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.

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.

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!

 

Relaxing Into Clarity and Flow: A DAYLONG WINTER RETREAT Guided by Rebecca Li & Shaka Georges

winter retreat.png

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.