersion in nature. He is the Spiritual Director and Meditation Medicine teacher with NCMC.
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A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.
BE THE CHANGE: Meditation & Gentle Yoga Series
Focusing on the intention of creating positive change in lives to cultivate self-compassion in order to foster compassion toward others.
Join in on any date and donate as you can! Youths free!
Register at ncmc-yoga-meditation-change.eventbrite.com
Sundays, February 7 & 14, March 7 & 14, 2021 | 2:00 to 3:00pm EST
Instructor Ella Moncur
This four session practice series on Zoom and taught by Ella Moncur focuses on the intention of creating positive change in our own lives; cultivating self-compassion so that we can effectively show up and foster compassion towards others. Participants will develop useful tools to support self-care practices.
Appropriate for beginners to experienced students and youths aged 13 – 17.
Donation-based Donations appreciated from Adults if you can. Youths 13-17 Free.
Registration Required.
Note: You will receive the access code to Zoom by email. The Zoom Link that you will receive by email is good for use on any date of this series.
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Bio-Note Ella is a Registered Nurse, Health and Fitness Coach, Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, and Holistic Practitioner. She is the owner and founder of Just Be Holistic Health & Wellness and is a guest instructor with NCMC.
A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.
Nov. 7 Newark IntraCity Urban Hike: Walk with us!
You’ll be guided to explore body, mind, and spirit by walking, seeing, listening, touching and movement meditation in both nature and city.
REGISTER NOW
Newark in Yin & Yang:
The Static Sidewalks of Brick City meet the Dynamic Nature of Branch Brook Park
Saturday, November 7, 2020 | 9am to 12pm | Lincoln Park to Branch Brook Park
Hiking Guide: Kazi (with other facilitators as well) | Distance: Up to 4.5 mi. | Difficulty: Easy | Fee: FREE, donations welcome | Age: 12 years or older (12-17 accompanied by an adult)
Walk, meet new friends, talk, listen, smell, look, touch, and practice moving and walking meditation.
Our IntraCity Urban Hike will depart Lincoln Park at 9am, with a stop in Military Park, passing through Washington Park and then ending at Branch Brook Park Lenape Trail (ETA 12:00pm). Depart as you please or return together on the bus or light rail at Branch Brook Park Light Rail Station.
For a shorter journey, attendees can meet us at Military Park (ETA 9:30am) and start from there or end your hike at Military Park or Washington Park.
We suggest you dress in layers so that you may adjust if the temperature changes over the course of the hike.
Guide Bio:
Ib’nallah S. Kazi is a New York-based spiritual wilderness guide, born in Panama and raised in New York. He graduated from Adelphi University, in 1981 with a BA in Psychology. Following careers in human services, public education and public health in the New York City area, he then placed an emphasis on wellness and spiritual cultivation through his own program, presently known as Our Shaman Song. As a spiritual wilderness guide, he gently awakens the inner guidance of wellness seekers through the process of integrating the medicinal forces inherent in our Heavenly (spiritual), Human (social) and Earthly (natural) environments. Along with his friend and hiking partner Sala Nolan, Kazi founded the Harriet Tubman Hiking Society in 1988 to expose the African-American community to the strengthening, healing and spiritually grounding benefits of immersion in nature. He is the Spiritual Director and Meditation Medicine teacher with NCMC.
Consider making a donation for the hike to support our 2020 fundraiser. We need to raise $2K by Dec. 31, 2020 to reach our goal of $5K!
Our funding goal is for development and execution of a multi-purpose Learning and Community Room, including a library, tea room, and local artisan shop, in the adjoining space to our Meditation & Mindful Movement Room. This space will be available for students, volunteers, friends, and colleagues to gather together to connect, learn, and inspire each other.
However, if Covid continues and we are unable to actualize the Learning & Community Room soon enough, our secondary plan is to develop and provide even more online learning sessions and practice tools than we already are producing now.
Ways you can help:
• Donate through your hike registration by choosing a Donation ticket.
• Make a one-time donation directly through our!
• Make a small monthly recurring donation to fit into your budget!
• Pledge: If you know you will have the funds for us by 12/31, just let us know by email at and we’ll count you in!
• Throw a Facebook Watch Party of any of our Free Recorded Teachings on the NCMC YouTube Channel and use a donate button to support NCMC!
Want to make a purchase that also supports our fundraising?
Go to the NCMC Spirit Culture Shop for a few daily awareness products! (pictured below)
A free community service program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Sunday, Oct. 25th — NCMC’s First Annual Fundraiser: CELEBRATING SPIRIT & CULTURE
A VIRTUAL GATHERING (on Zoom)
Sunday, October 25
1pm to 5pm ET
Online
Presenters:
Ven. Kaboggoza Buddharakhita • Akua Ishangi • Richard Ford • Mfundishi Khalil Maasi • Rebecca Li • Shaka Georges • Mesha Allen • Kamilah Crawley • Raul “Gorras” Moris • NCMC Board and more.
Join us for a live-emceed virtual fundraiser with exclusive video presentations and performances — a unique, at home experience for a meaningful cause!
We welcome you to become a Corporate Sponsor, Individual Benefactor, or General Admission Donor at an inclusive range of $5 to $600. For details on our background and $5,000 goal see About Our 2020 Fundraiser.
This event is appropriate for viewers aged 18 and older.
To learn more about the event or to attend go to:
ncmc-first-fundraiser.eventbrite.com.
MIND, BRAIN & MEDITATION: Insights from the Nervous System — A Four-Part On-demand Online Workshop
A FOUR-PART ONLINE WORKSHOP
ENROLL NOW
Teacher: Cornelia Santschi, PhD
On-demand access: Access for each video starts at 1pm each Thursday, October 1, 8, 15, and 22 on our YouTube Channel, available 24/7. Access to all videos will end on October 29.
Length: 50 minute sessions
Platform: NCMC YouTube Channel
FEE SCALE
Individual fee: $40 for access to series
Group rate: $100 for access to series
Purchase series: $150 to own files and reuse (not for resale or distribution). NOTE: Allow two weeks from course end to receive the files.
Level: No background skills or knowledge necessary.
Summary In this series of on-demand video sessions, neuropsychologist and meditation teacher Cornelia Santschi will guide you in an exploration of the brain, mind, and nervous system to show you the potential that mindfulness and meditation can bring to reduce stress and heighten our empathic nature. Includes talks, guided meditations, practice exercises, and opportunity for questions to be answered. (Individual students or group representative can submit questions via an online form and receive a collective audio-file response from the teacher.)
SESSION TOPICS
Session 1: FOUNDATIONS – Using the Mind to Change the Brain | Oct. 1, avail. for 7 days.
Session 2: FIGHT, FLIGHT, FREEZE – Polyvagal Theory and Self-Regulation | Oct. 8, avail. for 7 days.
Session 3: AWARENESS IN THE BRAIN – The Neural Circuits of Mindfulness | Oct. 15, avail. for 7 days.
Session 4: UPPER REACHES OF HUMAN POTENTIAL – Compassion, Kindness, and Empathy | Oct. 22, avail. for 7 days.
ENROLL NOW
Teacher Bio-note
Cornelia Santschi, PhD is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leader Program through Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society and is now an insight meditation teacher. She has been a vipassana (insight) meditator and dedicated student of Buddhist psychology for over 15 years. She is the director of Neuropsychology at the Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery in NJ, and founder/director of Anatta World Health & Education Outreach, a grassroots non-profit that creates and supports medical and educational programs in developing countries. Cornelia, co-founder of NCMC, also serves as the Lead Insight Meditation Teacher and MBSR Coordinator with them.
A fee-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Our New Sign is Up!
Our sign is finally put up in the front lawn of 2 Park Place that houses our Center! Some day soon we’ll be able to start in-person practice together again. Thank you to Newark Community Cycling Center for moving their sign and helping us to put up ours — certainly “sharing the road.”
Moyo Kazi QIGONG for Beginners: A Downtown Outdoor Workshop on Tuesday, October 13
VISITING TEACHER
Mfundishi Khalil Maasi
Tuesday, October 13 (Rain date Oct. 20)
3:00 to 4:30 pm
Church Back Lawn (608 Broad St.),
across the street from NCMC (2 Park Place).
ENROLL NOW
NCMC is providing this beginners workshop in Newark to introduce the community to the gentle, powerful practice of Qigong that is especially helpful in this uniquely stressful time effecting the physical and mental health of many.
Participants will be led by Khalil in these Moyo Kazi Qigong exercises and standing meditations. The goal of this practice is to heal and strengthen the body, improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, and bring the practitioner to a state of mindfulness and calm.
These exercises will be simple and easy to do by participants of all ages who have basic physical mobility. These standing exercises are no impact and do not require physical interaction. Youths are welcome to attend. Beginning to intermediate level.
Suggested Donation: $5
ENROLL NOW
Social Distancing: All guidelines will be in effect if and as required.
Teacher Bio-note
Mfundishi Khalil Maasi is the son and a senior student of legendary meditation and martial arts Grandmaster Shaha Mfundishi Maasi. He now teaches his father’s system of mindfulness and internal martial science, Moyo Kazi AKA Dikitisa Ngolo, an integrated system of Qigong and Mindfulness Meditation that he developed from over 50 years of study of various internal martial traditions. You can go to their site for more information about the practice.
A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture in cooperation with Trinity & St. Philip’s Cathedral.
Tools for Wellness Month in August
To support your wellness plans for Wellness Month of August 2020 we put together an article Seven Dimensions of Wellness in a Nutshell. Corresponding to this we are offering a few complimentary tools to help you along your path to holistic wellness:
1. We’ve prepared a digital Wellness Month Calendar that you can either download the fillable PDF or print it and jot down your plan. An empty calendar can be intimidating, but it can also free you to thoughtfully consider your wellness plan without limitations! Truly think about the 7 Dimensions of Wellness and what beneficial changes you can implement in the month of August that you can then sustain and build on in the future.
2. Also check out the Sample Daily Wellness 
Plan Calendar we prepared that might inspire you. We chose a plan to practice just one dimension of wellness a day for each of the 7 days of week. You might also prefer to plan daily, weekly, or monthly practices to develop good routines along with exploring one time practices such as shown.
3. On NCMC’s YouTube Channel there’s free access to all our Video Teachings to use for your Wellness Month. They include beginner’s meditation, chair yoga, gentle qigong, guidance in walking meditation, mindfulness tips, and more.
4. If you’d like to discuss anything about your wellness plan we can offer a one-time free 15 minute phone consultation through August 15th in wellness areas that we are skilled in. These include health and wellness, spirituality, mindfulness based stress reduction, stress resilience practice, loving-kindness meditation, Insight Meditation, and Medicine Meditation. Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org.
If these tools, tips, and teachings we’ve compiled are helpful to you, would you consider making a small donation to Newark Center for Meditative Culture? We are a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.
The 7 Dimensions of Wellness in a Nutshell
August is Wellness Month and we’ve put together an overview of the 7 Dimensions of Wellness.
Consider designing your own wellness program for August with good planning and a goal to sustain and build on it!
We’ve also provided a fillable Wellness Month Calendar that you can print out to use and we created a month of daily suggestions to inspire you. There’s other tools described available for your use that might help too.
What are a few of the dimensions below that you might like to work on? How can you apply changes successfully on a daily or weekly basis in order to make a habit of them?
1. PHYSICAL WELLNESS
Move more and eat better.
Tips and suggestions:
• Exercise daily.
• Control your meal portions.
• Eat healthy foods/avoid processed and junk foods.
• Get adequate rest.
• Protect yourself against injuries.
• Learn to recognize early signs of illness.
• Use alcohol in moderation or not at all.
• Stop smoking and protect yourself from second-hand smoke.
Without physical health, it is more difficult to be mentally and emotionally healthy, so the two key components are to exercise and eat well. Improving physical wellness involves personal responsibility and often leads to the psychological benefits of enhanced self-esteem, self-control, determination, and a sense of purpose.
Another important element — we think very important in your wellness practice — is to use mindfulness to manage your compulsions and obsessions that drive bad habits. In fact, if you can’t necessarily add good behaviors during Wellness Month, start by mindfully trying to remove bad behaviors.
2. EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
Develop mindfulness and optimism skills.
Tips and suggestions:
• Tune-in to your thoughts and feelings.
• Cultivate an optimistic attitude.
• Seek and provide support.
• Learn time management skills.
• Learn meditation and mindfulness techniques.
• Learn stress management techniques.
• Deal with anger constructively.
• Accept and forgive yourself.
Emotional wellness is by nature a dynamic state that fluctuates along with your other six dimensions of wellness. It is important to develop a positive outlook on life and surround ourselves with positive people. Uniquely, time management is an important factor of emotional wellness, allowing time for ourselves and minimizing stress-induced situations.
Practicing mindfulness helps to really be present in the moment so you don’t jump onto the wrong emotional train. Expressing your feelings of love, gratitude, and other positive feelings can help alleviate alienation. During Wellness Month you might pick just a few negative habits to weaken, using your own daily prayers to reinforce your efforts.
3. INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS
Stimulate and inspire your brain.
Tips and suggestions:
• Take a course or workshop.
• Teach others.
• Learn or perfect a foreign language.
• Seek out people who challenge you intellectually.
• Read books and watch more educational programs.
• Attend museums, exhibits, and theater.
• Travel and explore other cultures.
The intellectual dimension encourages learning, growth, and creativity. An active and open mind leads to a life filled with curiosity, passion, and purpose. Just as our bodies need motivation and exercise, so too our minds. If we are not intellectually stimulated, life can be mundane and this can lead to depression and resentment.
Tied to our emotional wellness, it is easy to compare and judge ourselves if we don’t feel intellectually competent or aren’t comfortable with and made peace with our own capacity. To ensure our personal maximum intellectual wellness we can take advantages of available resources to find new hobbies, read, take a course — simply keep learning!
4. SOCIAL WELLNESS
Cultivate friendships and contribute to community.
Tips and suggestions:
• Cultivate healthy relationships.
• Contact old friends and make new friends.
• Get involved.
• Contribute to your community.
• Share your talents and skills.
• Communicate your thoughts, feelings and ideas.
Personal connections contribute to a long and fulfilling life — whether they are family, friends, community groups, or even global connections. When you nurture relationships you create healthy support networks, contribute to the greater good, and builds a sense of belonging.
This means practicing good communication skills and developing intimacy with others. Social wellness also includes showing respect for others as well as yourself. An active social life can be incredibly stimulating and conducive to positive changes in all seven dimensions of wellness.
5. SPIRITUAL WELLNESS
Nourish your soul and open your heart.
Tips and suggestions:
• Explore your spiritual core.
• Spend time alone to reflect.
• Meditate regularly.
• Take pauses to pay attention to your breath.
• Be inquisitive and curious.
• Try to be fully present in all you do.
• Listen with your heart and live by your principles.
• Allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be who they are.
• See opportunities for growth in the challenges life brings you.
When we develop a set of guiding beliefs and principles it gives a sense of meaning and purpose to our life. Keeping an open mind in a spirit-centered life may bring up thoughts of despair, fear, and doubt as we grow, but out of it can come joy, happiness, and wisdom.
It is important to spend quiet time each day, reflecting or meditating, or simply pausing to take a few minutes to breathe properly. Spiritual wellness includes developing a deep appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and natural forces of the universe.
6. ENVIRONMENTAL WELLNESS
Love and care for the planet.
Tips and suggestions:
• Stop your junk mail.
• Conserve water and other resources.
• Minimize chemical use.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle.
• Rethink your living space.
To be environmentally well we need to be aware of the delicate state of the earth and the effects our daily habits have on the physical world. When we help to take responsibility for the health of the planet we can bring a sense of accomplishment and well-being into our own life.
It is also important to be aware of our home environment — how the materials and objects we choose to surround us have an effect on environmental wellness. The more we get out into nature mindfully the more we will understand this. We need to remember that we are an integral part of the environment and that caring for the environment is self-care.
7. VOCATIONAL WELLNESS
Use and give your skills.
Tips and suggestions:
• Explore a variety of vocation options.
• Create a vision for your future.
• Choose a career that suits your personality, interests and talents.
• Be open to change and learn new skills.
• Balance work with life.
• Learn to budget your lifestyle with your vocation compensation.
• Use unemployment or retirement to hone your skills or develop new ones.
• Volunteer your vocational skills if you aren’t fulfilled at work.
This dimension of wellness focuses on enriching your life and that of others by sharing your special gifts, skills, and talents. Our job may not fulfill us, we may be unemployed or retired, but there are always ways to use our skills, knowledge, and passion in other meaningful ways to serve our family and society, and to enhance our self-esteem.
Vocational wellness also involves preparing, planning, and creating a positive attitude to reshape your personal goals at work. Whether through work, parenting, or volunteering, you can make a strong impact and reap the health benefits of adding purpose to your life.
Are you inspired yet? Ready to fill out your Wellness Calendar? Let’s get started together!
If these tools, tips, and teachings we’ve compiled are helpful to you, would you consider making a small donation to Newark Center for Meditative Culture? We are a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.
Planning for August Wellness Month with The 7 Dimensions of Wellness
When we consider wellness we often think primarily of physical health. But wellness is much more than that. Wellness is the multi-dimensional development and maintenance of seven aspects of life — that of the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, and vocational dimensions. Rather than being seen as separate entities, these seven aspects can be viewed as an interconnected platform upon which wellness can be nurtured and balanced.
At this moment in time we’re all taxed and challenged by a broad range of problems that can have quite a “domino” on our overall wellness, especially in regard to mental health. How do we deal with it? This can be seen as multi-dimensional, too. We can improve our wellness through our own efforts, the efforts of our families and friends, through professional support, and within different settings such as at home, work, and play.
August is Wellness Month. In preparation, we can consider all seven aspects and work on creating and strengthening good habits — while weakening bad ones. We can start by accepting our inner and outer circumstances as they are — and work to reshape our wellness and our healing, together! This can be accomplished in a good-natured, pleasant, self-respectful (not self-punishing) way.
It will be up to you to design your plan and institute your changes. We’ll help you prepare by sharing information on the Seven Dimensions of Wellness. Here is the breakdown for you:
1. Physical Wellness • Move more and eat better.
2. Emotional Wellness • Develop mindfulness and optimism skills.
3. Intellectual Wellness • Stimulate and inspire your brain.
4. Social Wellness • Cultivate friendships and contribute to community.
5. Spiritual Wellness • Nourish your soul and open your heart.
6. Environmental Wellness • Love and care for the planet.
7. Vocational Wellness • Use and give your skills.
What are a few of these seven dimensions that you’d like to work on? How can you apply changes successfully on a daily or weekly basis in order to make a habit of them? Let’s get started together!
One way to start is go to our article The 7 Dimensions of Wellness in a Nutshell for more details about the seven dimensions.
Yoga-Meditation Course: 7 Chakras — Meditation, Mantras & Movement
An online yoga-meditation course where we’ll talk about each chakra, meditate on it, and move through it. Beginner to intermediate students.
Taught by ELLA MONCUR
STARTS MONDAY, AUGUST 10TH
OPTIONAL: Attend 4, 5, or 6 Sessions
ENROLL NOW
Dates Mondays, August 10, 17, 24, 31 & September 14, 21
Time 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Platform: NCMC ZOOM
Fee Scale: $45 for 4, $50 for 5, $55 for 6
Supplies Needed Please use a yoga mat. Have water available. No need to wear yoga clothes if you don’t have. Instead wear loose or stretchy pants (not jeans).
Objective Talk about each chakra, meditate on it, and move through it.
Course Each session will open with an overview and discussion of the energy center of focus, followed by an active yoga flow specifically geared to asanas that will help to open these centers, and ending with a healing meditation using vibrational sound music specific to each chakra as well as a mantra used as the centering thought for the meditation.
Curriculum
Week 1 ROOT CHAKRA has a direct correlation to our adrenal glands. This chakra is all about our physical identity, safety and security and ability to ground.
Week 2 SACRAL CHAKRA is associated with orange and has a direct correlation to the gonads, testes and ovaries. It is all about creativity, how we navigate through our personal relationships and intimacy.
Week 3 SOLAR PLEXUS has a direct correlation to digestion, the pancreas and liver. It is about our personal power, will power, self-esteem, mental focus and sense of belonging and purpose.
Week 4 HEART CHAKRA is correlated to our immune system and systemic allergies. It is about our ability to trust, forgive, love, and patience and compassion for all living.
Week 5 THROAT CHAKRA is correlated to our thyroid, ears, sinus, allergies. It relates to self-expression, communication and ability to live and speak our truth.
Week 6 THIRD EYE & CROWN CHAKRA Our Third Eye is about connection to our intuition and guidance to live in alignment with our higher self. The Crown Chakra is the absolute knowing, connection to spirituality, integration of oneness.
ENROLL NOW
Teacher Bio-Note
Ella Moncur is a Registered Nurse, Health and Fitness Coach, Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, and Holistic Practitioner. She is the owner and founder of Just Be Holistic Health & Wellness https://www.justbenlh.com/ and is a Guest Instructor with NCMC.
A fee-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
31 New Video Teachings Ready for Your Viewing
In the past few months we’ve produced 31 videos to serve the community during social distancing. They include guided meditations, qigong, yoga, and mindfulness sessions ranging from 15 minutes to 1 hour. Please check them out on NCMC’s YouTube Channel. (Shown, a silent video clip with teacher Ib’nallah Kazi from a couple years ago.)
Our First Grant Received: Funding of 33 Online Sessions
Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) received our very first grant as a 501c3 non-profit organization in early April from 
the Victoria Foundation Fund and the Thrive Neighborhood Initiative Fund in partnership with the Greater Newark LISC. Part of the funding was allocated to assist with online meditation workshops and sessions due to the covid19 emergency. A portion was to support online workshops specifically in two neighborhoods of Newark, but viewership broadened in scope.
NCMC is grateful for the opportunity provided us by the leaders of these organizations to be able to serve the community virtually in this difficult time we are in.
The sponsorship enabled us to provide two 2-part qigong workshops, two 2-part yoga workshops, one 8-part guided meditation in spanish, two 4-part guided meditation series, and one 3-part meditation series. As well, we produced six online community self-care mindfulness workshops. These online sessions were also used to support Newark’s Be Still Monday initiative.
In total there were 31 videos (of 33 sessions produced) ranging from about 15-60 minutes each. You can see our developing video library on NCMC’s YouTube Channel.
In the Face of the Pandemic and Social Injustice: Living in UNCERTAINTY with CLARITY & COMPASSION: • Dr. Rebecca Li • ONLINE Wed. June 3, 10, 17 7PM ET
A FREE 3-Part Practice Series on Zoom
Guided Meditations and Dharma Talks including Q&A’s and Dialogue
3 STAND-ALONE SESSIONS:
Choose as many sessions as you like.
Good for beginning to intermediate meditators.
ALL WELCOME. REGISTRATION REQUIRED: https://bit.ly/2BdNRUz
WED. JUNE 3 • 7PM EST
Part 1—Practicing in Uncertainty
Guided meditation and talk on how to use meditation practice to handle anxiety and frustration in the face of continued social injustice amidst the stress caused by the pandemic. It will be followed by a Q&A.
(LIVE guided meditation, talk, and Q&A with Rebecca.)
WED. JUNE 10 • 7PM EST
Part 2—Cultivating Clarity
Guided meditation followed by a talk on how meditation can help us cultivate clear awareness of our body, mind and environment and allow joy into our heart when we are in a stressful situation.
(Recorded talk and meditation by Rebecca; LIVE discussion with Kazi.)
WED. JUNE 17 • 7PM EST
Part 3—Cultivating Compassion
Guided meditation followed by a talk on how we can use meditation to be fully present with ourselves and to cultivate compassion to ourselves and people around us.
(Recorded talk and meditation by Rebecca; LIVE discussion with Marcie.)
ALL WELCOME. REGISTRATION REQUIRED: https://bit.ly/2BdNRUz
ABOUT THE TEACHER
Dr Rebecca Li a Dharma heir in the Dharma Drum lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen, started practicing meditation in 1995. She began her teacher’s training with him in 1999 to become a Dharma and meditation instructor. Later on, she trained with John Crook and Simon Child to lead intensive retreats and received full Dharma transmission from Child in 2016. Currently, she leads Chan retreats, teaches meditation and Dharma classes, and gives public lectures in North America and the U.K. She is the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community and a sociology professor at The College of New Jersey, where she also serves as faculty director of the Alan Dawley Center for the Study of Social Justice. You can find her talks and writings at www.rebeccali.org. Rebecca is a Visiting Teacher with NCMC.
A program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture. Sponsored by the Victoria Foundation.
Be Still Monday Zoom Sessions Continue: Enroll with Links Below
Mondays, May 18, June 1, and June 8: Enroll in as many FREE Zoom sessions as you like. You must register to access Meeting ID and Password:
10:00 AM Sessions
ENROLL AT: https://bit.ly/3bf8MTp
5/11 Re-Connecting with the Natural World (Cornelia)
5/18 Taking a Pause for Deep Relaxation (Andrea)
6/1 Chair Yoga: You Are Creator of Your Experience 1 (Ella)
6/8 Light Yoga: You Are Creator of Your Experience 2 (Ella)
1:00 PM Sessions
ENROLL AT: https://bit.ly/2WBvmQQ
5/11 Meditative Resurrection of the Daily Constitutional (Kazi)
5/18 Yoga: Relax & Renew — Making the Mind-Body Connection (Fadja)
6/1 Yoga: The Breath — Elevator and Regenerator (Fadja)
6/8 Re-Connecting with Our Inner Wellness (Cornelia)
7:00 PM Sessions
ENROLL AT: https://tinyurl.com/y8dafpmx
5/11 Building a Mindful Community (Kamilah & Andrea)
5/18 Mindfully Managed Stress: Using Your Toolbox (Kamilah)
6/1 Mindful Household Budgeting Workshop (Andrew)
6/8 Plant Spirit Meditation Medicine: Stress Resilience (Kazi)
Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org with any questions.
FREE ON YOUTUBE: Distance Practice Offerings in April
For Stress Resilience, Well-Being, and Practice Development (Includes a Spanish-Language Offering)
Stress Resilience Meditation Series
Postings on Wednesdays 4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/6
A free series of four short talks with guided meditations (10 minutes each). Giving clear and concise advice, reflections, and effective simple-to-do meditations, teacher Kazi will emphasize the concerns of stress on health and how meditation and mindfulness can help you meet the challenges of your day with strength, patience, and wisdom. No registration required.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get video post notifications. 
Mindfulness Meditation & Qigong for Well-Being Workshop
Postings on 4/16 & 4/23
In this free two-part workshop (approx. 1/2 hour each), teacher Khalil Maasi will show you quick and simple methods that you can integrate into your daily regimen to boost your well-being.
Simple REGISTRATION REQUIRED to get ACCESS LINK to premier video.
Mini-Meditaciones Guidas Básicas
Postings on Martes y Jueves 4/14, 4/16, 4/21, 4/23, 4/28, 4/30, 5/5, 5/7.
Una serie gratis de ocho charlas cortas y meditaciones guiadas (15 minutos cada uno) en español para no meditadores y principiantes enseñado por J. Javier Cruz que presentarán prácticas básicas de meditación y atención plena. El contenido será apropiado para adolescentes a través de personas de la tercera edad para ayudar a traer tranquilidad, reducir el miedo, reducir el estrés y abrir el corazón. Mire en grupos o solo. Se pueden proporcionar folletos en español.
No se requiere registro.
Suscribirse a nuestro canal de YouTube para recibir notificaciones sobre publicaciones de video.
¡Nuevo! Sección de Prácticas en Español en nuestro sitio web con hojas de práctica de meditación para individuos y familias.
Muscle-Tendon Changing Qigong for Wellness Workshop
Postings on Thursdays 4/30 & 5/7
In this free two-part workshop (1/2 hour each), teacher Shaka Georges will introduce you to Muscle-Tendon Changing Qigong through a series of exercises that coordinate with the breath. When practiced consistently they can enhance physical health and mental well-being dramatically. This form of exercise can be a key element to strengthen muscles and tendons and to promote strength and flexibility, energy and stamina, and balance and coordination of the body.
Simple REGISTRATION REQUIRED to get ACCESS LINK to premier video.
NEW! Free Personal Meditation Coaching • NEW! Weekly Online Practice Tips
NEW! FREE Personal Meditation Coaching by Email or Phone
While physically unable to practice with us, if you feel a need for meditation and mindfulness coaching or guidance or simply have questions about your practice, just email us at info@newarkmeditation.org and we will connect you with the appropriate teacher for a phone or email interview.
While physically unable to practice with us, if you feel a need for meditation and mindfulness coaching or guidance or simply have questions about your practice, just email us at info@newarkmeditation.org and we will connect you with the appropriate teacher for a phone or email interview.
NEW! Weekly Online Practice Tips on Video
Check out the on-the-go videos that we’ll post weekly on Facebook, Instagram, and our Website starting next Wednesday. We’ll offer reflections, tips, and short meditations and exercises. We hope to see your comments and questions on the posts too!
Check out the on-the-go videos that we’ll post weekly on Facebook, Instagram, and our Website starting next Wednesday. We’ll offer reflections, tips, and short meditations and exercises. We hope to see your comments and questions on the posts too!
Breathing in Fearlessly, Breathing Out Love & Compassion
So many of us are currently on hold or going through our everyday motions not knowing what will be the “new normal.” We are all out on a limb. We can choose to be accepting and in this moment as it is, look ahead at the good that can be, and breath in fearlessly with a sense of humor and hope.
With gratitude for life and the understanding that there are many who have been living on a true precipice of life and death for months and even years, we can then breath out with love and compassion for ourselves and the world.
With this in mind, we can look forward with optimism:
- As soon as circumstances allow, NCMC will restart our anchor Meditation & Mindfulness Class, on Tuesday evenings with current and new students alike.
- We will reschedule our postponed Yoga Chakras Course, Tai-Chi Qi-Gong Wellness Course, and Yoga Creativity Course along with our second Women’s Retreat Day that was so well attended and successful last year.
- A new 3-part workshop Waking Up in This Life is planned for May using practices across traditions and exploring daily transitions as our tools.
- Also in May, NCMC looks forward to participating in a Walk to Feed the Hungry to be held in Branch Brook Park in Newark.
- In summer our intent is to once again take meditation outdoors in Military Park. We will feature eight stand-alone workshops Experiencing Urban Nature where will explore our six senses, the four natural elements, and the practice of “forest bathing.”
- In late summer we expect to start a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course (MBSR) for eight consecutive weeks. This is an all purpose method for stress management. We’ve needed it before, we need it now, and we’ll certainly need it then!
- At the end of June we plan to hold a fun and purposeful First Annual Fundraiser with the goal to raise funds to add another room to our center for a Learning Library/Tea Lounge/Community Room. We are excited to expand our service and commitment to the community.
These are our current plans. We know they may change so we remain flexible, with minds open — ready to adapt to whatever situations may play out.
Please plan to join us, making adjustments as we go! 
We are closing our center to the public until further notice.
To support the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 we are closing our center to the public until further notice.
CURRENT PROGRAMS POSTPONED
Monday Yoga with Ella
Tuesday Meditation with Javier
POTENTIALLY POSTPONED
Wednesday Tai Chi with Shaka (3/25 start)
Monday Yoga with Fadja (4/20 start)
We will make decisions on rescheduling and
starting new programs as the situation warrants.
Please check our Website, Facebook, and Instagram posts for updates.
For information contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org.
Yoga for Creativity & Prosperity: 6 Week Course starts April 20th
Guest Instructor Fadja Robert-Carr (See bio at registration site)
Limited Seating Up to 12 students.
Level Beginning to Intermediate
Dates Mondays, April 20 to June 01 (No class on May 25.)
Time 6:00pm to 7:15pm
Course Fee $60 paid in advance online. (Refunds only until 4/2.)
Location 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ
ENROLL ncmc-yoga-creativity.eventbrite.com
Description This course addresses the sensory human holistically. Foundational exercises give people an experience of clarity, lightness and connectedness. The exercises and asana sequences are interspersed with talks on accessing creative energy and developing an attitude of prosperity. The kriyas and exercises are selected to clear the aura and activate the energy field, with a focus on the pranic body and breathwork. We explore where in our energy systems we manifest creative energy and ways to align and activate those energies in our daily practices. The series draws on asana, breathwork, meditation and select kundalini kriyas.
Objective Yoga Exercises to Increase Physical Vitality, Mental Focus, and Concentration.
Curriculum
Week 1 Self-Awareness and Breath
Week 2 The Sensory Human
Week 3 Focus and Concentration
Week 4 Flexibility and Alignment
Week 5 Foundational Posture
Week 6 Stress-Management
ENROLL ncmc-yoga-creativity.eventbrite.com
A fee-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Contact us with questions at info@newarkmeditation.org
Tai Chi & Qi Gong: A Path to Health & Wellness starts Wednesday, March 25
6-WEEK COURSE
Visiting Teacher Shaka Georges (See bio at registration site.) Limited Space Up to 12 students.
Dates Wednesdays, March 25 to April 29 (3/25,4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29)
Time 6:30pm to 7:45pm
Level Beginning to Intermediate
Course Fee $60 paid in advance online. (Refund up to 4/28)
Location NCMC, 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ 07102
ENROLL NOW: ncmc-taichi-qigong.eventbrite.com
Description Tai Chi is known as “meditation in motion.” The practice of Tai Chi emphasizes the awareness of our body, mind, and the world around us, as well as the interaction of the three systems. Tai Chi teaches you to pay attention to your movements and the transition of your movements. This allows you to remain cognizant and engaged as you carry on your day to day activities. You are therefore more likely to avoid dysfunctional habits such as poor posture and movements that may lead to falls or painful muscles. Additionally, studies have shown that this focus improves your mental health. The thinking, mindfulness, or awareness required and bolstered by Tai Chi has been shown to improve your cognitive ability and actually make your brain grow!
Objective To help develop an active lifestyle in order to improve health and wellness.
Curriculum
Week 1 Breath and Posture: Practice of deep breathing and walking meditation.
Week 2 Relaxation and Movement: Standing meditation and Wave Hands Like Cloud.
Week 3 Qigong Exercise: Practice of the 8 Pieces of Brocade and the Muscle/Tendon Changing.
Week 4 Opening of Tai Chi: Breakdown of the Tai Chi form into individual postures.
Week 5 Tai Chi Short Form: The practice of the 37-Movement Short Form.
Week 6 Putting It all Together:
In-depth performance of the Short Form.
ENROLL NOW: ncmc-taichi-qigong.eventbrite.com
A fee-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Contact us with questions at info@newarkmeditation.org.
REVIEW: A Day of Firsts — The First Retreat in Our First Home
ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd we held our first retreat in our first home at 2 Park Place. The topic was Community-Building with Clarity & Compassion. You can see from the faces of the students that it was a wonderful experience! It was fitting that Rebecca Li led the retreat as she has been supporting programs with NCMC since 2012.
We are grateful to her for dharma and meditation teachings as practiced by Dharma Drum, to Leslie of I’m So Yoga for her yoga session, and to Kathryn Davis of Heart of Mind Radio for her qigong session.
And what a great team of volunteers we had! Thank you to Ella and Ivette for their retreat day support, to Tenisha for social media promotions, and to her daughter Ariyan for the fantastic photos. We are grateful for the delicious vegan meal, a kind donation prepared by a veteran caterer, Vijaya Dharmapuri.
A special thanks to Jennifer, General Coordinator; Vijay, Food Coordinator; and Javier, Deputy Coordinator, as well as to Andrea, our Treasurer, for registration coordination.
The students were awesome, engaged, and attentive — comprehending with keen awareness the powerful yet invisible dynamics of community.
See more photos in our Retreat Album on Facebook.
DAY-LONG RETREAT: Community Building with Clarity & Compassion
Led by teacher REBECCA LI with Kathryn Davis & Leslie.
MEDITATION | MINDFULNESS | YOGA | QIGONG | DHARMA TALK | DISCUSSION | VEGGIE LUNCH
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Newark Center for Meditative Culture, 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ
REGISTER NOW! (Link will take you to Eventbrite.)
Choose Full or Half Day Participation:
Full-day: 10:00am-4:30pm
Half-day: 10:00am-2:00pm -or- 12:30pm-4:30pm
A donation-based Program, suggested:
Adults $30 full / $20 half
Students 18+ $20 full / $15 half
Youths 7-17 Free accompanied by adult.
In this day-long retreat, the invisible yet powerful dynamics in community life are discussed, encouraging practitioners to cultivate a keen awareness of them to engage in community life with wisdom and compassion. Dharma and meditation teacher Rebecca Li will lead this retreat that will include guided meditation, mindful movement practice, dharma talk, and discussion. As well, Leslie will lead a gentle yoga session in the morning while Kathryn Davis will lead a flowing qigong session in the afternoon.
Appropriate for beginners and experienced participants. Youths aged 7-17 who can sit quietly are welcome to attend with adults for free. Vegetarian lunch included. Wheelchair access, ground floor.
REGISTER NOW! (Link will take you to Eventbrite.)
For inquiries contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org.
A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Check out the Curriculum to the 7 Chakras Course that starts on March 9th
LIMITED SPACE: Up to 12 students, so register soon!
REGISTER NOW ON EVENTBRITE
6-Week Meditation, Mantras & Movement Course starts March 9
Enroll Now!
Guest Instructor Ella Moncur
Dates Mondays, March 9 to April 13 (3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/6, 4/13)
Time 6:00pm to 7:15pm
Location NCMC, 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ (9 steps up)
Course Fee $60 paid in advance online. (Refunds only until 3/8.)
Level Beginning to Intermediate
Supplies Yoga mats are provided. Bring a closed water bottle. No need to wear yoga clothes, if you don’t have. Instead wear loose or stretchy pants (not jeans).
Limited Seating Up to 12 students, so register soon.
REGISTER HERE ON EVENTBRITE.
Course Each workshop will focus on one of the 7 main chakra energy systems starting from the root chakra and ending with the crown chakra. Each workshop will open with an overview and discussion of the energy center of focus, followed by an active yoga flow specifically geared to asanas that will help to open these centers, and ending with a healing meditation using vibrational sound music specific to each chakra as well as a mantra used as the centering thought for the meditation.
Objective To talk about each chakra, meditate on it, and move through it.
Curriculum
Week 1 ROOT CHAKRA has a direct correlation to our adrenal glands. This chakra is all about our physical identity, safety and security and ability to ground.
Week 2 SACRAL CHAKRA is associated with orange and has a direct correlation to the gonads, testes and ovaries. It is all about creativity, how we navigate through our personal relationships and intimacy.
Week 3 SOLAR PLEXUS has a direct correlation to digestion, the pancreas and liver. It is about our personal power, will power, self-esteem, mental focus and sense of belonging and purpose.
Week 4 HEART CHAKRA is correlated to our immune system and systemic allergies. It is about our ability to trust, forgive, love, and patience and compassion for all living.
Week 5 THROAT CHAKRA is correlated to our thyroid, ears, sinus, allergies. It relates to self-expression, communication and ability to live and speak our truth.
Week 6 THIRD EYE & CROWN CHAKRA Our Third Eye is about connection to our intuition and guidance to live in alignment with our higher self. The Crown Chakra is the absolute knowing, connection to spirituality, integration of oneness.
REGISTER HERE ON EVENTBRITE.
A fee-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Contact us with any questions at info@newarkmeditation.org.
Listen to a short interview about NCMC
On February 7, 2020 the co-founder and chair of Newark Center of Meditative Culture, Marcie Barth, was interviewed by Kathryn Davis, host of the Heart of Mind program on Free Speech Radio WBAI 99.5FM in New York. The interview gives in a nutshell the work of NCMC.
9 MINUTE LISTEN
Our grateful Donation Box, wrapped warmly in African mud cloth, kindly donated to us by a Newark artisan in 2013. Want to donate?
Consider donating directly in the Box at 2 Park Place in Newark NJ.
Or DONATE NOW online through PayPal/Credit Card through button below.
Any size donation is needed and appreciated.
You can also donate by check and remit to: Newark Center for Meditative, PO Box 182, Newark, NJ 07101. Please let us know that your donation is being mailed at info@newarkmeditation.org.
NCMC is a New Jersey 501c3 non-profit organization. Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark Area and beyond.
New! Weekly SANGHA SITTING for serious meditators starts Tuesday January 14th
45 MINUTE SELF-PRACTICE FOR SERIOUS MEDITATORS
Ongoing Tuesdays | 5:30pm to 6:15pm | 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ
What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out.
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
We are forming a self-practice, leaderless meditation group especially for maturing meditators who can silently practice meditation for a solid 45 minutes without guidance.
It’s a way to connect with like-minded practitioners and form a cohesive sangha — a soul group so to speak — regardless of each individual’s unique meditation tradition.
We know you’re out there, so commit to join us regularly to support each other and help us develop a meditative culture for the community and beyond.
Sangha “sitters” will have a 10 minute window after each session to engage and get to know each other before the next program begins that evening.
Donation-based. Suggested $5, but please donate what you can and only when you can.
Contact us with inquiries at info@newarkmeditation.org.
Tuesday Meditation & Mindful Movement Classes start up again on January 7th
Tuesdays 6:30pm to 7:45pm
2 Park Place, Newark NJ
10-Week Series:
January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25, March 3, 10.
Come as you can. Family friendly.
In these classes you will learn and practice from teacher J. Javier Cruz assisted by Jennifer Becher both meditation and mindfulness along with mindful movement and how to integrate the practice into your daily life to bring less stress and more love and peace into it. You will be given mindfulness homework each week to practice in your daily life.
Welcome to bring youths who can sit quietly.
DONATION-BASED (donate what you can and when you can).
For more information: info@newarkmeditation.org
It’s Giving Tuesday! Give and Get in Reciprocity
GIVING TUESDAY…Donate Now
Just Added:
It’s not too late to donate to support our precious meditation community and get a gift in return!
We’re extending this offering to you through Tuesday, December 10th. There’s five options to choose from or simply donate to show that you care about NCMC’s service to the community!
GIVING TUESDAY…Donate Now
Why meditate? … Why tie your shoes?
Like many things we do regularly, as monotonous as they might appear, there is always a purpose. We choose good purposes and bad purposes. To develop mindfulness and meditation can open your eyes to what is truly in front of you and help you to make good choices. It is proven to reduce stress and bring more focus to your mind. Done in community it expands to our ever-evolving culture and can result in a more collective peace of mind. You might even tie your shoes more skillfully, and as if for the first time.
Weekly Meditation & Mindful Movement | Tuesdays, 6:30 to 7:45pm | 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ | Donation-based, Youths free. | Translations in Español and Português available. Family friendly. | There will be no class on Nov. 26th.
SIGN UP • REGISTRATE AHORA
Why Do Tai-chi? … Why totter?
We often totter with our bodies as well as in our minds. This flowing, ancient movement practice can provide balance and equilibrium to both. It gently brings energy up and grounds us in the moment releasing us from our distracted selves. Tai-chi can be applied anywhere — from behind your desk to how you turn to greet someone. Whether you are a millennial trying to de-stress, in mid-life recuperating, or a senior wanting to bring back youthful pliability, this practice can bring you well-being and a sense of oneness.
Weekly Tai-Chi with Shaka | Wednesdays 6:30 to 7:20pm | 2 Park Place, Newark NJ | Fee-based, Youths free 14-17 accompanied by parent. | There will be no class on November 27th.
ATTEND NOW
A pin drop was Audible as they meditated..
In the afternoon of October 10th on World Mental Health Day, NCMC provided a meditation workshop for Audible in Newark. Facilitating this program for about 20 employees were Javier Cruz and Andrea Lee of NCMC. Javier provided guided meditation in mindfulness of body, breath, and mental states, while Andrea made the program introduction and led the mindful movement session.
The coordinator at Audible mentioned that the workshop was well received and that the employees attending were excited about an opportunity to de-stress, clear their minds, and practice mindfulness. We appreciate the second opportunity that this Newark-based corporation gave us to help bring mindfulness and develop happiness in the workplace.
Tai-Chi Classes with Shaka: 6-Week Fall Series begins Wednesday, November 13th
2 Park Place | Newark, NJ
Wednesdays, 6:30 to 7:20pm
November 13th 2019 to January 8th 2020
Teacher: Shaka Georges
In this six-week series, you will be taught the Tai-Chi Yang short form and qi-gong exercises. It’s a gentle, healing, and easy-to-learn movement practice that you can develop to skillfully use the theory in your daily life. Youths aged 14-17 are welcome for free accompanied by an adult. Come as you can or join the entire series at a discount. There will be no classes on Nov. 27th, Dec. 25th, and Jan. 1.
Registration required at ncmc-tai-chi.eventbrite.com
A FEE-BASED SERIES
$60 per series (paid in advance; a $30 discount)
$15 per class (paid weekly at door come as you can at $90 for the 6-week series)
Free to youths aged 14-17 accompanied by adult
For more information contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org.
Meditation & Mindful Movement Classes: 10-Week Series
Tuesdays 6:30pm to 7:45pm
2 Park Place, Newark NJ
In this 10-week series you will learn and practice with J. Javier Cruz and Jennifer Becher both meditation and mindfulness along with mindful movement and how to integrate the practice into your daily life to bring less stress and more love and peace into it. Family friendly. Bring youths who can sit quietly. There will be no class on Nov. 26th.
DONATION-BASED (donate what you can and when you can).
For more information: info@newarkmeditation.org
Cancelled: FROM KNEELING TO SELF-HEALING
An experiential day retreat exploring the revolutionary path of Self Healing via Self Knowing
Sunday, November 10th | 10am to 4pm
Attend Full or Half Day | Open to Men and Youth 14+
Index Art Center, 237 Washington Street, Newark NJ
Limited Seating. Register at ncmc-mens-retreat.eventbrite.com
The day will consist of a short talk on the critical importance of men incorporating Self-Healing protocols into their daily lives, Meditation, Qi Gong exercises, Sexual Health and Fitness, Wilderness Therapy, Medicine Drum Circle, and a talk about Healing Generational Trauma. Vegetarian lunch included.
Presenters: Damani Saunderson, Khalil Maasi, J. Javier Cruz, Ihsaan R. Muhammad, Leslie Arthur, Ib’nallah S. Kazi (Presenter bio-notes available on the registration site.)
Suggested donation:
• Men Full-Day: $20 (10:00am-4:00pm)
• Men Half-Day: $15 (10:00am-1:30pm or 12:30pm-4:00pm)
• Young Men: FREE for ages 14 -17 accompanied by adult (limited tix)
• Male Students: $15 for ages 18 and over w/ID $15 (limited tix)
• Pre-Approved Volunteers: $10 (limited tix)
REGISTRATION AND DETAILS AT ncmc-mens-retreat.eventbrite.com
A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
BIG NEWS! Our First Home!
We’re excited to announce that Newark Center for Meditative Culture is leasing a space in Downtown Newark as our community center for both weekly and unique programming. Starting yesterday, October 1st, NCMC is located at:
2 Park Place
Newark, NJ 07102
It’s a central convenient location on the corner of Broad Street and Park Place and we’re looking so forward to engaging with our community there.
Starting Tuesday, October 8th we will have Tuesday Hours from 6:00 to 9:00pm. We will begin there with a 10-week series of Weekly Meditation & Mindful Movement Classes with Javier and Jennifer from 6:30 to 7:45pm. They will also continue to provide Monthly Mindfulness & Meditation Workshops in the Ironbound starting on October 21st.
Later in October we plan to begin Wednesday Hours from 6:00 to 9:00pm, starting with Andrea facilitating a Mindful Activism Book Group Series using books by reputable and well-known teachers engaged in mindful activism. This group will run for several weeks from 7:45 to 8:45pm.
Then beginning Wednesday, November 6th, Shaka will begin a Tai-Chi Series. They will run for 6 weeks each with breaks so that students can build on their mastering. These classes most likely will start at 6:30. (Don’t forget our outdoor Tai-Chi Classes in Military Park with himare still on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 through October 16th. Today will be a hot one!)
On Sunday, November 10th, NCMC will hold our first men’s retreat day off-site at Index Art Center, From Kneeling to Self-Healing: A Call for a Men’s Martial Meditation Medicine Movement. It includes six presenters and will consist of a short talk on the critical importance of men incorporating Self-Healing protocols into their daily lives, Meditation, Qi Gong exercises, Sexual Health and Fitness, Wilderness Therapy, Medicine Drum Circle, and a talk about Healing Generational Trauma.
It is open to youths aged 14 and older and we believe it will prove to be a positive, even transformational, experience for our men and boys. Please go here for more information or to register.
We hope you will consider joining us for any of these programs we’re providing to our community. And if you’d like to show your support to NCMC for them, please do consider making a small donation through the link below.
Thank you all for your continuing support of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Peace and love,
Kazi, Marcie, Cornelia, Andrea, Ihsaan, Kamilah, Jennifer, Javier
Free 10-Week Fall Meditation with Mindful Movement Classes: Traducciones en español • Translations in Spanish as necessary.
10-Week Fall Series: Thursdays, Sep. 12 thru Nov. 14. An after-work meditation and mindful movement group. Starts Thursday evening 5:30-7:00pm. Free fall session meditation and mindful movement classes led by J. Javier Cruz. Practice meditation and mindfulness to integrate less stress, and more love and peace into your daily life. Feel free coming late if necessary! Family friendly. Held at 317 Elm St. Newark NJ.
Sesión de otoño de 10 semanas: jueves 12 de septiembre al 14 de noviembre. Un grupo de meditación y movimiento consciente después del trabajo. Comienza el jueves por la noche de 5:30 a 7:00 p.m. Sesión de caída libre del clases de meditación y movimiento consciente dirigidas por J. Javier Cruz. Practica la meditación y la atención plena para integrar menos estrés, y mas amor y paz en tu vida diaria. ¡Siéntete libre de llegar tarde si es necesario! Familia amable. Held at 317 Elm St. Newark NJ.
| A free program of NCMC in cooperation with Ironbound Community Corporation Family Success Center.
Free Six-Week Fall Tai-Chi Series in Military Park
Join us for another free six-week series of Tai-Chi Classes using the Yang short form and qi-gong exercises with Shaka Georges, visiting teacher with NCMC. Gentle, healing, and easy-to-learn movement practice. No registration required, join as you can. Weather permitting on the Meditation Lawn on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30pm, Sep 11 through Oct 16. | A free program of NCMC in cooperation with Military Park Partnership.
Tai-Chi with NCMC in Military Park to begin September 11th
Join us in September for another free six-week series of Tai-Chi Classes using the Yang short form and qi-gong exercises with Shaka Georges, visiting teacher with NCMC. Gentle, healing, and easy-to-learn movement practice. No registration required, join as you can. (Shaka’s class will also run for 6 weeks in the fall.) Weather permitting on the Meditation Lawn on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30pm, Sep 11 through Oct 16. | A free program of NCMC held in cooperation with Military Park Partnership.
Conscientious Cooperative Living and the Environment is First Topic of Deep Ecology II Interviews
WATCH NOW: An interview with Abe Gruswitz of Our Community on the cooperative housing movement and it’s benefits for our environment.
These Deep Ecology II interviews with guest presenters, experts in their fields, are hosted by Ib’nallah S. Kazi throughout August 2019 and will be posted on NCMCs YouTube channel and other social media. This is a continuing program based on our Deep Ecology I lectures in 2017.
If you like the content of this video please consider making a small contribution to NCMC to help sustain our programming. Peace and love.
A free program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture in conjunction with The Spirit Centered Life.
Newark Center for Meditative Culture invites you to attend: EMBODIED MINDFULNESS
A Half-Day Retreat
Sunday, August 11, 2019 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Index Art Center, 237 Washington St., First Floor Gallery, Newark NJ
Co-teachers Cornelia Santschi and J. Javier Cruz
To attend go to: ncmc-summer-retreat.eventbrite.com
Suggested donations: $20 adult, students 18 or older $15, pre-arranged volunteers* $10, youths 12-17 free.
We live our lives embodied, yet can find ourselves so caught up in thought that we forget this simple truth. The human mind and body are intimately interconnected yet so often we ignore their communication. Awakening to the body from the inside through mindful awareness can greatly increase our capacity to be present with kindness for all aspects of life. In this half-day insight retreat we will explore this first foundation of mindfulness through an interweaving of guided sitting meditation, movement practices, talks and dialogue. This semi-silent retreat is appropriate for all regardless of previous meditation experience. Refreshments will be served. | A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Volunteers needed.
We need a few volunteers to help us with set-up and break-down, check-in desk, refreshment service/clean-up, etc. Contact the retreat coordinator for the program, Jennifer Becher at jennifer@newarkmeditation.org to apply as a volunteer before registering for this program.
To attend go to: ncmc-summer-retreat.eventbrite.com
Deep Ecology II: Webinar Interview Series throughout August
These interviews with guest presenters, experts in their fields, will be hosted by Ib’nallah S. Kazi throughout August on Facebook or YouTube online and on-demand. This is a continuing program based on our Deep Ecology I lectures in 2017. More details to come. | A free program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture in conjunction with The Spirit Centered Life.
August 11th: Embodied Mindfulness — A Half-Day Retreat
August 11, 2019 | 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Index Art Center, 237 Washington Street, First Floor Gallery
Co-teachers Cornelia Santschi and J. Javier Cruz
LIMITED SPACE!
Registration begins on July 1, 9am at ncmc-summer-retreat.eventbrite.com.
Suggested Donations:
Adults: $20
Teens 12-17: Free (accompanied by adult)
Students w/ID 18+: $15
Pre-arranged Volunteers: $10 (see contact info below)
We live our lives embodied, yet can find ourselves so caught up in thought that we forget this simple truth. The human mind and body are intimately interconnected yet so often we ignore their communication. Awakening to the body from the inside through mindful awareness can greatly increase our capacity to be present with kindness for all aspects of life. In this half-day insight retreat we will explore this first foundation of mindfulness through an interweaving of guided sitting meditation, movement practices, talks and dialogue. We will discover what it means to bring awareness to our lived experience in our bodies. There will be space for questions and sharing. We will also enjoy an ‘awareness of taste’ snack experience. This semi-silent retreat is appropriate for all regardless of previous meditation experience. This program will be led by meditation teacher Cornelia Santschi and J. Javier Cruz both of NCMC. Refreshments will be served. | A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
We need a few volunteers to help us with set-up and break-down, check-in desk, refreshment service/clean-up, etc. Contact the retreat coordinator for the program, Jennifer Becher at jennifer@newarkmeditation.org to apply as a volunteer before registering for this program.
Registration begins on July 1, 9am at ncmc-summer-retreat.eventbrite.com.
Coming in July: NCMC at the first Newark Veg Fest
• We’re excited to be one of the sponsors of the free Newark Urban Veg Fest to be held on Saturday July 27th from noon to 5pm in Military Park. Look for us there — we’ll be doing some mindful eating meditation and practice demos and instructing in basic meditation that can help you make good decisions in your conscientious consumerism! We’ll have lots of cool and useful handout tools and more! In the meantime get your free and donor tickets here.
Summer Outdoor Meditation & Mindful Movement Course Continues. Join in Anytime!
A free ten-week series of basic Meditation with Mindful Movement Classes taught by Cornelia Santschi, an insight meditation teacher. Assisting with the class individually will be Andrea Lee and Ihsaan Muhammad. No need to register, come as you can, but it’s always best to come to most since it will be continual learning. Family friendly — you are welcome to bring children who can sit quietly with us or play mindfully nearby. Weather permitting on the Meditation Lawn on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00pm, June 5 through August 14. Free community service programs of NCMC held in cooperation with Military Park Partnership Summer Programs.
Get into the Flow with Spring Tai-Chi: Two more classes til Summer Break!
A free six-week series of Tai-Chi Classes using the Yang short form and qi-gong exercises with Shaka Georges, visiting teacher with NCMC. Gentle, healing, and easy-to-learn movement practice. No registration required, join as you can. (Shaka’s class will also run for 6 weeks in the fall.) Weather permitting on the Meditation Lawn on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30pm, May 15 through June 19. Free community service programs of NCMC held in cooperation with Military Park Partnership Summer Programs.
Ironbound Meditation Group Continues
Our ongoing after-work Ironbound meditation group — feel comfortable coming late if you can’t make it by 5:30. These Meditation with Mindful Movement Classes are taught by J. Javier Cruz and assisted by Jennifer Becher. Classes held at the ICC Family Success Center in the Wellness Room at 317 Elm Street, Newark, NJ from 5:30 to 7:00pm. Translations into Spanish as requested. Family friendly. A free community service program of NCMC in cooperation with Ironbound Community Corporation Family Success Center.
EARTH STRONG
A Stoem by Mesha Allen
“Somebody told me it’s the end of the world and that’s just for some,
peace to the dead,
strength to the chosen…
Quicksand millennium,
quicksand millennium…”
Like The Roots, I rose From the Ground Up;
my branches spreading wide and bark growing thick.
My leaves grow healthy and the chlorophyll in them
becomes a rich dark green.
I think I will remain a sturdy foundation for the rest of my days.
Slowly I begin to absorb the elements around me, Read More
Move That Chi on May 5th!
Spend the Cinco de Mayo afternoon doing a little African-Asian-American mindfulness!
HALF DAY WORKSHOP
Mindfulness, Meditation, & Martial Movement
Taught by Khalil Maasi with assistance by Andrea Lee
Sunday, May 5th, 2019 | 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Index Art Center, 237 Washington St., First Floor, Newark, NJ
This donation-based workshop is appropriate for all people and of any discipline — beginners through advanced students. Teacher Khalil will be using internal martial arts exercises, though this is not a fighting workshop. It is rather a means of using these disciplines for healing (energy work), mindfulness, and achieving a state of “no mind.” Guidance from Andrea will include a sitting meditation and sound healing meditation. Suggested donation of $25 adults/$15 students 18 or older. Youths 12-17 come free.
To attend go to: ncmc-spring-workshop.eventbrite.com.
A program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Spring Youth Hike in Palisades Park
Led by Kazi with Friends
Saturday, May 4th, 2019 | 10:00am to 3:00pm
Palisades Interstate Park, Fort Lee, NJ
Limited Group Size: Sign up soon!
This is a free program geared toward youths aged 12-18. Individual adults, families, and youth/student groups (up to 7 youths per chaperone) are welcome. Join us for a day of nature immersion, hiking, tai-chi and art sessions, Hudson River Views, and more! Includes free vegetarian bag lunch for all and free backsacks for youths (limited quantity)! Transportation and parking fees not provided. We might be able to help with transportation for individuals from Newark and back.
General Schedule
Gather/Check-in — 9:30-9:50am
Opening Circle — 10:00am-10:15am
Hike, Special Sessions, Lunch — 10:15am-2:45pm
Closing Circle — 2:45pm-3:00pm
For questions contact Marcie at info@newarkmeditation.org.
A free community service program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture in conjunction with The Spirit Centered Life.
REVIEW: Ladies First – From Superwoman to Self-Care
By Andrea Lee
This weekend’s Women’s Retreat was a multi-generational gathering of nearly 50 women of diverse backgrounds and from all different walks of life. The retreat was mindfully and lovingly guided by five women who are leaders in their own fields. We kicked off the retreat with a moving spoken word opening by TaNisha Fordham who brought nine teen-aged students to the retreat. Jillian Faulks-Majuta lead a Kemetic Yoga session that physically grounded guests in the power of self-care. The day continued with passionate workshops about caring for mind, body and spirit.
Kamilah Crawley, who organized and emceed the event, offered sessions about the intersection of mindfulness and women’s self-care and lead discussion groups on the complex and nuanced notions of the modern Superwoman. Michelle Beadle Holder explored mindful eating and the frequent everyday choices we make about how we nourish our bodies and helped us become more mindful of the environments where we break our bread and buy our food. Her presentation was followed by a nutritious and soulful lunch provided by Arelis Hernandez and Rabbit Hole Farm.
Aleah Gathings presented on the power of words and affirmations and guided retreatants in a symbolic ceremony to release unconstructive thought patterns. Mandara Parashakti Akiwumi facilitated a process to help participants “Stop the Story”, release narratives that hold us back and re-narrate our current truth. We ended the retreat by writing self-care letters to our future selves — to be mailed and opened just when we most need the reminder.
Throughout the day retreatants were encouraged to hold a non-judgmental space for everyone’s opinions and experiences and to self-reflect through conversation and journaling. Participants readily shared their own resources and several lists were compiled with books, websites, and places of interest for people to visit to continue the deep work that was initiated at this retreat.
SPECIAL APPEAL: We need your immediate help to secure our first rental space!
Dear Friends of NCMC,
We are appealing to you for your immediate help at this turning point in our development as a center and in our efficacy in building a much-needed meditation community in Newark, NJ.
The goal of Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) is to develop integrated and broad applications to bring mindfulness and meditation in their many forms and life practices to the community. We do so through providing mostly donation-based or free programs to the community.
Your kind donations will allow us to continue to provide these life-enhancing programs regardless of any participant’s present economic circumstances.
To take our goal to the next level, we need to have a home base where we can offer more weekly programming and a hub for our community to gather (rather than ad hoc venue rentals).
We are excited to now have a commitment for a rental lease of rooms in a landmark building in a central downtown location near Military Park, Newark, NJ.
What we need immediately is the funding for at least 1-1/2 years of a two-year lease, approximately $10,800.
This is the immediate need of our First Priority ASK. You can help by donating now to our GoFundMe campaign.
We understand that money can be tight — please know that even $5 helps us get closer to our goal!
Securing the funding for the rental space is our most important requirement so that we can develop our programs without the pressure of worrying about rent for a while.
Beyond this, being able to purchase needed supplies, services, and equipment is important to keep the flow of resources going for people to stay connected. Developing a library will ground our community in knowledge.
You can read our full 2019 Business Plan for an in-depth overview on NCMC and our budget proposal including our prioritized ASK.
Can you help us to reach our immediate need of $10,800 of our First Priority ASK? It’s vital to get into our space quickly!
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your potential funding please contact our Treasurer, Andrea Lee, at treasurer@newarkmeditation.org.
Thank you for your time.
With much gratitude,
Kazi, Marcie, Cornelia, Andrea, Ihsaan, Kamilah, Jennifer, Javier
Board of Directors, Newark Center for Meditative Culture
ps. If you are more comfortable with donating directly through PayPal, donate here. Checks are also welcome made out and sent to Newark Center for Meditative Culture, PO Box 182, Newark, NJ 07101. Please let us know that you have sent a check.
pss. Please share this appeal with like-minded friends who may want to support the development of our meditation center in the diverse urban community of Newark, NJ.
You are invited to attend: MINDFULNESS, MEDITATION & MARTIAL MOVEMENT thru African-Asian-American Fusion HALF-DAY WORKSHOP
Sunday, May 5, 2019 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Index Art Center, 237 Washington Street, First Floor Gallery, Newark, NJ
Taught by Khalil Maasi assisted by Andrea Lee
LIMITED SPACE!
Suggested donation of $25 adults/$15 students 18 or older. Youths 12-17 come free.
This workshop is appropriate for all people and of any discipline — beginners through advanced students.
Teacher Khalil will be using internal martial arts exercises, though this is not a fighting workshop. It is rather, a means of using these disciplines for healing, mindfulness, and achieving a state of “no mind”. Briefly, the disciplines we will be working on are:
1. Standing Meditation: Zhan Zhuang, Standing Like a Tree, a standing meditation that’s initial goal is to relax and release all the tension in your body. This method cultivates the body’s natural energy called chi — a simple practice with extraordinary mental and physical benefits.
2. Healing Science: Chi Gung (qigong) is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial arts training.
3. No Mind: This is a mental state called mushin in Japanese and wuxin in Chinese. Zen and Daoist meditators are said to reach this state, along with disciplined artisans and trained martial artists. They practice this mental state of emptiness, free from attachment, during everyday activities.
There will be sessions with Andrea who will offer a Sound Healing Meditation using Tibetan bowls and a Guided Sitting Meditation.
Besides sharing these mental, spiritual, and physical refreshments we will also provide a fusion of snack and beverage refreshments during break.
*VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We need a few volunteers to help us with set-up and break-down, check-in desk, refreshment service/clean-up, etc. Contact the volunteer coordinator for the program, Jennifer Becher at jennifer@newarkmeditation.org to apply as a volunteer before registering for this program.
Presenter Bio-notes
Khalil Maasi is a lifelong student and practitioner of meditation, mindfulness, martial science and it’s related integrated systems of knowledge. To understand the fruit, you must understand the root. And the root in this paradigm is Khalil’s father, well-renowned meditation and martial arts Grandmaster Shaha Mfundishi Maasi. He teaches under Shaha Maasi’s tutelage their family system known as Moyo Kazi (Energy Work) through their organization The School of Heaven and Earth which is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Moyo Kazi is a system of Chi Gung (internal martial healing science) developed and based on the study of internal healing martial traditions from around the world. Khalil is also a initiated Yoruba Priest (Minister) in the traditional African/Nigerian spiritual system of Ifa (Isese) and is an associate Minister at The Ifa Temple Of Light in East Orange, NJ. Khalil often teaches the African connection to these practices during his classes and workshops. As well, Khalil is a certified child assault prevention counselor in the state of New Jersey working primarily in the Newark and Essex County school system.
Andrea Lee is a Preschool Assistant Teacher at Montclair Cooperative School in her hometown of Montclair, NJ. She is an intern organic farmer at Rabbit Hole Farm in Newark where she resides. She is a senior disciple of Reverend Jaganath Carrera, Spiritual Head and Founder of Yoga Life Society. She recently completed seminary training and was ordained a Yoga Life Minister. She is a certified Yoga instructor and performs Kirtan with Mirabai Catherine Moon. Andrea is founding Treasurer of NCMC where she also instructs in meditation and mindfulness and provides yoga and chanting sessions. Newark Center for Meditative Culture is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
A program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Review: February 24th Retreat
The Art of Seeing and Bringing it Home
Teachers Rebecca Li and Shaka Georges guided once again an engaging retreat for NCMC — expecially important since the majority of the students were beginners. The students asked excellent questions during the Q&A’s. The reflections got personal and the students empathized, connected, and learn from each other because of it. Of concern to many was how to bring what they learned on the cushion home to the people they live with and see often.
A couple teachings that were taken home to practice were: a) See things for what they are and not what you think they should be. So pay attention as the ideas in your mind are most often not what is right in front of you, and, b) Suffering provides us with the opportunity to observe and experience our habits. We always have a choice to continue acting out our habits or free ourselves to expose the truth through mindfulness.
One student commented that they would take home the art of seeing people the way they are and another about how it helps to practice with others and to hear their questions about the practice.
We had one 10 year old participant who had lots of fun with the movement meditations and was the first to volunteer to show her drawing and explain it during the Art of Seeing workshop.
The vegan lunch was a hit! People came back for seconds and there were plenty of compliments. We thank our volunteers Elena, Marcus, and Teneka for their support at the retreat. And kudos to Elvis for his beautiful art photography of the program. We are especially grateful for the teachers Rebecca and Shaka for practicing with us.
And, as always, thank you to Lowell, director of Index Art Center, for providing assistance, and this time, such a colorful venue to experience… and well, see!
Women! Drop Your Cape for the Day on March 31st!
Ladies First: From Superwoman to Self-care
It’s a wonderful line-up for the day. You can register for full-day or part-day. Here’s a quick listing of bio-notes of your presenters:
Mandara Parashakti Akiwumi is a trauma informed, evidence-based pastoral and spiritual counselor, wellness coach, and equity, diversity, and inclusion trainer. She is certified in mindfulness, yoga, and multiple somatic traditions. She received her training from Hunter College, Brooklyn College, Walden University, The New Seminary, and many teachers.
Michelle Beadle Holder, PhD, President and CEO, Food at the Center, Inc. is a medical sociologist dedicated to doing her part to improve the social and physical health of black families. Her research has appeared in the Journal of African American Studies, Substance Use and Misuse, and American Journal of Health Behavior. In 2018, Dr. Holder founded Food at the Center, Inc., an educational and research social enterprise that uses food to build meaningful connections, improve health, and celebrate the culinary genius of people of African descent.
Kamilah Crawley, MPH, CHES is a public health professional who has provided health education workshops and trainings for various populations. She currently focuses on the intersection of public health, mindfulness and meditation as a tool for healing and healthy living. Kamilah was born and raised in Newark and is an alumni of University High School. Her degrees are from Temple University and the Rutgers School of Public Health.
Aleah A. Gathings, JD, MPH is an advocate for children and a proponent of the medical-legal partnership model. Aleah believes in the power of hope, love, and the ongoing fight for social and health justice.
Jillian Faulks-Majuta, Founder and CEO of Majuta Wellness, is committed to bringing wellness to individuals, groups and communities who are interested in living their most fulfilling lives possible. Through journaling, Kemetic Yoga™ and Holistic Health Coaching (July 2019). Jillian creates spaces for people to feel safe enough to challenge their bodies, thoughts and habits.
For more information and to register, go to
ncmc-womens-retreat.eventbrite.com.
A program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture co-sponsored by Ironbound Community Corporation Family Success Center. 
A Walk That Feeds Newark
Pictured above: Bhikkhu Bodhi (left), founder of Buddhist Global Relief with Jennifer and Shaka of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
This past November, NCMC participated in a Walk to Feed the Hungry event hosted by Buddha Path of Montclair. Representing us at the walk were Jennifer Becher and Shaka Georges. At our suggestion 10% of the proceeds from the walk, $500, will go to St. John’s Soup Kitchen in Newark, who in 2018 prepared and served over 500 meals daily to those in need. The remainder of the proceeds went to Buddhist Global Relief (BGR) to fund their domestic and global hunger relief projects. We thank Buddha Path for their generosity of spirit and Deborah Steincolor for coordinating our participation. NCMC has participated in several of the annual local BGR Walks to Feed the Hungry and we hope to continue with this tradition. 
The Power of Meditative Culture
By Ib’nallah S. Kazi
Often in our day-to-day lives our awareness is consumed by the task of maintaining our private and social faces. Much of the data we receive from our environment, from other humans and our own emotional and intuitive signals go ignored.
One of the precious benefits of maintaining a meditation practice is the cultivation of a more encompassing awareness.
As awareness expands, so does our ability to be present for others. This allows us to remain in touch with our own deep needs, desires, and questions, while simultaneously being open to the subtle signals we are exposed to by nature and humanity. It also allows us to respond to the world from a place of awareness as opposed to habit.
When meditation practitioners gather together in a soul group, the result is the creation of a charged space. As the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, this now sacred space is infused with the collective breath of compassion and service, peace and love.
Everyone entering this space experiences a centering — a sudden sense of both release and surrender. Surrender to the felt presence of communion, cooperation and commitment. The shared experience within this sacred space signals the presence of meditative culture.
Upon leaving the collective each person takes with them a portion of the collective charge to share with all they encounter upon their way, sowing the seeds of meditative culture in their daily travels.
Meditative culture does not spread by coercion or marketing. It’s contagious. It expands organically in response to the people’s desire for change.
View a Silent Time Capsule from Our Last Winter Retreat
Don’t miss NCMC’s upcoming winter retreat with teachers Rebecca Li and Shaka Georges to be held at Index Art Center on Feb 24, 2019! Registration starts soon!
Video gift by Darryl Jackson, 2018.
Relaxing Into Clarity and Flow: A DAYLONG WINTER RETREAT Guided by Rebecca Li & Shaka Georges
Sunday, February 24, 2019 | 10:00am to 4:00pm | Index Art Center, 237 Washington St., Newark, NJ
Registration coming soon so save the date!
Fee-based Adult $20/$30, Volunteers and Students $15, Kids Free
You will enjoy a heart and body warming day of winter practice in semi-silence with a like-minded soul group. Your retreat will include relaxing into clarity through meditation (chan) with Rebecca, flowing with healing movement (chi-gong) with Shaka, a creative Art of Seeing workshop, Dharma Talks, and engaging dialogue. Healthy breakfast treats and a delicious vegetarian lunch will also be included.
A Program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
A New Year’s Message for our NCMC Friends
Dear NCMC Friends,
AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS NEW YEAR we want to take a moment of your time to let you know how much your support means to us. Without the support of our NCMC Friends — whether participating virtually in social media or physically at the programs — we couldn’t have provided the transformative programs that we’ve brought to the community.
This past year we are especially grateful to our longtime VENUE PARTNERS — Index Art Center, Rabbit Hole Farm, and Military Park Partnership. A new venue this year has been the Ironbound Community Corporation and it has been such a pleasure to work with them as well.
We also want to thank the COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATIONS who invited us in 2018 to present at their programs or held cooperative programs with us, including Greater Newark Tennis & Education, Hikeolution, I’m So Yoga Newark, Louise A. Spencer Community School, Newark Museum, Newark Yoga Movement, NJPAC, Rutgers Law School, Sis & Bro Foundation, Source of Knowledge Book Store, and The Spirit Centered Life. We enjoyed and very much appreciated the teamwork with these community partners.
We can’t say enough too about our WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS who have consistently been patient and provided diligent assistance for us over the past year. We can’t name you all here, but you know who you are!
Wishing you all the very best in 2019!
Your friends at NCMC,
Kazi, Marcie, Cornelia, Andrea, Ihsaan, Kamilah, Javier, and Jennifer
Gift Certificates Now Available for a Winter Retreat Day with Rebecca Li & Shaka Georges
Give the Gift of Clarity and Flow
Sunday, February 24th, 2019 | 10:00am to 4:00pm | Index Art Center, 237 Washington Street, Newark, NJ
The recipient of this $30 gift certificate will receive a full-day pass to the winter meditation retreat day with Newark Center for Meditative Culture. They’ll enjoy a day out of the cold and into the warmth of a like-minded group.
Teacher Rebecca Li will guide the retreatants to relax the mind and cultivate clarity and teacher Shaka Georges will get their bodies into the flow of healing energy through walking meditation and qi-gong. The retreat will also include talks, discussion, and an art workshop.
No previous meditation experience required, but the retreat is appropriate for advanced practice as well. Youths under 18 must be accompanied by adults.
Breakfast treats and a delicious vegetarian lunch will be included (with vegan and gluten-free options).
Purchase a Gift Certificate Today! $30
IMPORTANT RESTRICTIONS: Refunds can only be made to the credit card or account used to purchase. Refunds can be issued up to 30 days after date of purchase.
GIFT CERTIFICATE: A letter-size PDF of the Gift Certificate will be emailed to the purchaser within 24 hours from your purchase that can be printed out.
IRONBOUND Meditation Classes with Movement
Traducciones al español y al portugués. | Traduções para espanhol e português.
Thursday Evenings | 5:30-7:00pm | ICC Family Success Center, The Wellness Room, 317 Elm Street, Newark, NJ
In these on-going weekly meditation classes with NCMC teacher J. Javier Cruz and assistant instructor Jennifer Becher you will learn basic meditation and how to apply mindfulness in daily life to live with more ease, more joy, and less stress. Sessions include meditation, light yoga stretches, walking meditation, readings, and discussion. Translations to Spanish and Portuguese as needed. Join in any time.
Clases de meditación con movimiento
En estas clases semanales continuas de meditación con el profesor de NCMC J. Javier Cruz y la instructora auxiliar Jennifer Becher, aprenderá meditación básica y cómo aplicar la atención plena en la vida diaria para vivir con más facilidad, más alegría y menos estrés. Las sesiones incluyen meditación, estiramientos ligeros de yoga, meditación caminando, lecturas y discusión. Traducciones al español y al portugués según sea necesario. Únete en cualquier momento.
Aulas de meditação com movimento
Nestas aulas de meditação semanais em curso com J. Javier Cruz, professora do NCMC, e a instrutora adjunta Jennifer Becher, você aprenderá a meditação básica e como aplicar a atenção plena na vida cotidiana para viver com mais facilidade, mais alegria e menos estresse. As sessões incluem meditação, alongamentos leves de ioga, meditação andando, leituras e discussões. Traduções para espanhol e português, conforme necessário. Junte-se a qualquer momento.
Please check our Instagram Feed @newark.meditative.culture or Facebook Page for weather cancellations or holiday closings.
Contact info@newarkmeditation.org with questions.
A free community service program of NCMC in cooperation with Ironbound Community Corporation.
Thanks Giving Reflections from the Indigenous Culture of America
NCMC wishes you a day of abundance or simplicity — and thanksgiving — for clear water, good food, and Mother Earth to sit on!
WITH ONE MIND
Greetings to the Natural World!
The Earth Mother
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
The Waters
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms — waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.
Now our minds are one.
The Food Plants
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.
Now our minds are one.
(Excerpted from a Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address)
INTERDEPENDENCE
The Three Sisters of Corn, Beans, and Squash
For many Indigenous People in the Americas, the triad of corn, beans, and squash is called the Three Sisters. Traditionally grown together, this crop trio are all interdependent on one another. Beans grow up the corn stalks and add the nutrients (nitrogen) to the soil that the others need to grow. Squash is planted in between them to keep the weeds out. These three staples remain the heart of most Indigenous diets and are often eaten in companion with each other.
Overview of our Newark IntraCity Park Hike
Capturing the Spirit of Autumn
It was a spectacular day on Saturday, November 10th for a hike through a 5.5 mile stretch of Newark NJ. The weather was a bit chilly, sunny, and breezy so we were bundled up. This was Newark Center for Meditative Culture’s first such program, though we have done shorter nature walks and hikes through Branch Brook Park and South Mountain Reservation. This particular hike was held in cooperation with Hikeolution and The Spirit Centered Life.
It was also a day of renewal for one of our urban hikers as this was the way she was spending her birthday – and we shared in her renewal.
We started off with a prayer for guidance and protection by co-leader Kazi, spiritual director of NCMC, forming a circle around a large tree near the northern corner of Lincoln Park.
Walking north on Broad Street for a while, we then entered Military Park, the base for NCMC’s warm season outdoor meditation and tai-chi. Here we picked up a few more hikers. We again made a circle. This time on the Great Lawn where Kazi lead us in a graceful flowing tai-chi movement called Wave Hands Like Clouds.
We continued along Broad to Washington Park studying the monuments. A nice surprise participant to our hike was Suzanne Joblonski of Newark Centric City. She gave us an informal and informative tour of the landmarks and background of Newark along the way. We also had two members of the Appalacian Mountain Club join us too — one from NYC and the other all the way from Philly!
We learned from co-leader Keyana Jones that we were following the yellow-blazed Lenape Trail of the Lenni-Lenape, indigenous people of this area. She pointed out a marked tree on James Street and we were to continue on this trail through Branch Brook Park. Her associate, Leslie Arthur, described how this trail is 34 miles long. Newark and Millburn are at either end, the trail bowing all the way north just into Passaic County.
We continued to make our way, our hike zig-zagging back and forth along concrete and grass, crossing over Route 280 to Branch Brook Park. Following along the blazed trail, we stopped along the way to reflect on the lakes and absorb the colors of the berries in purples, reds, oranges, and golds.
Our “great ascent” was to climb the some 25 steps up to a large meadow. Here we practiced a qi-gong standing meditation that Kazi called The Mother, an energy harvesting form that in just a few minutes of practice, the group felt results.
Almost there, we sauntered a little while longer close to the cherry blossom groves and crossed over into Belleville at 5.47 miles. Retracing our steps back a little way into Newark, we ended our beautiful and peace-filled urban nature hike.
Change of Season — Change of Body, Mind, and Spirit
To all things there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…
— Ecclesiastes 3
Hippocrates, in teaching the doctors of his day, said, “Consider the seasons of the year and what each of them produces.” When you respect the seasons you will respect your body, mind, and spirit and their needs.
Based on chinese medicine the fall is the season of the element of metal and lung and the lungs are associated with sadness and grief. We move from the external, expansive nature of summer to the internal, contracting nature of fall.
What does this have to do with meditation?
Through specific meditation and mindfulness skills — stationary, movement, eating, sound, and all our sense organs — we can learn season-specific techniques and tools for self-care: stress resilience, immunity boosting, health promotion, and methods to boost your creativity and mental sharpness.
We can also develop insight into the constantly changing, impermanent nature of our bodies and minds and learn to let go. In fact the energy of the lungs is related to “letting go” — first remembering our breath, using our breath, relaxing our breath — then becoming aware and allowing the elements and nourishment to inform us.
The northeast Autumn with it’s cool temperatures and warmly-colored leaves is a good time to:
• eat hot foods
• eat gourd foods
• supplement with mullein
• get to bed early
• sweat in a sauna
• socialize locally.
Learn more on Sunday, November 11, 2018, when we hold a workshop Fall Back into Self-Care: Meditation, Movement, and Medicine for the Season. This 5-hour workshop is kid friendly for those youths who might like to practice with us.
Help Grow Meditation in Newark NJ
Can you help us to spread the much-needed Practice of Meditation in Newark, NJ with Newark Center for Meditative Culture?
Donate Now on GoFundMe
Over the past six years, NCMC has presented close to 300 life changing, health promoting, and self-empowering programs within the context of the socially engaged, multi-cultural, and diverse population of the Greater Newark Area.
Programs included:
16 Seasonal Full-Day Meditation Retreats (including 3 People of Color Retreats)
10 First Sunday Art and Meditation Workshops
Over 200 Meditation Workshops (of which over 30 bi-lingual workshops offered)
2 Ten-Week Basic Meditation Courses
26 Dharma Movie/Meditation Sessions
2 Online Meditation Medicine Courses
16 Tai Chi/Qi Gong Classes
2 Open Mind Film Festivals
12 Nature Walks and Hikes
1 Deep Ecology Training Workshop
Publishing of 2 Books: Buddhist Dharma Book and Meditation Manual.
Our Mission
Having established ourselves as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2017 and having previously engaged since 2012 as a community initiative, we now need to meet some formative and developmental needs in order to advance our Mission, which is:
To be a safe place where like-minded people can gather in order to practice the fundamental meditation methods of tranquility, insight, healing, and loving-kindness (metta), and to become engaged together in conscientious, compassionate, and contemplative activities as a group and in the local community.
How do we work?
NCMC is a volunteer-run organization with a strong commitment to openness and inclusion. We do this in two ways:
Diversity/Expansiveness: We offer both general programs and pin-pointed programs for specific affinity groups of people and surrounding issues. For example, our People of Color retreats especially are intended to provide an affinity group for individuals who daily confront the effects of oppression and racism, and who therefore may initially choose to avoid mixed programs.
Inclusiveness: All of our programs are offered as donation-based no-fee or free to the participant. We base this system on the practice of dana or generosity, which is inherent to many spiritual traditions. Your donations will allow us to continue to provide life enhancing programs to the entire community regardless of their present economic circumstances.
NCMC is committed to community engagement and compassionate activism and to educating the community about meditation and its benefits. We have collaborated with or facilitated meditation classes and programs for several organizations including:
Artisan Collective – Barat Foundation – Bateman & Associates – Greater Newark Tennis & Education – Hikeolution – I’m So Yoga Newark – Ironbound Community Corporation – Newark LGBTQ Center – Newark Museum – Newark Yoga Movement – NJPAC – Rabbit Hole Farm – Sis & Bro Foundation.
In the educational sector, we have provided our services to:
Rutgers Law School – Rutgers Bookstore – Louise A. Spencer Community School – Technology High School.
We have also engaged in area compassionate activism through participation in walks, marches, and activities such as:
Million March NYC – Buddhist Global Relief NYC Walk to Feed the Hungry – 300.org People’s Climate March – Clean Energy Walk Phila. (w/NJ group) – Buddhist Council Meditate NYC & Peace Lantern Festival.
NCMC has also worked closely with generous venue providers over the years including:
Index Art Center – City Without Walls Gallery – Seed Gallery – Military Park Partnership – Ironbound Community Corporation (current).
What are our immediate needs?
Our current fundraising goal of $5,000 is a portion of our 2019 budget of $12,000. The focus of this initial campaign is to raise the finances needed to begin the new year with a strong organizational infrastructure. Our “must haves” include:
• Accounting
– Bookkeeper $16-20 per hour at 1 hr a week approx for yr.
$1000
– Accountant for tax return and quarterly filings for yr.
$1500
– QuickBooks Pro
$220
• Office Supplies
– Post Office Box (yearly)
$60
– Domain Name Renewal (yearly)
$20
• Student and Teacher Advancement
– MBSR fundamentals teacher training online: 1 student
$600
• Full-Day Retreat
– Rent
$250
– Staff
$135
– Event Liability Insurance
$130
– Miscellaneous Expenses
$85
Total
APPROX $5,000
What do we hope to do in the near future?
• establish more weekly and monthly group meditations and study groups
• reestablish our monthly First Sunday meditation and creative journaling
• establish a weekly Sunday meditation group
• develop a training program for student leaders for groups
• provide opportunities for our students to deepen their practice at longer residential retreats
• provide opportunities for our students to advance to teachers
• secure funding to be able to afford rent for a steady place to hold group sessions
• secure funding for a director or part-time directors
• secure funding to support free programming (as our teachers need to be gifted and expenses covered)
• establish a community of practice that includes volunteers practicing generosity who love meditation or being around meditators and understanding our purpose.
So you can see, we need your help in funding!
Can we take a little more of your valuable time to relate some student stories to help you understand the need for NCMC?
(Please note that these stories are paraphrased from memory.)
STORY 1:
One young lone meditator came to us once and scuffled shyly into the art center where we were holding our meditation session. He said “I can’t believe I’m in here, I never thought I’d be in a place like this.” He also said he had imagined how nice it would be to meditate outdoors in a park — and his dream came true! We sit in the park in the summer!
= Exposure, safe place, non-judgement.
STORY 2:
At one of our recent People of Color Retreats, one student described how wonderful it was to “meditate with people who look like me” as she was used to having to go to meditation centers that were mainly populated by white folk.
= Diversity, like-minded, like-color, multi-color, comfort.
STORY 3:
Another woman pops in and sits with us only when she is sometimes available on Wednesday evenings. Her comment though, “I love knowing that you are here doing this every week even though I most often can’t make it.”
= The more group sessions we can hold, the more opportunities for people to show up.
STORY 4:
Three seasoned public school staff members in Newark have come regularly and felt the positive results of continual practice. They’ve asked us mature questions about how to relieve their stress as they watch their students in difficulty and are immersed themselves in co-worker conflicts. One found results in walking meditation, another in sitting meditation, and another more in the continual probing that her new mindfulness brings.
= De-stressing techniques to help through work-related stress.
STORY 5:
A young sensitive woman studying online to be a reiki master, having gone back and forth and back and forth through her childhood between here and Uruguay, lacks confidence in both her languages. She stated from the heart, “My passion is to become a meditation teacher.”
= Helping to build confidence and support potential meditation and mindfulness teachers.
We hope that these stories give you an idea of some of the reasons we think the development of a meditative culture in the Greater Newark Area is as vital and important a cause as we do. Do take the time to look at our website to get to know us even better at www.newarkmeditation.org.
Can you please share our story with your network of like-minded mind-loving friends who might support this cause?
Thank you again for your time. We hope you will consider donating now to help our work to get to the next level and blossom.
Peace and love,
Andrea, Cornelia, Javier, Jennifer, Ihsaan, Kamilah, Kazi, Marcie
About the NCMC Board Members
www.newarkmeditation.org
info@newarkmeditation.org
Donate Now on GoFundMe
#GrowMeditationNewarkNJ
Mujeres de Meditación: Una Primera Clase Exitosa
El 2 de octubre, J. Javier Cruz, profesor del Centro de Cultura Meditativa de Newark, impartió un Taller de Salud Mental y Meditación para algunos miembros del personal de Ironbound Community Corporation. Alrededor de 13 mujeres trabajadoras que hablaban solo español asistieron. La mayoría sintió que no podían durar más de media hora, pero duraron todo el taller y se quedaron incluso más tiempo. ¡Parece que entendieron los beneficios inmediatos y querían más! Por supuesto, no fue solo la práctica de la meditación, hubo una charla del profesor, una discusión y preguntas y respuestas. ¡Solo mira esas poderosas y conscientes mujeres de meditación!
On October 2nd, J. Javier Cruz, a teacher with Newark Center for Meditative Culture, taught a Mental Health and Meditation Workshop for some staff members at Ironbound Community Corporation. Around 13 women coworkers who spoke spanish-only attended. Most felt they couldn’t last for more than a half hour but they lasted for the entire workshop and stayed even longer. It seems they understood the immediate benefits and wanted more! Of course it wasn’t just meditation practice — there was a teacher talk, discussion, and Q&A. Just look at those powerful, mindful women of meditation!
MILITARY PARK: Free Fall Tai-Chi in the Park
Wednesdays, Sep. 12 – Oct. 17
5:30 to 6:30pm
Meditation Lawn in Military Park
A six-week series (weather permitting) of tai-chi and qi-gong taught by visiting teacher with NCMC, Shaka Georges, for his second summer with us. Gentle, healing, and easy-to-learn movement practice. No need to register, come as you can.
A free community service program of NCMC in cooperation with Military Park Partnership Summer Programs.
IRONBOUND: Free Fall Meditation Class Series in The Wellness Room
Thursdays, 5:30-7:00pm
ICC Family Success Center
The Wellness Room
317 Elm Street
Newark, NJ
In these on-going weekly meditation classes with NCMC instructor J. Javier Cruz and assistant Jennifer Becher you will learn basic meditation and how to apply mindfulness in daily life to live with more ease, more joy, and less stress. Sessions include meditation, light yoga stretches, readings, and discussion. Translations to Spanish and Portuguese as needed.
Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org if you would like to attend. No walk-ins.
A free community service program of NCMC in cooperation with Ironbound Community Corporation.
SAVE THE DATE! Free Newark IntraCity Park Hike with Kazi and Keyana
SAVE THE DATE!
Join us for our first hike through Newark — mindfulness in urban nature — walking softly with co-leaders Ib’nallah S. Kazi and Keyana Jones. It will go through several city parks. Details to come, but plans are to start in the morning and go into the afternoon.
A free NCMC program in cooperation with The Spirit-Centered Life and Hikeolution.
A great start for our Fall Session of Free Meditation Classes in the Ironbound
New Location, New Time, New Day!
Thursdays, September 13 – November 15 | 5:30-7:00pm | ICC Family Success Center, The Wellness Room, 317 Elm Street, Newark, NJ
Above: On September 20th, we had three english-speaking students and one spanish-only and our meditation circle was ready to go. Mindful moments of students practicing walking and sitting meditation. But wait, where’s the men? Donde esta los hombres?! Oh, he’s taking the picture!
In these on-going weekly meditation classes with NCMC instructor J. Javier Cruz and assistant Jennifer Becher you will learn basic meditation and how to apply mindfulness in daily life to live with more ease, more joy, and less stress. Sessions include meditation, light yoga stretches, readings, and discussion. You are welcome to join in at any time. Translations to Spanish and Portuguese as needed.
Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org for more information.
A free community service program of NCMC in cooperation with Ironbound Community Corporation.
REVIEW: NCMC People of Color Retreat with Bhante Kaboggoza Buddharakkhita
We wanted to share a few glowing comments and lessons learned through our people of color retreat that we held on Sunday, September 9th. The retreat packed a variety of methods in exploring how to cultivate wisdom and compassion to heal our community.
Naturally, Bhante took the lead in meditation and dharma talks, but he graciously stepped aside for some of our local instructors and presenters to share — An
drea led a yoga session, Kamilah led the dyads, Javier gave a dharma talk, Mesha did a reading, and Ihsaan emceed. Bhante also presented a 7-minute video of compassion in action showing his center’s local humanitarian projects in Uganda that will warm your heart — including constructing water bores, peace school for children, a women’s empowerment project, and an orphanage.
Attendee Jillian Faulks-Majuta of Majuta Wellness, especially was grateful for the discussion on how to cultivate compassion and wisdom and thought it was right on time for her. Here’s what she says she took away: 1) Start with ME. Be more compassionate with myself as I continue on this journey.; 2) Think of compassion as I continue to mother my youth and other living beings/things along my path.; 3) Practice, practice, practice as the wisdom will come as I continue to grow. Well said!
A few days later, she added that after the retreat she has been more mindful, especially with her children, doing 2 minute meditations before bed each night and even a little before school in the morning.
After attending our day-long, Mia Sikes, director of a meditation and yoga studio in Los Angeles posted, “I love Bhante! Filled my toolbox with teachings that a sista can work with!” She had plans to then attend a 6-week retreat that he would be co-teaching in Massachusetts that started last week.
We received a text (sign of the time) from Bhante saying that it was a “wonderful retreat” and “Bravo!” We’re so glad to hear that from the teacher!
We are as always grateful for the delicious fresh vegan meal catered as dana by Arelis Hernandez, farmer/founder of Rabbit Hole Farm. During the weekend, Kevin Porter, director of the Farm, attended to Bhante’s needs and served him at the retreat. The couple hosted him at their residence for the weekend.
Much thanks goes to our retreat volunteers Mary, Jennifer, Elvis, Venus, and David who quietly and efficiently got the job done before, during, and after the retreat and for the generous and patient support given to us by the Ironbound Community Corporation, especially that of Mayra Ramirez, COO there.
It was an exceptional weekend that began with the Farm Program on Saturday morning and the Book-Signing Event for his two books that evening. Planting Dhamma Seeds, Bhante’s spiritual journey, and Sowing Seeds of Peace, a meditation manual, are the first books published by NCMC. They were published in association with Uganda Buddhist Centre and though they were not the first editions, they are the first editions to be published in the United States! They can be purchased through Amazon at the links above. We hope to have Kindle versions available as well.
We feel very blessed that Bhante took the time to teach and spend the weekend with us during his busy U.S. teaching schedule.
Weathering Our Mind Storms
By Marcie Barth
As we watch the weather storms Tropical Storm Isaac, Hurricane Helene, and the incredibly threatening Hurricane Florence, we can use the parallels of our mind storms.
If we’re mindful-and-aware, these mind storms clue us in to their coming. When we catch ourselves in the middle of a mind storm we realize we weren’t attentive to the warning signs. These signs usually come in the small voice of self-talk, either mental or verbalized, that is negative or irrational. On the other hand, we need to be kind to ourselves, even amused at some of our sillier mind storms.
A humorous example comes from an excerpt of a book by meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein where she describes The Broccoli Phenomenon that occurs at retreats. She based it on the many meditators who become agitated at being served ubiquitous and often unappreciated broccoli and their ensuing mind quotes such as, “When I get home, I’m sending them a collection of good cookbooks!”, “If they are determined to serve so much broccoli, they could at least cook it separately, as a side dish!”, and “I guess I’ll put the stew over the rice and pick out the broccoli. I hope they don’t do this to me again!”.
She continues: “Days pass, meals pass, and between bouts of culinary criticism that temporarily cause mind storms, you continue to develop composure. Sitting, walking, breathing, stepping — hour by hour, gradually, while you are busy concentrating, your mind smooths itself out.”
With mind storms, we can choose to distract our minds with positive thoughts until it calms down or we can choose to watch the mind storms objectively from a mental distance, watching them come and go. We use right effort to not react by feeding them more energy caused by habitual negative thinking, impulsive reactions, and even liking them as your act.
Similarly, different people choose different ways to prepare for weather storms. Some leave the area while others stay in the area, safeguard their belongings, hunker down in a shelter, and watch and wait. Each of us approach our storms based on our conditions and relative perceptions.
Given the right conditions a mind storm thunders in and takes over before you know it. When it clouds your whole mind it can sometimes be hard to get out of. Both the cause of the mind state and the mind state itself have become unrecognizable. But, we can develop many mindfulness and meditation skills to get out of them and prevent them from gaining strength.
Given the right conditions a weather storm thunders in. We may not seem to be able to do much about them, but perhaps we can help as much as we can to gradually weaken their effects through our consumer habits, climate change advocacy, praying for those in danger, and making repairs.
Hurricane Photo Credit: NOAA/NWS/Facebook.
Marcie Barth is chairperson and co-founder of Newark Center for Meditative Culture currently teaching there and at Centro La Paz in Puerto Rico where she resides.
September 8-9: Farm Meditation, Book Signing, and People of Color Retreat
With Bhante Kaboggoza Buddharakkhita of Uganda
SOWING SEEDS OF PEACE
Farm Meditation • Dharma Talk • Farm-to-Table Lunch
Saturday Sep. 8 | 11:30am to 1:30pm
Free: Donations welcome
Rabbit Hole Farm Newark
RSVP | Details: Keven/Arelis at rabbitholefarmnewark@gmail.com
PLANTING SEEDS OF DHAMMA
Book-Signing • Meditation • Talk • Vendors
Saturday Sep. 8 | 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Fee: $15
Source of Knowledge Bookstore
RSVP | Details: Greg 973-388-4900 or Ayanna 862-944-8860
CULTIVATING WISDOM & COMPASSION TO HEAL THE COMMUNITY
People of Color Full-Day Meditation Retreat
Sunday Sep. 9 | 9:30am to 4:30pm
Meditation • Talks • Movement • Art • Healing • Affinity
Suggested Donation: $30
Atrium Room at the Early Learning Center
Register | Details: ncmc-poc-retreat.eventbrite.com
First Books to be Published by NCMC
Planting Dhamma Seeds and Sowing Seeds of Peace
We’re excited to announce that Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) is now a book publisher. We are publishing two books by Bhante Kaboggoza Buddharakkhita who will be teaching
with NCMC on Saturday and Sunday, September 8th and 9th. The books to be published are Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism in Africa and Sowing Seeds of Peace: Mindfulness Meditation for Finding Peace Within.
They will only be available for a special sale price of $10 and at a limited quantity to participants at the programs — first come first serve! They will soon also be online with Amazon for purchase at $13.95.
This is the first time that these books will be published in the United States and the first books to be published by NCMC!
We have a short term agreement to publish these books online as a trial project in order to see if publishing spiritual and meditation books could provide a slow and steady stream of income for NCMC in order to fulfill our mission and support our programming.
Author of “Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist and Buddhist”, Jan Willis, wrote of the book Planting Dhamma Seeds: “… Venerable Buddharakkhita offers us the rare and fascinating story of his spiritual journey with heart and humor. He skillfully weaves into his personal narrative well-chosen passages from the Pali Buddhist Canon and describes for us the challenges and triumphs of establishing the first Buddhist Centre in Uganda. When I finished reading this engaging account, I was left wishing for more!”
As for Sowing Seeds of Peace, Ib’nallah S. Kazi, Spirit Life Coach at The Spirit Centered Life, describes the book as: “… a breath of fresh air in an age of information overload. Bhante presents the essential elements of meditation practice in a concise and simple language, minus the common filler of metaphysical jargon and scientific theory sandwiched between mounds of case studies. If you want to begin a meditation practice today and progress from the general to more specific techniques for healing and self-development, this book is written for you. Just add consistency.”
All of the proceeds (after costs) from the sale of the books sold at these programs will go to Bhante’s meditation center, Uganda Buddhist Centre, to help support programs such as their Peace School for Children, their Orphan Project, and their Women’s Livelihood Program.
See our newsletter for descriptions of the programs you can attend to purchase these books.
A Moment of Grace
By Ib’nallah S. Kazi
The act of saying grace over a meal and of blessing the dinner table are sacred rituals practiced for millennia across the globe.
From Ghana to Burma and all the way to the Netherlands, human beings incorporate the daily act of eating into their personal and collective spiritual lives.
The blessing of the meal is a time for giving thanks.
Prayers may be directed to a supreme being, to ancestors, the earth or whatever spiritual agency is believed to be of assistance in securing sustenance. Sometimes family members, employees and employers are thanked for the part they play in sustaining an individual or household.
Still a concern for many to this day is the healthiness of a meal they’re about to eat. Invasion of the body by food-born pathogens is a threat that challenges human beings daily. Therefore, some cultures may include request that the meal be allowed to provide strength and vitality — or at least be rendered free of harm.
Not to be overlooked is the impact upon the psyche of that moment of silence when one’s head is bowed and gaze lowered in recognition of our mutual dependence upon all we consider powerful, holy and beneficent.
The few seconds taken to reconnect to the part of us that remains in constant connection with the Unseen Real opens a “spiritual moment.” And in that moment, we invoke the soul elixir that releases the strengthening, healing, beautifying properties of the meal.
We can use the tradition of saying grace as a “conscious opportunity” to create more of those spiritual moments in our day. We don’t have to limit our spiritual practice to being locked away in a specially outfitted room with dimmed lighting, lots of plump pillows and scented candles.
Let’s bring our practice into our “common spaces” — with their sounds and scents of life at its core. First we take back the kitchen, then the toilet, then the garden.
It all adds up.
Ib’nallah S. Kazi is the Spiritual Director of Newark Center for Meditative Culture and a Spiritual Health & Wellness Coach at The Spirit Centered Life.
People of Color Full-Day Retreat with Bhante Buddharakkhita of Uganda
Cultivating Compassion & Wisdom to Heal Our Communities
A DONATION-BASED MEDITATION PROGRAM.
$30 suggested or as you can, greater or smaller.*
Sunday, September 9, 2018
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM EDT
Early Learning Center | Atrium Room
1 New York Avenue | Second Floor
Newark, NJ
REGISTER NOW: ncmc-poc-retreat.eventbrite.com
Led by Ugandan Buddhist monk, Bhante Buddharakkhita (b. Steven Jemba Kaboggoza; bio below), this meditation retreat is specifically for those people from communities of color who are immigrant Americans or reside in America and who consider themselves as indigenous, enslaved, colonized, disenfranchised, and/or marginalized. People of Color retreats are especially intended to provide an affinity group for individuals who daily confront the effects of racism.
We ask that all participants attend the program in its entirety. The program is designed for all to feel comfortable, comprehend, and hold interest — whether you are a beginner, experienced, or committed meditator of any discipline. Consider inviting a meditation buddy to attend with you (it’s a nice supportive practice).
Included in the program will be guided meditation, Dharma Talks, walking meditation, yoga movement, Dyads, and Q&As. There will also be an Art As Insight Workshop. Assisting Bhante from the NCMC board community will be instructors Andrea Lee, Kamilah Crawley, and J. Javier Cruz, and announcer Ihsaan R. Muhammad. (Bios on the Leadership Page of our website.) A vegan meal will be served.
The venue is in a state-of-the-art LEED-certified green building with wheel-chair and elevator access. If the weather is nice we will also use the adjoining Outdoor Courtyard to the Atrium Room during some of the movement sessions. It is an easy and direct .6 mile/11 minute walk from Newark Penn Station. Street parking is available in the area.
Bhante Buddharakkhita’s most popular book, Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism in Africa and his most recent book on meditation, Sowing Seeds of Peace, will be available for purchase. All proceeds after costs will go to his center in Uganda for their projects such as the Peace School for Children, Orphan Project, and Women’s Livelihood Project.
*Donations go to cover program expenses and gifts to teacher and instructors.
REGISTER NOW: ncmc-poc-retreat.eventbrite.com
Tentative Schedule
ARRIVAL
8:30 Volunteer Arrival
9:00-9:15 Participant Arrival. Please arrive no later than 9:15.
MORNING SESSION (3 hours)
9:30-12:30 Dharma Talk, Guided Meditation, Yoga Movement, Dyad, Q&A
LUNCH (1 hour)
12:30-1:30 Mindfulness of Eating Guidelines, Meal Blessing, Meal, Rest, Interviews with Teacher
AFTERNOON SESSION (3 hours)
1:30-4:30 Dharma Talk, Guided Meditation, Art Workshop, Walking Meditation, Dyad, Q&A
DEPARTURE
Teacher Bio-note
Bhante Buddharakkhita was born and raised in Uganda, Africa. He first encountered Buddhism in 1990 while living in India, and he began practicing meditation in 1993. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk by the late Venerable U Silananda in 2002 at the Tathagata Meditation Center in San Jose, California and then he spent eight years under the guidance of Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society, West Virginia. He is the founder of the Uganda Buddhist Center in Uganda. Besides spending time at his Center, he is the spiritual director of Flowering Lotus Meditation Center in Magnolia, Mississippi. Bhante has been teaching meditation in Africa, Australia, Europe, Asia, and the U.S, since 2005. His book, Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism in Africa, tells the story of his religious and spiritual work in Africa. His most recent book is Sowing Seeds of Peace. He is a Visiting Monastic Teacher with Newark Center for Meditative Culture in New Jersey. He is on the council of advisers to Buddhist Global Relief in New York.
About NCMC
Newark Center for Meditative Culture is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving a diverse urban meditation community. Your tax deductible donations make it possible for us to deliver life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community.
All of our programs are offered as donation-based no-fee to the participant. Instead, we invite all participants to make voluntary gifts to the level of their ability, sometimes with suggested donation amounts. NCMC disperses the donations equitably between teachers and venue providers. We base this system on the practice of dana or generosity, which is inherent to many spiritual traditions.
Contact us with questions at info@newarkmeditation.org.
Urban Nature Bathing
Re-Naturing Ourselves and Our Children:
The Tree vs. The Screen
Some of our current and past nature programs, left to right, top to bottom: Child sits quietly near meditation circle at Military Park; our new meditation circle in Independence Park; children play at the trees; a child tries a few minutes of meditation, a boys/men mindful nature hike in South Mountain Reservation, an Earth Month pond clean-up and mindfulness in motion in Branch Brook Park with teenagers.
The japanese have a practice called shinrin-yoku, translated to forest-bathing, that simply put means taking the forest in through our senses. To just be in nature, with no particular aim, can bridge the gap beween us and the natural world that we are intrinsically a part of, but too often we have lost touch with.
We use all our senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching to forest bath. Along with awakening the five senses to nature, we can elevate our sixth sense base of consciousness (present with all of these other senses) to a mind state of joy, kindness, and wholeness.
Many of us have become so separate from nature as now the majority of the world’s population lives in cities. Though we might not often be able to go “into the woods”, we have our urban green spaces as little oases.
If not for our own good, we need to consider exposing our urban-bred children to natural settings. There are significant and diverse studies that indicate that being in nature is important to children in their cognitive, emotional, social, and educational development.1 In a more natural way of putting it, we can say that children who experience natural settings are able to stay in touch with themselves and be more peaceful, which helps them to stay more focused and less fragmented.
There too are clear class- and race-based inequalities in urban children’s exposure to the natural world as well as industrial environmental hazards1, but we as a community and as parents and caregivers can make informed choices as to how we use our precious time.
At Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC), being in nature has an important role in our teacher’s practices. Those in the community who keep up with us recognize that bringing nature programs and sessions to the community is a priority.
This summer through the end of August, NCMC is offering two free opportunities to bath in urban nature with us and learn to meditate while you are at it. Each Tuesday we are running Meditation Classes in Independence Park in the Ironbound (translation into spanish and portuguese as requested). Downtown each Wednesday we are running Meditation Classes in Military Park. Weather providing, both start at 7:00pm and go to 8:00pm.
These are Family Friendly programs, so we invite you to bring children who can sit quietly with us or play near us to get their first taste of mindfulness practice in nature.
If you can’t sit with us, perhaps this information will inspire you to commit to engage with nature through local hikes and nature outings or as much as possible get out at lunch to sit at a tree, lay in the grass and look at the sky, or instead of gazing at a television screen or phone screen, step out at night to gaze up at the stars.
1Reference Article: Childhood Development and Access to Nature: A New Direction for Environmental Inequality Research; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162362/
For further information, contact Newark Center for Meditative Culture at info@newarkmeditation.org.
The Art of Kindful Mindfulness in the Family
Pictured left to right: Kamilah Crawley, Cornelia Santschi, Venus Banks, David Venezia, Orlene Cummings, Mercedes Valle.
A Report on our Museum Workshop
In the late afternoon of June 8th, Newark Center for Meditative Culture gave Family Mindfulness Workshops during the Early Childhood Night at the Newark Museum. We were delighted to have been invited to share our expertise.
Our Family Kindful-Mindful Team included Cornelia Santschi PhD, a neuropsychologist, who led the team of instructors, Kamilah Crawley and Venus Banks who planned and organized as well as instructed, instructor David Venezia who with Andrea Lee helped in session development, and Orlene Cummings and Mercedes Valle PhD, who assisted in facillitating the workshops.
Corresponding with Venus, an educator in Newark NJ and area, she feels that workshops like these provide tools to help young people establish lifelong healthy behavior patterns. She further emphasizes that establishing healthy behaviors during (early) childhood is easier and more effective than trying to change unhealthy behaviors during adulthood.
Working in the Newark Public School System for most of her career as a child psychologist, Mercedes has been engaged in working intimately with children and parents. She says she practices kindness because she feels the earth belongs to all and that caring and loving each other makes a better world.
Though we issued a limited amount of surveys, most surveyed indicated that they were now likely to practice mindfulness with their family. Most of the caregivers surveyed also thought that their children enjoyed the mindfulness workshop “quite a bit” to “a lot”.
Our instructors were enthusiastic about the results of the workshops, and felt that they learned from the experience as well. They anticipate developing the workshops even further for different occasions.
We are grateful to the Newark Museum, United Way, Newark Public Schools, and the Nicholson Foundation for the opportunity to be of service to the community with our Family Mindfulness Workshops.
You can also stay up to date with NCMC’s programs by subscribing to the newsletter and following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Introduction to Meditation Medicine 1.0
A Free Online Course • Practice at Your Own Pace
One of the very first practices of meditation, if not the first, is Attention to the Breath.
Learn how and why.
OVERVIEW: The purpose of this course taught by Ib’nallah S. Kazi is to help you move beyond settling for the explanation of meditation, into the experience of meditation and a consistent practice. Meditation is something that you have to practice and make a part of your life. You will come to understand what Meditation Medicine means and why meditation is medicine.
COURSE INCLUDES: Prerecorded Web Talks and Guided Meditations; Optional Discussion and Consultation; Infographics.
A Course of The Spirit-Centered Life held in conjunction with Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
We’re Out in the Community!
Recent Appearances
April 10
Presenters Javier Cruz and Jennifer Becher led a Pre-lunch Parent/Teachers Meditation & Mindfulness Session at Technology High School. It turned out to be a small group, but sometimes that’s good for the students as they get more direct and personal attention.
May 9
Presenter Kamilah Crawley led a pre-program guided micro-meditation at the Technology High School Mother’s Day Dinner to a group of about 30 people to start the program off with a zen moment! She reported that the buffet and decorations were lovely — quite accurate from the photo pictured below.
May 21
A Meditation & Mindfulness Workshop for the Mujeres Activas of Ironbound Community Corporation was taught by Marcie Barth. It was a two-hour workshop engaging the women in various means of meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative critical thinking.
Upcoming Appearances
June 14th
Join NCMC at this Wellness Event with The Sis and Bro Initiative
Thursday, June 14 | 6:00 to 9:00pm
LaunchPad, 625 Broad St., Newark, NJ
NCMC has been invited to give a short presentation and guided meditation that will be provided by Andrea Lee shortly after the start of the event. We’re happy to be included to support this program!
June 18
Presenters Ihsaan Muhammad and J. Javier Cruz will be sharing two brief guided meditations at NJPAC’s Wellness Fair to be held for their staff only. We think their can be more contentment and even happines at work and we understand the medicinal healing values of meditation.
June 21
Join NCMC at the 4th Annual
Brick City Solstice on International Yoga Day
Thursday, June 21
8:00 to 5:00pm
Military Park (Rain venue: Hahne’s Grand Court)
We are grateful to be invited to participate in this free annual event for the third year in a row, planned by our friends at Newark Yoga Movement. NCMC will provide two meditation sessions, a Morning Meditation with J. Javier Cruz and then Kamilah Crawley leading a Wind-Down Meditation toward the end of the day. Join us for a day with a Sizzling Soul Group on Summer Solstice!
Part 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
Introduction to Meditation Medicine Course
Part 4 of 4 Lessons
The purpose of this course is to help you move beyond settling for the explanation of meditation, into the experience of meditation and a consistent practice. Meditation is something that you have to practice and make a part of your life. You will come to understand what Meditation Medicine means and why meditation is medicine. (See blog post Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine—Course Description that gives the entire overview.)
Step 1: Watch Intro to Meditation Medicine Talk 1.4
Short talk about developing a sacred approach to your practice, space, and time in order to focus internally on yourself for power, wellness, and wisdom. (9 min)
Step 2: Listen and practice Guided Meditation 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
Short talk on meditation as a self-healing modality within a specialized society and the ensueing fragmention of ourselves that we can heal through meditation. Includes brief body scan and breath meditation and a new practice of Inner Smile meditation. (24 min)
Step 3: Practice what you’ve learned in these videos for a week. Then continue on with your own practice.
We also would love for you to join us if you haven’t already on the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook where we can support each other’s practice through online discussions, sharing relevant posts, and asking questions to the teacher.
Additional Resource: Infographic 1.4: A Consistent Sacred Meditation Practice.
Feel free to print this out and use it as a reference.
Consultation: Optional twenty-minute consultation with Kazi concerning your meditation experiences, insights, challenges, etc. via email, phone, or skype. Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org to request.
Ongoing online group discussions and teachings with Kazi: You can join the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook to engage with a group of kindred spirits to share your meditation medicine journey with.
Go to Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine: Course Description
Go to Lesson 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
Peace. Kazi
Part 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
Introduction to Meditation Medicine Course
Part 3 of 4 Lessons
The purpose of this course is to help you move beyond settling for the explanation of meditation, into the experience of meditation and a consistent practice. Meditation is something that you have to practice and make a part of your life. You will come to understand what Meditation Medicine means and why meditation is medicine. (See blog post Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine—Course Description that gives the entire overview.)
Step 1: Watch Intro to Meditation Medicine Talk 1.3
Short talk your mindset, erasing doubts, letting go, and our abillity to truly relax in order to activate our parasympathetic nervous system. (10 min)
Step 2: Listen and practice Guided Meditation 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
Short talk on meditation as a curative measure, relating to tension, pain, and chronic pain. Includes additional guidance on contract-relax body scan and breath meditation, followed by a new practice of mindfulness of pain. (28 min)
Step 3: Practice what you’ve learned in these videos for a week. Then go to Lesson 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine.
Additional Resource: Infographic 1.3: Basic Meditation Practices Prescribed.
Feel free to print this out and use it as a reference.
Consultation: Optional twenty-minute consultation with Kazi concerning your meditation experiences, insights, challenges, etc. via email, phone, or skype. Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org to request.
Ongoing online group discussions and teachings with Kazi: You can join the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook to engage with a group of kindred spirits to share your meditation medicine journey with.
Go to Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine: Course Description
Go to Lesson 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
Peace. Kazi
Part 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
Introduction to Meditation Medicine Course
Part 2 of 4 Lessons
The purpose of this course is to help you move beyond settling for the explanation of meditation, into the experience of meditation and a consistent practice. Meditation is something that you have to practice and make a part of your life. You will come to understand what Meditation Medicine means and why meditation is medicine. (See blog post Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine—Course Description that gives the entire overview.)
Step 1: Watch Intro to Meditation Medicine Talk 1.2
Short talk on how to create a space conducive to meditation practice. (11 min)
Step 2: Listen and practice Guided Meditation 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
Short talk on meditation as a preventive measure, its positive effect on the immune system and well-being, and the qualities of mindfulness. Includes three guided meditation exercises: body scan, breath meditation, and mindfulness meditation. (31 min)
Step 3: Practice what you’ve learned in these videos for a week. Then go to Lesson 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine.
Additional Resource: Infographic 1.2: Creating Good Meditation Associations.
Feel free to print this out and use it as a reference.
Consultation: Optional twenty-minute consultation with Kazi concerning your meditation experiences, insights, challenges, etc. via email, phone, or skype. Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org to request.
Ongoing online group discussions and teachings with Kazi: You can join the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook to engage with a group of kindred spirits to share your meditation medicine journey with.
Go to Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine: Course Description
Go to Lesson 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
Peace. Kazi
Part 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
Introduction to Meditation Medicine Course
Part 1 of 4 Lessons
The purpose of this course is to help you move beyond settling for the explanation of meditation, into the experience of meditation and a consistent practice. Meditation is something that you have to practice and make a part of your life. You will come to understand what Meditation Medicine means and why meditation is medicine. (See blog post Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine—Course Description that gives the entire overview.)
Step 1: Watch Intro to Meditation Medicine Talk 1.1
An introduction to the series, its purpose, and goal. (11 min)
Step 2: Listen and practice Guided Meditation 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
Short talk on the medicinal potential of meditation and its main functions including the concept of bringing ourselves back to center, to equilibrium. Includes two basic guided meditation exercises: contract-relax body scan and breath meditation. (33 min)
Step 3: Practice what you’ve learned in these videos for a week. Then go to Lesson 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine.
Additional Resource: Infographic 1.1: Bringing Ourselves Back to Center.
Feel free to print this out and use it as a reference.
Consultation: Optional twenty-minute consultation with Kazi concerning your meditation experiences, insights, challenges, etc. via email, phone, or skype. Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org to request.
Ongoing online group discussions and teachings with Kazi: You can join the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook to engage with a group of kindred spirits to share your meditation medicine journey with.
Go to Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine: Course Description
Go to Lesson 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
Peace. Kazi
Learn how to make meditation a part of your life in a simple four-part lesson!
Introduction to Meditation Medicine 1.0 — Course Description
A Course of The Spirit-Centered Life held in conjunction
with Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Teacher: Ib’nallah S. Kazi (Go to bio.)
“The experience proceeds and is more important than the explanation.”
— Old African Proverb
A Message from the Teacher
If you have started to read this it might suggest that you believe there is personal, social and perhaps universal value in the practice of meditation. As the practice of meditation becomes more mainstream with each day, the opportunity to begin a meditation practice often remains stymied by a lack of time, energy or just a lack of knowledge on how and where to begin. We are currently offering a four-part lesson on Meditation Medicine for free. It is our wish that this series of teachings contributes to removing these obstacles to your meditation practice.
Peace. Kazi
Course Description
OVERVIEW: The purpose of this course is to help you move beyond settling for the explanation of meditation, into the experience of meditation and a consistent practice. Meditation is something that you have to practice and make a part of your life. You will come to understand what Meditation Medicine means and why meditation is medicine.
COURSE INCLUDES: Prerecorded Web Talks and Guided Meditations; Optional Discussion and Consultation; Infographics.
LESSON 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
VIDEO TALK 1.1: Intro to Meditation Medicine — An introduction to the series, its purpose, and goal. (11 min)
PRE-RECORDED GUIDED MEDITATION 1.1: Meditation is Medicine — Short talk on the medicinal potential of meditation and its main functions including the concept of bringing ourselves back to center, to equilibrium. Includes two basic guided meditation exercises: contract-relax body scan and breath meditation. (33 min)
INFOGRAPHIC: Bringing Ourselves Back to Center
LESSON 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
VIDEO TALK 1.2: Creating a Meditation Space — Short talk on how to create a space conducive to meditation practice. (11 min)
PRE-RECORDED GUIDED MEDITATION 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine — Short talk on meditation as a preventive measure, its positive effect on the immune system and well-being, and the qualities of mindfulness. Includes three guided meditation exercises: body scan, breath meditation, and mindfulness meditation. (31 min)
INFOGRAPHIC: Creating Good Meditation Associations
LESSON 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
VIDEO TALK 1.3: Meditation as a Posture of The Mind — Short talk your mindset, erasing doubts, letting go, and our abillity to truly relax in order to activate our parasympathetic nervous system. (10 min)
PRE-RECORDED GUIDED MEDITATION 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine — Short talk on meditation as a curative measure, relating to tension, pain, and chronic pain. Includes additional guidance on contract-relax body scan and breath meditation, followed by a new practice of mindfulness of pain. (28 min)
INFOGRAPHIC: Basic Meditation Practices Prescribed
LESSON 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
VIDEO TALK 1.4: A Sacred Attitude in Meditation Practice — Short talk about developing a sacred approach to your practice, space, and time in order to focus internally on yourself for power, wellness, and wisdom. (9 min)
PRE-RECORDED GUIDED MEDITATION 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine — Short talk on meditation as a self-healing modality within a specialized society and the ensueing fragmention of ourselves that we can heal through meditation. Includes brief body scan and breath meditation and a new practice of Inner Smile meditation. (24 min)
INFOGRAPHIC: Developing a Sacred Consistent Practice
Go to Course 1.0: Introduction to Meditation Medicine: Course Description
Go to Lesson 1.1: Meditation is Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.2: Preventive Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.3: Curative Meditation Medicine
Go to Lesson 1.4: Self-Healing Meditation Medicine
Ongoing online group discussions and teachings with Kazi: You can join the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook to engage with a group of kindred spirits to share your meditation medicine journey with.
Spring Tai-Chi in Military Park
Wednesdays, May 16 – June 20
5:30 to 6:30pm
Meditation Lawn in Military Park (just north of/next to park office)
A six-week series (weather permitting) of tai-chi and qi-gong taught by visiting teacher with NCMC, Shaka Georges, for his second summer with us. Gentle, healing, and easy-to-learn movement practice. No need to register, come as you can.
A free community service program held in conjunction with Military Park Partnership Summer Programs.
CULTIVATING INSIGHT & INSTINCT: A Daylong Retreat
OPTIONAL DAY-LONG OR PART-DAY PARTICIPATION (morning or afternoon session)
Sunday, May 20, 2018
10:00am to 4:00pm
Early Learning Center, 1 New York Ave.
(absolutely no walk-ins/no calls please)
Meditation teachers Ib’nallah S. Kazi and Cornelia Santschi will lead this donation-based NCMC program. (Bios on Leadership Page of website.)
This retreat will help the community to understand the need to cultivate the insight, instincts, and focus needed to navigate the growing uncertainty and instability manifesting in our world. You will take home meditation tools that will help you to reconnect to the inner guidance previously lost in the incessant noise of modern society.
Included will be guided meditations, qigong and yoga movement, an art as meditation session, a visual presentation, and discussion. NCMC instructors J. Javier Cruz and Jennifer Becher will provide assistance. The program is intended to be appropriate for beginners through experienced meditators. A seasonal vegan Medicine Meal will be prepared by Arelis Hernandez, a Newark urban farmer-meditator.
If the weather is nice we plan to spend much of the day in the spring breeze of the adjoining outdoor courtyard! It will be a unique opportunity to experience the setting of a state-of-the-art LEED-certified green building. The venue is an easy and direct .6 mile/11 minute walk from Newark Penn Station. Wheel-chair access.
Please, absolutely no Walk-Ins and no Phone Calls to the Early Learning Center. Call NCMC at 862-227-3288 with inquiries or by email at info@newarkmeditation.org. For more information about Newark Center for Meditative Culture go to the website at www.newarkmeditation.org.
Registration Required on Eventbrite at:
https://ncmc-there-is-a-season-retreat.eventbrite.com
Suggested donation is $20 by PayPal/Credit Card when you register or Cash or PayPal/Credit Card at Door.
A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Part 3: Curative Meditation Medicine now available to Members on the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook
FACEBOOK STUDY GROUP:
Meditation Medicine 4-Part Lesson with Kazi —
Free Introductory Series
Tuesday Evenings Beginning April 3, 10, 17, 24*
7:00pm EST | 4:00pm PST
*Access to recorded sessions if you can’t join us live.
This 4-part lesson is exclusive to Meditation Medicine Study Group Members and will be held on Tuesday evenings, April 3rd, April 10th, April 17th, and April 24th. The lessons include live web talks, pre-recorded guided meditations, discussion, consultation, and some home assignments. For more details, you can go to the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook with Master Teacher Kazi of The Spirit-Centered Life.
To join in on the Course: Become a Member of the Meditation Medicine Study Group
A free introductory program of The Spirit-Centered Life held in conjunction with NCMC.
Part 2: Preventative Meditation Medicine now available to Members on the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook
FACEBOOK STUDY GROUP:
Meditation Medicine 4-Part Lesson with Kazi —
Free Introductory Series
Tuesday Evenings Beginning April 3, 10, 17, 24*
7:00pm EST | 4:00pm PST
*Access to recorded sessions if you can’t join us live.
This 4-part lesson is exclusive to Meditation Medicine Study Group Members and will be held on Tuesday evenings, April 3rd, April 10th, April 17th, and April 24th. The lessons will include live web talks, pre-recorded guided meditations, discussion, consultation, and some home assignments. For more details, you can go to the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook with Master Teacher Kazi of The Spirit-Centered Life.
To join in on the Course: Become a Member of the Meditation Medicine Study Group
A free introductory program of The Spirit-Centered Life held in conjunction with NCMC.
Part 1: Meditation is Medicine now available to Members on the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook
You can still get your first dose of PART 1: Meditation is Medicine with Kazi of The Spirit-Centered Life, a study group held in conjunction with Newark Center for Meditative Culture. It’s easy, just become a member with your kindred spirits at the Meditation Medicine Study Group to access recorded talks, videos, discussion forum, and consultations with Kazi.
Click here to check out the orientation video.
DOWNTOWN: Mindful Meditation Workshop In Four Parts
Sundays, April 15, April 22, April 29, and May 6
Starts at 10:30am
I’m So Yoga Newark, 1186 Raymond Boulevard
A peaceful way to start your Sundays. Learn and practice the basics of meditation and mindfulness. It’s a workshop appropriate for simply the curious, beginners, and intermediate meditators. Experienced? You’re welcome to come and brush up with a group. Instructors Andrea Lee and Kamilah Crawley of Newark Center for Meditative Culture will co-teach the classes. Come for all four sessions or come as you can, though we recommend a commitment to attending all four workshops to benefit yourself the most. Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org with any questions.
ISYN Fee: $10 per session.
Registration/Payment at https://goo.gl/RkQMfp
An I’m So Yoga Newark fee-based sponsor program held in conjunction with NCMC.
An ISYN fee-based sponsor program held in conjunction with NCMC.
IRONBOUND: Spring Meditation Classes Begin for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Groups
Hispanohablante — Clases de meditación y atención plena para principiantes
Serie de 8 clases
Miércoles, 4 de abril – 23 de mayo
5:30 a 6:30pm
Early Learning Center, 1 New York Ave. (no walk-ins)
Aprenda prácticas básicas de meditación y atención plena con Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) que pueden ayudarlo a reducir el estrés en su vida y darle más tranquilidad. Estas clases básicas de meditación y mindfulness son impartidas por NCMC profesor, Javier Cruz. Las clases incluyen meditación guiada, estiramientos de yoga ligero, caminar atentamente, charlas con el maestro y preguntas y respuestas. A los estudiantes se les asignan tareas opcionales de atención domiciliaria fáciles y opcionales. Lo mejor es asistir a la serie completa, pero ven lo que puedas. Sin embargo, no hay walk-ins. DEBE registrar su nombre, email, y ciudad una vez antes de asistir. Registrarse en info@newarkmeditation.org.
Un programa de servicio comunitario gratuito con NCMC patrocinado por Ironbound Community Corporation.
Spring Session — Meditation & Mindfulness Classes
Series of 10 Classes
Wednesdays, April 4 – June 6
6:45 to 7:45pm
Early Learning Center, 1 New York Ave. (no walk-ins)
This spring session of 10 classes with Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) will have a focus on loving-kindness (metta) meditation practice. These continuing meditation and mindfulness classes are taught by NCMC teacher, Javier Cruz with assistance by Jennifer Becher also of NCMC. The classes include guided meditation, light yoga stretches, mindful walking, teacher talk, and Q&A. We’ll enjoy one class with an Art as Meditation Workshop. Students are given easy, optional home-mindfulness assignments. Parents/guardians are welcome to bring teens. It’s best to attend the entire series, but come as you can. However, there are no walk-ins. You MUST register your name, email, and city one time before attending. Register at info@newarkmeditation.org.
A free community service program with NCMC sponsored by the Ironbound Community Corporation. •
Sit Down to Rise Up: Today, April 4th, 2018 is National Day of Action for Stephon Clark. Demand justice.
Meditation Medicine 4-Week Study Group with Kazi: Free Introductory Series
Join us for a free four-part lesson online in simple to apply instruction in the physical, functional and mental mechanics of meditation practice:
Recorded Meditations | Live Talks | Discussion Forum | Consultation
Tuesday Evenings Beginning April 3rd
7:00 pm EST | 4:00 pm PST
(24 hours to access LIVE sessions if you can’t join us live.)
Held in conjunction with Newark Center for Meditative Culture, this 4 part lesson is exclusive to Meditation Medicine Study Group Members and will be held on Tuesday evenings, April 3rd, April 10th, April 17th, and April 24th. The lessons will include live web talks, pre-recorded guided meditations, discussion, consultation, and some home assignments.
To Register:
Become a member of the Meditation Medicine Study Group on Facebook with Master Teacher Kazi of The Spirit-Centered Life.
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE THE LIVE SESSIONS, STUDENTS WILL HAVE 24 HOURS TO VIEW THE RECORDED SESSION.
Course Description:
As the practice of meditation becomes more mainstream with each day, the opportunity to begin a meditation practice often remains stymied by a lack of time, energy or just a lack of knowledge on how and where to begin. It is our wish that this series of teachings contributes to removing these obstacles to your meditation practice.
This series of lessons includes:
• Four live web talks on meditative practice, method, challenges, resources, etc. (recorded versions available for 24 hours, if you are unable to attend LIVE)
• Four pre-recorded guided meditations that you can download and play at your convenience.
• Question and Answer on the material covered in the course via the group forum.
• Optional twenty-minute consultation with Kazi concerning your meditation experiences, insights, challenges, etc. via email, phone, or skype.
• A group of kindred spirits to share your meditation medicine journey with.
Registration available only once you have become a member of the Meditation Medicine Study Group.
About the Teacher
Ib’nallah S. Kazi (Kazi) is a Las Vegas-based spiritual wellness coach, medicine movement, and meditation teacher. He places an emphasis on wellness and personal development through his own program, presently known as The Spirit-Centered Life. Kazi has had a committed meditation practice for over 30 years and applies many disciplines. This includes Taoist, Sufi and Ancestral Meditation Medicine. Kazi has built a diverse education and training. His adolescent rites of passage began in 1974 when he became a Five Percenter, a splinter group from the Nation of Islam. Kazi has trained in and developed his internal martial medicine skills, teaching both Tai Chi Chuan and Yara Mba. He was the co-founder of the Harriet Tubman Hiking Society established in 1988 to immerse the African-American community back into nature. He integrated fitness training and massage becoming certified as a Health-Fitness Trainer and as a Massage Therapist that included Royal Thai Medical Massage. He also became a certified Intrinisic Coach. Kazi was until 2017 based in Newark NJ for 13 years where he remains on the Board of Directors of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, serving as the Spiritual Director and Lead Teacher. See Kazi’s full bio on the NCMC Website under Leadership.
Letting Go and Loving
A Special Loving-kindness Meditation Class on Valentine’s Day
(with “Heart of Wisdom” Valentine Art Session)
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
6:00 to 7:30pm
Early Learning Center, 1 New York Ave., Newark
(no walk-ins)
(Traducción en español a continuación.)
How do we let go of those we love, but at the same time love them? How do we learn to give our love more open-mindedly, with less judgement? How do we turn passionate love into compassionate love?
Join Newark Center for Meditative Culture for this special valentine meditation class with teacher J. Javier Cruz. He will guide us in the practice of loving-kindness (metta), an important meditation discipline to develop a finer, more infinite love for self, family, friends, enemies, and ultimately for all beings. The Karaniya Metta Sutta describes it beautifully:
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded.
This loving-kindness practice can soften the heart to not want to feel anger or hate any more — seeing how it not only hurts others, but it hurts ourselves.
We will also enjoy a Heart of Wisdom valentine art session to further express our intrinsic selflessness and love!
This class will be in english with spanish translation as necessary. You must sign up to attend this class at info@newarkmeditation.org (unless you are registered already for the bilingual classes).
Sponsored by Ironbound Community Corporation.
May all beings be happy!
Dejar Ir y Amar
Una clase especial de meditación de bondad amorosa en el día de San Valentín
(con “Heart of Wisdom” Valentine Art Session)
Miércoles, 14 de febrero de 2018
6:00 a 7:30 p.m.
Early Learning Center, 1 New York Ave., Newark
(sin visitas)
¿Cómo dejamos ir a los que amamos, pero al mismo tiempo los amamos? ¿Cómo aprendemos a dar a nuestro amor una mente más abierta, con menos juicio? ¿Cómo convertimos el amor apasionado en amor compasivo?
Únase al Newark Center for Meditative Culture para esta clase especial de meditación de San Valentín con el maestro J. Javier Cruz. Él nos guiará en la práctica de la bondad amorosa (metta), una importante disciplina de meditación para desarrollar un amor más fino e infinito por uno mismo, la familia, los amigos, los enemigos y, en última instancia, por todos los seres. El Karaniya Metta Sutta lo describe bellamente:
Incluso cuando una madre protege con su vida
Su hijo, su único hijo,
Entonces con un corazón sin límites
Debería uno apreciar a todos los seres vivos;
Irradiando bondad en todo el mundo:
Dispersándose hacia los cielos,
Y hacia abajo a las profundidades;
Hacia afuera y sin límites.
Esta práctica de bondad amorosa puede ablandar el corazón para no querer sentir rabia u odio, ya que no solo lastima a los demás, sino que también nos lastima.
¡También disfrutaremos de una sesión de arte de San Valentín de Heart of Wisdom para expresar aún más nuestro desinterés y amor intrínsecos!
Esta clase será en inglés con traducción al español según sea necesario. Debe inscribirse para asistir a esta clase en info@newarkmeditation.org (a menos que ya esté registrado para las clases bilingües).
Patrocinado por Ironbound Community Corporation.
¡Que todos los seres sean felices!
Taking Root in Black History Month
“What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out.”
— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
By Ib’nallah S. Kazi
During Black History Month, we retrace our historical steps. We learn where we came from and how it is we came to find ourselves in the present situation. Thus, when we reach a crossroad (a decisive moment in life or history) we are better equipped to navigate in a way that brings us closer to our destination.
When this happens it can be helpful to retrace your steps. Turn around and walk back along the path until you see a trail marker, a unique tree or boulder that you recognize having seen on the “right path” before you zoned out.
When hiking the trail of life, do we sometimes look up from the ground and find that we have been walking in circles? It’s very easy to get lost in thought during a long walk in the wilderness.
Trees never get lost on their journey from earth to sky. Because they are firmly rooted in the earth, the winds are unable to alter their destination.
Meditators firmly rooted in their breath recover quickly from thoughts that pull them away from their center.
Humans rooted in the lessons of history are not distracted by fake news or turned around by fear mongering. They seek guidance in the wisdom of their ancestors and strength from the righteousness and inevitable victory of their struggle.
Relaxing into Clarity: A Daylong Meditation & Mindfulness Retreat on February 25th
Optional Part-Day Participation
Sunday, February 25, 2018
10:00am to 4:00pm
Venue: Index Art Center, 237 Washington St., Newark, NJ 07102
ALL MUST REGISTER! Go to registration form.
Spend the day with Newark Center for Meditative Culture relaxing into your body and mind to cultivate clarity, taught by guest meditation and dharma teachers Rebecca Li and Shaka Georges. Optional part-day participation (morning or afternoon session). Retreatants will receive guidance in sitting, walking, and moving meditation. The afternoon session will also include art/written word workshop on the Art of Seeing. This donation-based day retreat is appropriate for beginners to advanced meditators, aged 18 and older*. Vegetarian lunch included.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
• MORNING (9:30-9:45 Arrival/Check-in)
10:00-12:25 Morning Workshop
• LUNCH (12:10 Arrival/Check-in)
12:25-1:25
• AFTERNOON (1:10 Arrival/Check-in)
1:30-4:00 Afternoon Workshop
SUGGESTED DONATION
$20 Adult/$10 Student, but donate what fits into your budget.
Tax-deductible donations through PayPal/Credit Card when you register or Cash-at-Door. Donations go to gift teachers and to help cover rent and other expenses for this event. Donations are much needed and appreciated. Consider donating even if you can’t attend!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Consider volunteering as your donation to attend OR volunteer AND attend! Or you can just volunteer and not attend! We need help with class set-up, buffet set-up, check-in desk, lunch service/clean-up, time-keeping and announcing, break-down, and vegetarian food donations. Please let us know when you fill out the registration form if you would like to volunteer in any of these ways and we’ll get back to you!
SUPPORT THE EVENT
Can’t attend but would like to help support this event? We always need help gifting the teachers and for venue rental and other event expenses.
Make tax-deductible donations through PayPal/Credit Card: paypal.me/NCMCevents
We also greatly appreciate NCMC friends who want to volunteer at the retreat, but not attend. Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org.
*If you feel that it’s important or necessary that your child/youth attend with you and you are able to mind and be responsible for your child/youth (aged 8 -17) during the retreat, you are welcome to submit one child when you register. They should be able to sit still and silent for extended periods.
ABOUT THE TEACHERS:
Rebecca Li, a Dharma heir in the lineage of the Chan Master Sheng Yen, started practicing meditation in 1995. She began her teacher’s training with Master Sheng Yen in 1999 to become a Dharma and meditation instructor. Later on, she trained with Simon Child to lead intensive retreats and received full Dharma transmission in 2016. Currently, she teaches meditation and Dharma classes, gives public lectures and leads retreats at Dharma Drum centers, university meditation groups and Dharma practice groups in the northeast. Her talks and writings can be found at www.rebeccali.org. Rebecca Li is also a professor of sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at The College of New Jersey.
Shaka Georges began his martial arts practice at the age of 9 years old. He immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti in 1975, and ever since then has studied various forms of martial arts including Wing Chun, White Crane Kung Fu Capoeira, and Tai Chi Long and Short Forms. He is a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner from the Mahamudra Lineage and has been meditating for over 10 years. He has also been a fitness coach and instructor in Newark. Shaka is a certified tai chi and qi gong teacher practicing in Montclair and Harrison NJ (see Discovering The Healer Within Facebook page) and is a mathematics high school teacher in West Orange.
ALL MUST REGISTER! Go to registration form.
One Brick at a Time
The beginning of a new year has become the traditional time to evaluate our lives. So let’s do it! And let’s use a brick as our multi-purpose metaphor.
As a starting point, we’ll take this well-known quote by actor Will Smith: “You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t say ‘I’m going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that’s ever been built.’ You don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid. You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall.” There’s a lot of wisdom in these words, but let’s examine brick laying more closely as it applies to our meditative and spiritual perspectives.
First of all, who are we?
When we reflect on who or what we are, we might imagine that we are a person carrying 5 piles of bricks on our shoulders. These bricks might represent the five aggregates in buddhist psychology — form, feeling, perception, fabrication, and consciousness. We hold tight to these constantly changing piles of bricks trying to keep these activities from changing.
We can let these aggregates/bricks weigh us down. So why not instead of carrying piles of bricks on our shoulders, we take them off and lay them along the ground and simply observe and adjust them.
Why am I where I am today?
Let’s go back to the brick wall. Some of us may need to dismantle our wall and start a radical new wall. Others might just have one brick to start with. Others of us may have already built a beautiful brick wall, basking in our glory, only to see ourselves like Humpty Dumpty, falling, out of our carelessness or mistakes. Or, we might be building around others who are effecting us with their rubble, their taller walls, or poorly made walls. Then it’s vital to practice non-judgement and patience as we build our own.
Or, we may have fallen from no apparent reason at all to us! That’s just how it appears sometimes. Humpty Dumpty couldn’t be put together again when he fell off his brick wall. However, we can find that there always is a way to start over — again and again and again — but under different conditions and possibly with different aims in building our new “biggest, baddest, greatest wall”.
Then what direction should we take?
Now that we’ve laid our aggregate bricks on the ground, we can use these bricks rather than have them use us, to construct a beautiful pathway. For example, we might see the pathway we construct as the buddhist eightfold path: upright view, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. When we apply our concentration and mindfulness through the practice of meditation, it can have good effect on the other bricks on the path.
Is this a perfect “yellow brick road”? Not quite, there will be bumps and road blocks along the way, but the sense of well-being and inner happiness that continue to develop will be worth the practice of these meditative life skills. Once you have a committed practice you can broaden your road and even jump on and off the pavement to move skillfully through many modes of life situations.
How can we merge spirituality with success?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to go first or be the best, provided that our intention is to help pave the way for others along the way! We can help make others’ paths more easy — we can give them a little mortar or offer a brick.
There’s a quote attributed to the Sufi sage Rumi: “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” But then, why do some of us not get what we work hard for and want? We can’t all be great hip-hop artists or brain surgeons, but our passion for music might manifest in a different way in our work or at home. Our ability to be deft with our hands and make quick decisions might not manifest as becoming a surgeon, but instead as a wonderful conscientious activist homemaker.
So what about inner happiness?
Let’s start building with the brick of breath. Breath is form. We take one breath at a time, aware of the moment, aware also of our body, which is also form — with perhaps a little smile on our face — and be happy, that’s all. Be happy with ourselves as we are. Oprah Winfrey is quoted as saying, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
Perhaps we can each become a BRICK HOUSE of Inner Happiness! Happy new year! Peace.
Meditación y Atención Plena en el Ironbound: Clases bilingües para principiantes | Meditation & Mindfulness in the Ironbound: Bilingual Classes for Beginners
Miércoles, 24 de Enero al 28 de Marzo, 6:00 to 7:30pm
NCMC comenzaren una serie de tres meses de invierno de clases de meditación para principiantes para personas que hablan inglés y español* que viven en Newark y el área de Newark. Será impartido por J. Javier Cruz con otros instructores de NCMC. Esta serie será patrocinada por Ironbound Community Corporation. Será apropiado para adultos mayores de 18 años. *Aunque las clases no se pueden traducir en portugués, proporcionaremos folletos trilingües.
Esta serie de clases tiene la intención de proporcionar un espacio seguro para aprender y practicar la meditación y la atención plena que pueden aumentar la felicidad y disminuir el estrés. Al hacerlo, un grupo bi o trilingüe de ideas afines puede desarrollarse para apoyar la práctica de los demás. Todos son bienvenidos, aunque como está destinado a la comunidad latino / hispana de Newark, necesitaremos reservar la mayoría de los espacios para esta comunidad. Detalles de registro próximos.
Wednesdays, January 24 to March 28, 6:00 to 7:30pm
NCMC will begin a Winter 3-month series of beginner’s meditation classes for spanish and english speaking* people living in Newark and Newark area. It will be taught by J. Javier Cruz with other NCMC instructors. This series will be sponsored by Ironbound Community Corporation. The classes will be appropriate for adults ages 18 and older. *Though classes can’t be translated in portuguese, we will provide trilingual handouts.
This series of classes is intended to provide a safe space to learn and practice meditation and mindfulness that can increase happiness and decrease stress. In doing so, a like-minded bi- or tri- lingual group can develop to support each other’s practice. All are welcome, though as it is intended for the latino/hispanic community in Newark, we will need to reserve the majority of spaces for this community. Registration details forthcoming.
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A Beautiful Wintry Mix is Forecast!
1. THE REMIX
Changes to Board of Directors
Over the first several years of our existence as an informal initiative, Arelís Hernandez and Keven Porter have quietly and consistently supported our mission. Arelís supported us with with her abundant energy and clear decision-making, knowledge of community organizing, skills with youth, and of course, her delicious cooking. Keven has been instrumental in introducing us throughout the community, promoting us, and as he puts it “sits for us”!
At the end of this year they will be leaving us as founding members of our formal non-profit that was established earlier this year. They plan to commit their energy further to Rabbit Hole Farm. We will miss them dearly, but they will always be with us in spirit and we hope to still collaborate at times. We are excited to have two new in-coming board members starting in 2018, J. Javier Cruz and Jennifer Becher. We welcome them into our “mix”!
2. LINGUAL MIX
English-Spanish Beginner’s Meditation and Mindfulness Series to Begin in the Ironbound!
Starting in late January NCMC will begin the winter 3-month series of beginner’s meditation classes for spanish and english speaking* people living in Newark and Newark area. It will be taught by J. Javier Cruz with other NCMC instructors. This series will be sponsored by Ironbound Community Corporation. It is planned for Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30pm and will be appropriate for adults ages 18 and older. *Though classes can’t be translated in portuguese, we will provide trilingual handouts.
This series of classes is intended to provide a safe space to learn and practice meditation and mindfulness that can increase happiness and decrease stress. In doing so, a like-minded bi- or tri- lingual group can develop to support each other’s practice. All are welcome, though as it is intended for the latino/hispanic community in Newark, we will need to reserve the majority of spaces for this community. Registration details forthcoming. Free to public, donations welcome.
Please note, as this is late-breaking news, we apologize not to have provided this article in spanish translation! We intend to do so in the future.
3. MIND-MATTER MIX
Save the Date for the Full-Day Retreat taught by Rebecca Li with Shaka Georges
On February 25th at Index Art Center, NCMC will hold it’s yearly winter full-day retreat (optional part-day). We anticipate a cooperative, creative fusion of mind(s) and matter(s). There will be sessions of meditation, movement meditation, art, teacher talks, and Q&A. This donation-based day retreat is appropriate for beginners to advanced meditators, aged 18 and older. Registration required. Details will be forthcoming.
It’s Time to Play…“Where’s. My. Mind?!”
A Free Game for Kids to Adults
Start Tonight or When Your Mind is Ready!
During the holiday busy-ness, our minds scatter, our minds digress, our minds stress! But also, our minds can go overboard with joy and giddiness that result in post-holiday mind crashes. So let’s play (drum roll) Where’s. My. Mind? — a 24-hour “game” that you can play by yourself or with family or friends for one day a week or 24/7. It brings you back to the present and can make you laugh, be bemused, slightly embarrassed, self-respecting, or yes, even insightful at what thought was interrupted by your mindfulness bell. It’s a great learning tool to bring you back into the present and keep you there longer. Here’s how it works:
Back to the Breath
Set your reminder/alarm for on-the-hour including your wake-up time, but excluding hours within your sleeping period. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the :08, :30, or :49 or whatever chosen minute, just make it consistent. For example, if you play one day a week you might start with Wednesday at 7pm*, end at 10pm when you go to sleep, and start back up with your wake up time on Thursday and every on-the-hour through 10pm to end the game. When the alarm goes off, set your timer for a minute or so or continue without a timer. Note what you are doing, then quickly go to the mind and observe where it is and sit with it for a minute or two. Then, reel your mind back in if it’s gone elsewhere, back to the breath, and what’s at hand.
Back to the Beat
Advanced Players who are good at body-mind scans might like to try out observing your chi (energy) cycle, that according to Chinese traditional medicine system, occurs every two hours and is related to different organs, mental qualities, and mind states. Check out the chart below. To start to get into your natural beat again you can go to Understanding the 24-Hour Chi Cycle —or— Meet the Chinese Body Clock: Is This Why You’re Waking Up at Night?.
Where’s. My. Mind? is a great game — fun and enlightening for the whole family! Have your kids or friends text you after their reminders go off to find out where their mind is and tell them where yours was (well, er, perhaps sometimes not!). It could be a precious gift to you all!
*You can join the group NCMC Sit Home Soul Group on www.insighttimer.com or use your own App and get into the game on Wednesday nights from your home.
Chinese Body Clock image credit: www.fiveseasonsmedicine.com
Super Moon Sunday — Sensitize, Synchronize, Salutate!
If the forecast holds out, we’ll be able to observe the Super Moon, the biggest brightest full moon of the year, on December 3 that is followed a day later by the lunar perigee —the moon’s closest point to Earth in its orbit.
There are many myths regarding the power of the full moon. Perhaps there is something to it rather than to dismiss it as superstition as it’s power is acknowledged in many ancient cultures. Modern science tends to debunk it, but what if with a sensitized, subtle mind, we explore it through meditation?
We’ve found a few online meditations for you to explore over the next four days approaching the Super Moon Sunday:
For those of you who want to approach it as a medicinal, healing meditation you might try this Healing Moon Meditation that mainly requires moon gazing and just letting it happen. It is said you can chanelize the moon energy with Moon Salutation asanas designed specifically for this. Keep it light and within your range. For all you goddesses out there, you might like to try this Wild Power: Full Moon Meditation to tap into your divine feminine power. Or perhaps Shamanic Astral Projection flute music can bring out your essence during your moon gazing.
REFLECTION: An Empty Bowl on Our Table
Most of us here in the States will have some sort of Thanksgiving celebration or special meal tomorrow, but then again, many will not. Many of us love the day, but many dread it. There are so many reasons for both these extremes — loving families, dysfunctional families, lack of family, delicious food, tryptophan stasis, politics, displaced guests, misplaced historical truths — the list goes on.
One solution to keeping peace, inner or expressed, on this holiday is to bring an empty bowl to the table. What we mean here is to try to bring an empty mind that’s freed from assumptions, bias, preconceptions, and judgement. It’s a mind that can flex at the table and create harmony through, well, a sort of appropriation. Meaning, that we might put ourselves in others’ shoes, feeling compassion for what we might see as ignorance on political matters, stinginess in portions, or obnoxious personalities. Instead, we might see the stress in their faces!
How might we do this? By being in mindfulness as much as we can with an empty mind and a determinedly pleasant attitude. It doesn’t hurt either to consciously appreciate an actual empty bowl placed in front of us, to reflect on the great grace that we have daily to be able to feed ourselves and others.
Image: Yuan Period Jun Bowl; Wikimedia Common; Public Domain
Suggested Holiday Practices for Thanks Giving
As our Group Meditations are temporarily postponed, let’s meditate together from our respective homes even though we’re apart. We start at 7:00pm. Choose a 15-20 minute guided meditation or we’ve suggested some. Or practice silently. You can end your session then or continue on with mindful stretches, readings, chants — whatever works for you! We use the free app at www.insighttimer.com as our meditation timer and for some guided meditations. You can find us under Groups at “NCMC Sit Home Soul Group.” If you prefer though, use a different timer. Below we’ve shared some nice teachings that we found online that you might use:
Meditate: Taoist Inner Smile Meditation | David James Lees | 20m | Guided meditation.
Listen: Attitude of Gratitude | Mooji | 9m | Short talk.
Read: The Connection Between the Spirit of Gratitude and Mindfulness | Jack Kornfield | 10m +- | Interview article.
Eat: Simple Mindfulness: Mindful Eating | Thich Nhat Hanh | 6m | Short talk.
Give: Giving is part of our practice. There are plenty of local groups who are helping to feed and shelter. Just 1 dollar or 1 hour can make a positive difference to a neighbor’s sustenance — and — our own minds.
Review: A Sunday Full of Truth and Healing
Meditation IS Medicine
On Sunday, November 12th, Teacher Kazi opened the People of Color Retreat with a presentation on the meaning and background of Ancestral Meditation Medicine and what it means for us culturally and connectively today. Throughout the day he gently and masterfully guided us in meditation medicine through modes of sitting, standing, walking, and qigong.
That Darn Dukkha!
Andrea Lee and J. Javier Cruz both gave Dharma (truth) talks that clearly explained the meaning of the Sanskrit/Pali word dukkha, an ancient spiritual word that is hard to define. It can mean both mental and physical suffering, stress, and agitation — subtle and extreme — that we cause ourselves and others. They then used their personal disciplines to help us find the ability to let go and open our hearts and minds (note that a single Chinese character means both heart and mind). Javier taught the method of metta (loving-kindness) meditation, while Andrea used yoga discipline to allow us to radiate love out.
Art Forms as Meditation
We all seem to have joy and/or self-discovery in this session whenever we do it — expressing ourselves through drawing or written word — then explaining to our soul group (sangha for the day) how the art manifested and reflecting on its meaning.
Prosody and Performance
Presenters Mesha Allen and Muta Morton both expressed beautifully. Mesha read a powerful original essay in a voice like a hug and Muta instructed in a unique blend of modulating verbal performance and khemetic yoga postures. He chose those that he finds especially healing and we did too!
Cha-cha-cha-chant
To end the program, Kazi led us in his own variation of a chant that he heard in the film Baraka. It was first a slow “Cha. Cha. Cha. Cha.,” then a very quick-paced “chachachachachachachachacha,” going back and forth between the slow and fast. In a sense, he was using the chant as a healing form somewhat like hormesis activity. Kazi also suggested that we also try his Vowel Chant using the ancient aspiration sounds of the vowels a-e-i-o-u. It can be found on the free www.insighttimer.com App under “Meditation Medicine Chant 1”.
Divine Dishing and Doling
We had a delicious vegan meal provided by Arelis Hernandez and Keven Porter of Rabbit Hole Farm. Mary Arthars assisted with lovely side dishes and logistical support. Thank you to Jennifer Becher and Bruno Mendoza for volunteering with registration and venue set-up. We were also pleased to have a 10-year-old who came with his mother who minded him thoughtfully through the day. He joined in on most everything and seemed to learn quickly. We’re grateful to Index Art Center for the venue and director Lowell Craig for his patience and time.
Choosing to Nurture or Neglect Our Minds
We have a choice to neglect or nurture our minds. To nurture our minds takes a little discipline — the practice of meditation and mindfulness can help to etch good qualities and impartiality into our minds through positive reinforcement and developing intimacy with ourselves. We begin to see the connections between our brain, mind, heart, body, and spirit.
The hard fact is, that to neglect our minds means that we might also be neglecting or even harming others. How often do we see the domino effect that our negative habits and actions can have on those close to us and our community, let alone those of other cultures? This certainly doesn’t mean that we can’t also play with abandonment, but we also then can use our mind skills to get back on track!
Once we’ve established a nurturing m
ind for ourselves, we might even then extend our efforts to nurture the minds and help heal others. This is where compassion begins and becomes action. Putting ourselves in others shoes we can acknowledge and identify with their pain, unhappiness, and injustices and take good radical action.
Newark Center for Meditative Culture (NCMC) is currently offering three gems of opportunities to plant seeds of positive power and nurture our minds.
On Wednesday, October 25th, by special invitation, Bhante Buddharakkhita of Uganda will give a presentation, dhamma talk, and guided meditation, Planting Dhamma Seeds in Uganda and Nurturing Our Minds from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at City Without Walls. Concurrently, Ib’nallah S. Kazi will lead a Facebook Live meditation, Self-Healing Medicine, the last in a series of four starting at 7:00pm. Kazi’s meditation will also be broadcast at City Without Walls Gallery at 6 Crawford Street in Newark NJ for all attending there. Portions of Bhante Buddharakkhita’s program will be on Facebook Live starting at 7:30 pm.
Then on Sunday, November 12th we will be holding a full-day retreat, People of Color & Allies Full-Day Retreat: Our Return to Ancestral Meditation Medicine, taught by Kazi with assistance by J. Javier Cruz and Andrea Lee. The retreat will be held at Index Art Center at 237 Washington Street in Newark NJ and will run from 10:00am to 5pm. Participants can choose whether they attend full-day or part-day (morning or afternoon session).
These programs are donation-based so that NCMC can generously gift the teachers to support their work. Please contact us by email with any questions at info@newarkmeditation.org.
People of Color & Allies Retreat: Our Return to Ancestral Meditation Medicine
Teacher: Ib’nallah S. Kazi
Instructors: J. Javier Cruz & Andrea Lee
Presenters: Mesha Allen & Muta Morton
Sunday, November 12 | 10:00am to 5:00pm EST (Optional Part-day participation)
Index Art Center, 237 Washington St. | 2nd Floor, Stairs Only
Donation-based fee: $20 suggested/$15 student | Vegan Lunch Included
Limited seating 30 students. Register Now with Eventbrite!
TO BE FOREWARNED IS TO BE FOREARMED.
This full day (optional part day) retreat will include sessions in meditation, medicine movement, yoga, spoken word, and other disciplines. We will explore the spiritual, ethical, and practical applications of the self-knowing, self-healing, and self-transformative arts of the indigenous, enslaved, colonized and immigrant Americans. The resurgence of interest in the meditative arts in the People of Color communities in the 21st century is missing an impor
tant link. And that link connects us to the genetic continuity revealing the secrets to our “surthrival” in the face of the already mounting challenges to our safety, inheritance, and very humanity. Through immersion with People of Color at this retreat, White Allies can deepen their understanding and support. A white ally is a person of white-skin or who is white-person-identified of unearned privilege who engages in anti-racism work while practicing principles of cultural humility. Our ancestors have left us a diverse tool chest of systems, practices, and wisdom insights to meet the challenge of “this time”. Let’s reconnect the link.
This program is appropriate for non-meditators, beginners, through advanced meditators of any discipline. You must register to attend. You are welcome to attend part-day for the morning or afternoon session, but maximum benefit is gained by attending the entire retreat. Register Now with Eventbrite!
BIO-NOTES:
Ib’nallah S. Kazi (Kazi) is a Las Vegas-based spiritual wellness coach, medicine movement, and meditation teacher. He places an emphasis on wellness and personal development through his own program, presently known as The Spirit-Centered Life. Kazi has had a committed meditation practice for over 30 years and applies many disciplines. This includes Taoist, Sufi and Ancestral Meditation Medicine. Kazi has built a diverse education and training. His adolescent rites of passage began in 1974 when he became a Five Percenter, a splinter group from the Nation of Islam. Kazi has trained in and developed his internal martial medicine skills, teaching both Tai Chi Chuan and Yara Mba. He was the co-founder of the Harriet Tubman Hiking Society established in 1988 to immerse the African-American community back into nature. He integrated fitness training and massage becoming certified as a Health-Fitness Trainer and as a Massage Therapist that included Royal Thai Medical Massage. He also became a certified Intrinisic Coach. Kazi was until 2017 based in Newark NJ for 13 years where he remains on the Board of Directors of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, serving as a Spiritual Advisor and Lead Teacher. See Kazi’s full bio.
J. Javier Cruz was born and raised in Florida, Puerto Rico, but has lived in the Greater Newark NJ area for decades, hence he is bilingual, speaking his native Spanish and English. He currently resides in Harrison, NJ and works as a stationary engineer at a plant in Newark. Though Javier has had a committed meditation practice for over 10 years, he was introduced to meditation 17 years ago while in the NA 12-Step Recovery Program. He is a Buddhist practitioner with residential retreat experience and has studied with Insight Teacher Dennis Maurer who teaches at IMCNJ then under the guidance of Narayan. Javier’s main practice is loving-kindness (metta), using it in his daily life along with developing it methodically as a meditation discipline. Having seen and experienced much suffering and troubles in his family, meditation, especially metta, has been key to his well-being and stability. In his spare time he volunteers for a hospice. His priority is his family and he spends much time and attention on his children, grandchildren, and girlfriend.
Saraswati Andrea Lee is a senior disciple of Reverend Jaganath Carrera, Spiritual Head and Founder of Yoga Life Society. Under his direction she is completing seminary training to become a Yoga Life Minister in 2018. She is a certified Yoga instructor and performs Kirtan with Mirabai Catherine Moon. She is a Preschool Assistant Teacher at Montclair Cooperative School in her hometown of Montclair, NJ. Andrea serves as the Treasurer of NCMC where she presents on meditation and mindfulness and instructs yoga and chanting sessions for retreats.
Mesha Allen is a graduate of Ramapo College. She is passionate about improving the well-being of her community and aspires to open her own wellness center before she’s 30. She is the founder of Newark Integrative Enrichment Society and co-founder and trustee of New African Liberty Organization. She lives in Newark and advocates for people suffering with chronic pain and Fibromyalgia.
Muta Morton is an aspiring yogi, artist and gardener who believes everyone has a right to live a happy meaningful life. He grew up moving from foster home to foster home, struggling with depression, homelessness and being emotionally and financially deprived since age ten. Now at 26, Muta searches to find the big picture, using ancient wisdom and truths to guide him through what was meant to be a free planet for people to live together as one, but instead has become a power, money and blood hungry planet. He believes we can change and make the world a better place. He believes that the design of most on the planet right now is to use and abuse people, propagating a planet of hate that would ultimately self destruct. Muta feels that by going deep inside ourselves together we can actually sustain this planet and make it a better place for generations to come.
Dropping Mechanics for Dynamics and Healing on the Way
Many of us know Tai Chi (supreme ultimate) is a healing form of exercise often done by seniors. Others might know it as a precursor to the more extreme martial arts. It can be practiced in both these ways. But with Tai Chi and Qi Gong (life energy cultivation) we can also practice in the spirit — not being asleep on our feet. Tai Chi works through the body along with the breath, the aspiration that connects us to ourselves, others, and all nature. So many of us neglect our bodies and in turn this effects our mind and spirit.
With Tai Chi we can turn off the mechanics and get into dynamic moments connecting to the rhythm and flow of life. When we begin to awaken qi, with practice, it allows our natural life force to become unblocked and clear, thus promoting physical and mental well-being.
Tai Chi can also be a Way (Dao) to higher levels of consciousness and awareness — of being in the present moment. It can bring playfulness and childlike perception back into our hearts. In this more open state of the mind and body, we can become more receptive to personal growth and change without being on the defensive.
“Supple, breathing gently, you become reborn.
Clearing your vision, you become clear.”
— Lao Tzu
Current and Upcoming Programs
Sign up for:
-Tuesday Mindfulness Class on Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/3wRmE4b
-5 Jive Hike will be available June 24.
-Power Tools for BIPOC Strategists, Activists, and Supporters available August 7.
