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Greetings and welcome to the DCPHP Blog . Whether you want to know what's going on, who's hiring, tips and tricks, or generally want to meet and talk with some other smart people, this is the place for you. We hope to be your one-stop shop for all things PHP in the Washington DC Metro region Mission of Love Charities, Inc is a community based non-profit geared towards building self-sustainability for families experiencing the effects of poverty.

Friday 30 August 2024

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] An Evening with Downtown Dharma Sangha: Weathering the Storm: Mindfully Being with Intense Emotions

Weathering the Storm: Mindfully Being with Intense Emotions

Downtown Dharma Sangha

DATE: 9/1/2024 TIME: 7:00 - 8:30 PM

Location:

In-person:1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20009

Online: Zoom ID: https://zoom.us/j/466237117?pwd=cGxHaTJlTVhBdldVSk8weDZuSW5udz09

Facilitators- Travis M. Spencer

Mindful Helper:

This Sunday's session will focus on dealing with strong emotions using the analogy of a tree in a storm. We will practice mindful breathing, which involves focusing on the rise and fall of the abdomen to stay calm during emotional challenges. The main message is that just like storms, emotions are temporary and will pass if we stay centered and aware. Through mindfulness practice, we can build the confidence to handle tough times without feeling overwhelmed by our thoughts and feelings.

In my dharma share, I'll explore this question: How can I stay calm in strong emotions and believe that my feelings are temporary and will go away?

Quote

"Let us not get caught by our thoughts and feelings. Let us bring our attention down to our belly and breathe in and out. This storm will disappear, so don't be afraid." – Thich Nhat Hanh.`

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Tuesday 27 August 2024

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] BORN I performs @ St. Mark's Meditation Center, Mon, Sep 9th

Dear friends,

St. Mark's Meditation Center Welcomes
BORN I
on Monday, September 9, 2024 @ 7:30 PM
at 301 A Street, S.E., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
for a special offering of meditation, crystal bowl sound bath, and spoken word.  The evening will include discussion on self-compassion and metta.

Born I is a meditation teacher, rapper, and hip hop artist based in the Washington, D.C. area. He has performed with the Plum Village monastics, and his most recent album, "AMIDA" is an expression of hip hop as a form of meditation. We also can hear his melodic voice on the mediation app, Balance.

Suggested Donation:  $20.  Register now at the link below or QR code.
Register Now - BORN I on Sept. 9

https://forms.gle/pz1LcqdjjXdpw9tP7

Where: St. Mark's Meditation Center @ St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill
301 A Street, SE, Washington, D.C.

About Us: We seek to create a peaceful presence in the world, based on compassionate action, loving-kindness, and mindfulness.  Meeting on Monday evenings, the  community is peer-led, explores mindfulness meditation, is inspired by Theravada Buddhism and "getting better at life," and each week shares silence, a dharma talk, and discussion.  Al
l are welcome.

Love,
brian

"What we are looking for is what is looking."
― St. Francis of Assisi

Sunday 25 August 2024

Re: [Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] meditation for chronically ill people

Hi Chelsea,

Yes, IMCW has a Sangha for what you're seeking. The Dis/Abilities and Deaf Sangha, with Alison Shapiro, Tara Beech and Tracy Mulroy. The next gathering looks to be Monday, Sep 9th, online.

Email for info:

ableimcw@gmail.com

Here's the link for their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/461938387760196/

I found these two books supportive:

How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers, by Toni Bernhard

The Resilient Spirit: Transforming Suffering into Insight and Renewal, by Polly Young-Eisendrath (out of print, but used copies on eBay)

Kind regards,

Klia

On Sun, Aug 25, 2024, 11:36 AM Chelsea Rudman <chelsea.rudman@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Downtown Dharma,

I'm wondering if folks are aware of any meditation groups/communities/circles specifically for people who are chronically ill. Relatedly, would welcome any specific resources (books, authors, etc.) for chronically ill meditators.

Thanks, all,
- Chelsea

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Re: [Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] meditation for chronically ill people

Hi Chelsea,

IMCW has a few offerings that you might be interested in.

I co-facilitate the Dis/Ability and Deaf Sangha, which meets on Monday nights at 7:00p ET. The members are compromised of a mixture of people who identify as Deaf, having a disability, and/or living with chronic illness. You can reach out to me directly if you're interested in attending. https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=788

Another group, Living Mindfully with Illness Together, meets on Thursday nights at 7:30p ET https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=786

There is also a class series, Inviting Chronic Illness to Tea, which begins in January with registration opening in October. https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=1559

🙏, Tara Beech

On Aug 25, 2024, at 11:36 AM, Chelsea Rudman <chelsea.rudman@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Downtown Dharma,

I'm wondering if folks are aware of any meditation groups/communities/circles specifically for people who are chronically ill. Relatedly, would welcome any specific resources (books, authors, etc.) for chronically ill meditators.

Thanks, all,
- Chelsea

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] meditation for chronically ill people

Hello Downtown Dharma,

I'm wondering if folks are aware of any meditation groups/communities/circles specifically for people who are chronically ill. Relatedly, would welcome any specific resources (books, authors, etc.) for chronically ill meditators.

Thanks, all,

- Chelsea

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https://www.downtowndharmadc.org/
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Wednesday 21 August 2024

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] This Sunday: Compassion for cuddly animals (and cuddly humans!)

"Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem."

- A. A. Milne in Winnie-the-Pooh

Dear Downtown Dharma friends,

Being human means you cause harm. Just yesterday, in a rush to get a survey approved at work, I was pretty curt with a colleague. I've also been pretty rude to a homeless woman who has been using the hose attached to my condo. So the question isn't so much *if* we will be indifferent or cause pain and suffering, but instead how we might minimize that suffering?

There are plenty of vegan or vegetarian events that will encourage you to give up eating animals, or, perhaps, rededicate yourself to the joy of lentils (!). This is not one of those.

Instead, this Sunday's downtown dharma invites us into the grey zone, the middle way, where we bring compassion and understanding to all beings including, as Miss Piggy says, moi - ourselves. We'll touch into the tender spots, but, importantly, we'll all connect to the joy available when we connect with and, yes, listen to the beautiful beings of this planet -- human, animal, plant, and otherwise.

You are welcome in your full, beautiful, perfectly imperfect humanity:

In-person: Sunday, August 25, 7-8:30pm @ Yoga District — 1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC (please try to arrive 5 mins early so we can settle in together)
Online via Zoom: zoom.us/j/466237117?pwd=cGxHaTJlTVhBdldVSk8weDZuSW5udz09

Be well,

Alex

PS Other offering: I'd also like to share a slightly more caffeinated mindfulness event I host called Mindful Sundays. Every Sunday morning from 9-10am I hold space, along with community guest hosts at Doubles for conversation, reflection and, often, fun. Feel welcome to join this whats app group to learn more. It's freely offered.

++++

https://slowmindfulness.com/ | IG

Love your inner sloth

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Monday 19 August 2024

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Insight Dialogue weekend workshop: Oct 26-27 (in NW DC)

Hi friends,

This October, you're warmly invited to a weekend meditation workshop in DC, focused on how to bring greater compassion and ease into our caring relationships.

We'll explore this theme through the practice of Insight Dialogue—using meditative speaking and listening to bring the Buddha's teachings on compassion fully alive.

This two-day workshop is October 26-27, in NW DC (one block from the Tenleytown metro). Here's the event registration link.

Should it interest you, I hope you'll consider joining us.

With love,

Vince

-----------------------------------------------

Creating a Relationship of Care: An Insight Dialogue Two-Day Workshop (Oct 26-27 in Washington, DC)

Caring for others can be the most rewarding thing we do in this life, but it can also be the most stressful. This two-day workshop offers practical ways to reduce this stress through the practice of Insight Dialogue and the Buddha's teachings.

Dave Leggatt will be returning to our area from Toronto to lead this workshop. He'll be joined by Sue Brown, an Insight Dialogue teacher from Raleigh, NC.

This is not a silent workshop, but a participatory weekend that will include periods of relational meditation in pairs and small groups. No prior experience in Insight Dialogue is required. Participants will find it supportive to have silent/solitary meditation experience.

Registration is $40, which covers operational expenses for the event. In keeping with the Buddhist tradition of dana (generosity), the teachers receive no direct payment for sharing the dharma. Participants will have an opportunity at the end of the event to donate to the teachers, should they choose.

More info and registration here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-a-relationship-of-care-an-insight-dialogue-two-day-workshop-tickets-968647559927?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Friday 9 August 2024

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] This Sunday: Exploring "Anatta" with Insight Dialogue

Dear Friends,

One of the core teachings of the Buddhist path is the three characteristics. The third and last on this list, "Anatta," is a Pali word which translates to "not-self."

No matter where we look, the Buddha said, we will not find a self that's in control of our lives.

For some, this notion can stir up anxiety. As we explore this possibility on Sunday with the help of our dyad or triad partner(s), we'll feel into what we find, to see if dropping a self is stressful, or relieving. Personally, I find the latter to be true, again and again, and I look forward to sharing that experience with you.

Some have been conditioned to believe that not-self is an advanced insight which requires thousands of hours of meditation practice. This turns out not to be the case. 'I myself' feel the anxiety-reducing effects of Anatta interspersedly throughout most days, and I believe strongly that this is available to all persons and at all times.

This Sunday evening, we will simultaneously leverage three of the most powerful supports on the path to awakening, (1) friendship, (2) talking about the Dharma, and (3) hearing the Dharma, to help us investigate in real-time the Buddha's claim about not-self. We will do this through a relational meditation practice called, Insight Dialogue, one which the Downtown Dharma community has been exploring monthly for the last six months.

In case this is your first time encountering Insight Dialogue practice, please expect some participatory conversation as we play with the six ID guidelines of: pause; relax; open; attune to emergence; listen deeply; and speak deeply.

We'll start with a short silent guided meditation, after which we'll break into dyads or triads for relational practice.

I hope to see you there—online or in person!

• In-person: Sunday, July 11th, 7-8:30pm @ Yoga District — 1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC (please arrive 5-10 minutes early)

• Online via Zoom: zoom.us/j/466237117?pwd=cGxHaTJlTVhBdldVSk8weDZuSW5udz09

Love,
brian :)

"What we are looking for is what is looking."
― St. Francis of Assisi

Sunday 4 August 2024

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Tonight: Yours is A Beautiful Mind

Greetings Dear Sangha,

The idea that durable happiness comes from within is frequently misunderstood and even corrupted by dominant culture for it can easily slide into gas-lighting and victim blaming. Yet we need not throw the baby out with the bathwater. The Buddha's teachings point the way to a path to well being in stark contrast with modernity's ideal of status, security and accumulation. Approached with humility and genuine curiosity, even our daily practice offers small tastes of the Nobel Path and sets a template for our pursuit of liberation.

This evening, we'll explore the subtleties of practice that can not only relieve our suffering but open worlds.

I hope you can join us this evening from 7 to 8:30pm for the development of our practice, wisdom, and community.

In-person at Yoga District — 1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC (please arrive 5-10 minutes early)
Online via Zoom — https://zoom.us/j/466237117?pwd=cGxHaTJlTVhBdldVSk8weDZuSW5udz09

With love and gratitude,

Kristin

kristin barker

One Earth Sangha

Pronouns she, her and hers; on occupied land of the Piscataway.

kristin@1earthsangha.org

No mud, no lotus.

— Thích Nhất Hạnh

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Saturday 3 August 2024

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Staying engaged with Downtown Dharma

Hi folks,

If you'd like to stay engaged with Downtown Dharma in a way other than email, we've set up a WhatsApp Community (what is that?) to share information within the sangha.

You can join the WhatsApp Community here.

This will be a place we share information like:

book club coordination
invitations to our semi-regular community board meetings
other social events
surveys to gather feedback from sangha members

Most of this information will continue to be shared via email as well, but there might be more discussion and interaction between folks in the WhatsApp Community. (And we will be shutting down the Discord channel, which used to serve this purpose).

We hope to see you there! Join us.

Let me know if you have questions/suggestions.

Best,

Amy

(new Downtown Dharma Communications Volunteer)

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