By Melanie P. Moore, et al.
Each month, we publish a listing of upcoming contemplative and spiritual opportunities recommended by folks here at The Abbey. Many of us have floundered around in the past looking for community and deep engagement with other pilgrims on the spiritual path. Here we share a curated list of what we are finding, in hopes you might find some of it helpful on your journey. We’ve included a Comments section with each listing detailing what we as participants have liked. If you know of something coming up in July or August and would like to have it listed here, please email the information as shown below to editor@theabbey.us by June 18 to be included in the post at the beginning of June. Please note that all times are listed in Central Time.
June
The Still Point of the Turning World – Training the Heart to Hold Paradox with Thomas McConkie (from Closer Than Breath)
Dates and Times: Saturday, 6/13, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $25 suggested donation ($15 reduced or $40 pay it forward available as well)
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: A 90-minute mini-retreat. Human life pulses between opposing poles: relationship and solitude, control and surrender, joy and sorrow.
Most of us navigate these tensions by choosing sides—defaulting to one pole while resisting the other. But the contemplative traditions, and Christian mysticism in particular, point to something more: a still point at the center of all opposites, a place of rest that doesn’t resolve tension so much as hold it with grace.
In this 90-minute workshop, we’ll explore how to find that still point—not as a concept, but as a living, embodied reality.
Participants will:
– Recognize the polar tensions already at work in their daily lives—and why these tensions are meant to be held, not resolved
– Experience the still point directly through guided meditation practice
– Develop a practice for returning to stillness, even in the midst of tension
– Leave with a felt sense that the still point is always available as a source of divine power, inspiration and guidance
Comments: We are interested in the paradox and polarity and the still point aspects of the topic which seem to speak to what we are experiencing in the current moment. Closer Than Breath is a trusted provider of good programs and we look forward to seeing this one. We also like that it is a manageable time (1.5 hours) and there is a recording.
The Book of HOPE: A Survival Guide for Trying Times (from Eremos)
Dates and Times: June 3 – 24; Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $55
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: With the recent passing of beloved naturalist Jane Goodall and the continued reality of living in “Trying Times,” Eremos chooses to honor the depth of Goodall’s experience and wisdom, as narrated by Douglas Abrams, by inviting you to join us in celebrating her spirit and gift for always moving forward with hope for the future.
May we too be inspired to stay hopeful as we navigate these unprecedented times of rapid change and challenges to our values and what matters most.
Join us for four weekly conversations as we explore through Goodall’s stories how she came to be such a messenger for hope, despite setbacks and moments of despair. Our intention is to both celebrate this amazing woman’s life and allow her wisdom to strengthen our sense of hope for the future, no matter how bleak it may look in the moment. Join us and add your voice to the conversation!
Comments: Eremos does a book study twice a year. The focus on Jane Goodall’s work has brought hope to generations and we like that this is a hopeful approach to the topic of trying times.
The Future of Religion, with Ilia Delio and Tripp Fuller
Dates and Times: Asynchronous with Weekly Livestream Q & A on Mondays June 1, 8, 22, and 29, at Noon
Registration: Open
Cost: Pay what you can
Frequency: Asynchronous with weekly Q & A sessions
Duration: 4 weeks
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: You’re not alone. And, you’re not broken.
What if the restlessness you feel isn’t a loss of faith but the growing pains of faith evolving? What if religion itself is going through exactly what you’re going through—and there’s a map for what comes next?
Dr. Ilia Delio (Franciscan sister, Villanova theologian, author of The Not-Yet God) and Dr. Tripp Fuller (founder of Homebrewed Christianity, process theologian, host of 1,500+ conversations with leading scholars) have spent decades on this question. Now they’re joining forces to trace religion’s evolutionary arc—and to invite you into what’s emerging.
Live Q&A sessions begin June 1. Sign up now to join the conversation in real time—or watch the replays at your own pace.
Comments: [NOTE: If you are part of The Abbey, this program is available at no cost for group viewing with discussion if you sign up with The Abbey by emailing editor @ theabbey.us.]
We always come away from Ilia Delio’s programs feeling enriched. While she covers topics that can be deep in science and philosophy, she makes the content accessible to anyone. Tripp Fuller is a theologian with deep knowledge and a sort of side-eye toward traditional theological discussion.
Brother Lawrence and Practice of the Presence, with Carmen Acevedo Butcher (from the Center for Contemplative Living)
Dates and Times: Saturday, June 6, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $35
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 2 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Not known
Description: Join a delightful introduction to Brother Lawrence, a humble mystic with a powerful take on faith, love and practicing presence. Carmen Acevedo Butcher translated writings by and about him in her 2022 book Practice of the Presence. In this presentation she’ll introduce Brother Lawrence and share her perspective on his life and spiritual path. If you’ve read the book, bring your questions. If you haven’t read it yet, bring your curiosity and be prepared to befriend this kind and gentle teacher.
Comments: Carmen Acevedo Butcher is a wonderful teacher and speaker, currently part of the Center for Action and Contemplation. This program is rooted in her translation of Brother Lawrence’s work and would be a great opportunity to interact with her on this topic. She has been described as “bringing fresh presentation, leaving behind dogmatic, binary language, making [Brother Lawreance] more relatable for our time without losing charm and comfort of this extraordinary spiritual guide.”
The Measure of our Humanity: Actualizing Compassionate Action in These Tangled Times: Compassion with Roshi Joan Halifax – June 7 (from Upaya Zen Center)
Dates and Times: Sundays, Jun 7, Jul 12, Aug 30, Sept 20, Oct 25, Nov 15, Dec 13, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free, donations welcome
Frequency: Monthly
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: Since 2020, when the pandemic first unfolded, Upaya has been exploring the necessity of rehumanization, solidarity, and speaking truth to power. Each year, we have deepened this investigation of socially and environmentally engaged Buddhism with remarkable teachers, contemplatives, artists, and activists. This past year’s Awareness in Action series has been part of that ongoing commitment.
In 2026, we turn toward a question that has perhaps been implicit throughout this entire journey: What is the measure of our humanity?
At its very heart, this question is about laying down a path toward a sane and compassionate future. It is about confirming what defines our moral worth, what we stand for, and how we move forward in our tangled world. As we have learned throughout the past 2025 series—from Father Boyle’s unwavering belief that everyone is unshakably good, to Sharon Salzberg’s teaching that love is an ability we develop—our true character is revealed in how we interact with and care for others, the very heart of what Thich Nhat Hanh has called “interbeing.”
The series will explore how we embody values like inclusion, belonging, compassion, respect, dignity, justice, and courage—not as abstract ideals, but as lived practice in these complex times.
Comments: Each program in this series is led by a different person, and some of the leaders in this series are teachers we have followed, like Roshi Joan Halifax in June. We follow this series each year (the theme changes annually) and we like that you can attend any individual session or the whole series. The programs are donation-based.
The Art of Meditation Global Summit (from Heart Mind Institute)
Dates and Times: Tuesday, June 9 – Tuesday, June 16; Full schedule HERE; All sessions available to view for 24 hours
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Daily
Duration: 8 Days
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes, for 24 hours
Description: Awaken Presence, Purpose, and Inner Change Through the World’s Great Meditation Traditions. Make meditation more than a moment of calm – let it transform how you you feel, respond, and handle life when it matters most.
Join Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Kristin Neff, Jack Kornfield, and many others as they share timeless teachings from traditions like Vipassana, Zen, Nondual, Tibetan, Vedic, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
Comments: There are some of our favorite presenters here – especially Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. Note that the recordings for each session are only available for 24 hours after the presentation, so you may want to review the full schedule and be sure you allow time to see the programs most interesting to you. We did not see a paid option that would allow longer access to the recordings.
Poetry for the Present Series (from Eremos)
Dates and Times: Tuesdays, June 9, September 8, Dec. 8; 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $30 per session or $100 for all 4 sessions
Frequency: Quarterly
Duration: 2 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: No
Description: As Eremos explores 30 Years of Light as our programming theme in 2026 in honor of our 30th anniversary, so too will our quarterly poetry sessions welcome in the light, even as each facilitator acknowledges what is present in the world and our lives in the moment.
Each session will include experiencing a selection of poems curated by the facilitator, time for personal reflection, and an invitation to write and share in small groups (breakout sessions via Zoom). No prior experience reading or writing poetry is necessary. Sharing your thoughts and writing is always by invitation.
Comments: This is a wonderful opportunity for poets and aspiring poets alike. Eremos does a great job with programs like this–they are accessible and enriching for all levels. The facilitators are Cathy Capers, Julie Bowman, and Beverly Voss.
Helping You Navigate Challenging Times with Rev. Dr. David Zuniga (from Eremos)
Dates and Times: Saturday, June 13, 9:30 a.m. – Noon
Registration: Open
Cost: In-Person $50; Livestream $35
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 2.5 hours
Format: In-person and online; In-person is at Abiding Love Lutheran Church in Austin.
Recording Available: Not known
Description: Join psychologist and Zen Buddhist priest Rev. Dr. David Zuniga for this powerful workshop where he shares how and why focusing on developing your resilient mind is an antidote to negative emotions and fear for the future.
Weaving together wisdom from psychology and his Zen training, David will invite you into a guided meditation and other practices you can begin to use at home immediately to give you relief from worrying while helping you build your resilient mind.
You’ll leave the workshop with:
✔ An understanding of why it’s so important to invest in building your mental resilience.
✔ Practices you can begin to implement immediately to ease any mental suffering and to build your capacity for psychological wellbeing.
✔ The potential to feel more hopeful about your future and the future of the planet, as you understand good care of your mind can have a profound impact on your vision for the future.
Rev. Dr. David Zuniga is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Austin, Texas, Rev. Dr. Zuniga was previously a faculty member at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also earned a master’s degree in comparative religion from Harvard, was ordained in South Korea as a Zen Buddhist priest, and worked as a hospice/hospital chaplain for over a decade. A Vice Bishop in the Taego lineage of Korean Zen, Rev. Dr. Zuniga has a fellowship to write a book on Zen, mindfulness and end-of-life care, and is published widely and has spoken internationally at leading academic conferences on wellness and healthcare
Comments: A local here in Austin, we have participated in Dr. Zuniga’s programs before and found them to be very high quality. We like that this program can be attended in person in Austin as well as online via Livestream. We are particularly interested in the aspect of “practices that can be implemented immediately to ease any mental suffering and to build your capacity for psychological wellbeing.”
Abbey Quiet Day: The Body and Tools for Resilience (from The Abbey)
Dates and Times: Saturday, June 20, 9:45 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Registration: Opening soon
Cost: Free, bring your own lunch
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: Up to 8 hours – participants can come for part of the day or the whole day
Format: In-person at Five Oak Ranch, Austin, TX
Recording Available: N/A
Description: A Quiet Day of Embodied Prayer and Loving Presence. Resilience is not something we think our way into. It is something we practice in the body.
In this Quiet Day at the Abbey, we will explore how our bodies carry stress, how our nervous systems shape perception, and how mindfulness can help us move from reactivity to responsive, grounded presence. Drawing on the work of Christine Valters Paintner, Margaret Wheatley, and the gentle, experiential wisdom of Hakomi, we will engage simple but powerful embodied practices that cultivate steadiness and clarity. Hakomi teaches that healing happens through mindful attention to present experience — thoughts, emotions, body tensions, breath, sensation. The day will include experiential exercises, silence, small group reflection time, and spacious time in nature for relaxation and integration.
You will leave with practical tools you can carry into daily life — especially in moments of stress, conflict, or overwhelm — and with a renewed trust in the wisdom held within your own body.
(OPTIONAL: We will gather for silent mediation from 9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. before the Quiet Day. If you are not attending the meditation, please plan to arrive between 9:45 a.m. – 10 a.m.)
Comments: This is a rare opportunity to get together in person to enjoy a beautiful venue and spend a day of silence in any way you choose. We have enjoyed these “silent day” retreats, which do include conversation in small groups and sometimes a brief presentation, all of which are optional for attendees.
Cosmos, Chaos and the Complexities of Consciousness: A Live Conversation with Ilia Delio and Cynthia Bourgeault (from the World Institute for Science, Religion, and Culture (WISR), formerly the Center for Christogenesis)
Dates and Times: Monday, June 22, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $30
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: We are living through a moment of profound fracture. Politics, war, the rise of AI, racism, colonialism, immigration, climate collapse — beneath every headline lies a deeper crisis: a fragmented consciousness struggling to comprehend itself in a rapidly changing world.
What if these are not separate emergencies, but symptoms of the same evolutionary threshold? What if chaos itself is part of how a new consciousness is being born?
Join two of today’s most visionary voices — theologian Ilia Delio and mystic teacher Cynthia Bourgeault — for a bold, hope-filled conversation about the spiritual story unfolding inside our global unraveling. Together, they will explore how the cosmos, chaos, and consciousness are deeply intertwined — and what it means to live awake, whole, and engaged in a world crying out for transformation.
Comments: WOW! Two of our favorites in conversation with each other. Both very impressive people and teachers, they are different in their approaches so this promises to be a compelling dialog.
Open Sky – An Online Mini-Retreat with Henry Shukman and Kelly Boys (from The Way Meditation Path)
Dates and Times: Sunday, June 28, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $45
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 3.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: An Online Mini-Retreat with Henry Shukman and Kelly Boys.
We are very excited to offer you the opportunity to experience an extended live practice session with both Henry Shukman and Kelly Boys.
Over this half-day retreat, Henry and Kelly will share a unique blend of their combined teaching. Through Henry’s compassionate guidance and Kelly’s invitational style, you are welcomed into a space of deep rest to explore meditation and loving awareness.
Henry will offer a longer-form meditation that invites opening up to a deeper level of awareness, where we can witness and welcome all our cares and stresses, gently lay them down, and discover a timeless spaciousness.
Kelly will lead an extended session of non sleep deep rest, guiding you into a restoration practice which includes a reset of your nervous system as well as space for inquiry and reflection. She will also offer explorations for how this restful awareness can lead us into glimpses of non-dual experience.
Additionally, Henry and Kelly will share a conversation and host a joint Q&A session, answering your practice questions, and diving deep into the meeting point of their respective teaching styles.
Comments: We are always intrigued with Henry Shukman as a meditation teacher, author, and poet. This would be a good introduction to guided meditation and a wonderful practice for those who practice guided meditation. Kelly Boys is a mindfulness trainer teaching the Non-sleep, Deep Rest (NSDR) of yoga nidra. The length of this retreat sounds nice for the content.
Ongoing
The Divine Exchange with Cynthia Bourgeault (from the Center for Action and Contemplation)
Dates and Times: Self paced
Registration: Open
Cost: $497, $374, or $249 – sliding scale
Frequency: Self-paced
Duration: 15 units
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: This is a self-paced online course exploring the heart of God through the concept of Divine Exchange — Cynthia Bourgeault’s framework based in the Christian wisdom traditions. Learn how kenosis and surrender can lead to a participatory exchange between the finite and the infinite.
The Divine Exchange explores the idea of exchange as the dynamic medium for everything finite and infinite. In this Christian contemplative online course Cynthia unpacks the metaphysics of Christian wisdom taught in traditional Wisdom Schools — ancient and modern contemplative learning communities focused on transformation. Students in The Divine Exchange can take their inner work even further through practices like centering prayer, chanting, and Tonglen breathing.
Comments: We, of course, love presentations from Cynthia Bourgeault. It’s nice that this is flexible and self-paced so that people can participate when it fits into their individual schedules. We’re not sure about the “live calls” mentioned in the link, given the self-paced format, but the calls will be announced on the CAC Connect platform used for the course.
You’re Not the Only One (from Eremos)
Dates and Times: Weekly on Mondays, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: Join us weekly (or as often as you desire) to share how you’re feeling right now about life, what’s unfolding in the world, or whatever you need to speak into the circle.
No fixing, no ranting, no trying to make it better.
Just listening attentively to each other in support and always closing our time together with what gives us hope or what we’re grateful for.
Comments: We’ve met this leader (as a participant) in past programs and have found her to be very thoughtful in her sharing. This looks like an enriching ongoing group.
Meditation Resources for those New to Meditation (from Tara Brach)
Dates and Times: Self-directed, flexible
Registration: N/A – this is a collection of resources
Cost: Free
Frequency: Self-directed
Duration: Varies
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: You are embarking on a journey that can deeply transform and enrich your life. The most important thing to remember is to approach practice with a friendly, curious, non-judgmental attitude.
There’s no one style of meditation that is “best” or fits all people. We’ve offered you some basic practices below that you can explore to see which serve you well. You might end up with two or three that you use regularly as you establish a practice. Over the weeks and months you’ll internalize the instructions and probably practice more and more regularly without the guided meditation. But at times, you’ll find they will help in gathering your attention.
Resources for those new to meditation or if you’d like a refresher:
Beginner’s Meditation Kit – a introductory mini-course
Mindfulness Daily – a free 40-day online course to help to establish a mindfulness meditation practice
How to Meditate FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How to Meditate (PDF)
Comments: This is a wonderful introduction to (or refresher for) establishing a meditation practice. A well-known and respected meditation teacher, Tara Brach’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. The result is a distinctive voice in Western Buddhism, one that offers a wise and caring approach to freeing ourselves and society from suffering. To learn more about her training, background, and leadership, click here.
Contemplative Chant
Dates and Times: Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Ongoing
Duration: 30 minutes
Format: Online
Recording Available: No
Description: 30 minutes of contemplative chant from Wisdom Waypoints, with chants led by Susan Latimer and Elizabeth Combs. Chanting is a wonderful practice for bringing both the Moving Center (body, breath, tone) and the Emotional Center (open heart) online. It is a spiritual practice that opens our hearts, nourishes our nervous systems, prepares us for prayer and meditation as a bridge into stillness, and connects us to our innate joy, courage, steadfastness, peace, beauty, truth and goodness. In times of great uncertainty and change, we find chant to be one of the things that most grounds us. These sessions draw chants from Wisdom Schools, various spiritual and religious traditions, sacred texts, old hymns and poetry. Because of the limitations of synching sound on Zoom, all participants are muted except for the one leading. This allows everyone to chant along in their own space. (Great if you are shy about sharing your voice! Fun if you like to try harmonies!)
Comments: Some of us join this contemplative chant weekly and enjoy it very much. We find it a wonderful contemplative practice. Wisdom Waypoints is the wisdom community started by Cynthia Bourgeault, one of our favorite wisdom teachers. Note that this is a small and warm group of regular participants. Therefore, it can be more difficult to participate anonymously.
The Abbey Tuesday Morning Meditation
Dates and Times: Tuesdays at 8 a.m. (Meditation at 8 a.m., optional discussion at 8:30 a.m.)
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: Ongoing
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: A 15-minute sit, followed by a brief reading and optional discussion.
Comments: Of course we love this meditation group! It’s The Abbey, our own contemplative community. We are currently reading a variety of poetry, with one poem each week. The format of the group is that we enter (the Zoom meeting) in silence with an image on the screen for Visio Divina before a 15-minute meditation sit that begins at 8:05 a.m. followed by an optional discussion.
The Abbey Spiritual Discussion Group
Dates and Times: Tuesdays, 5 p.m.
Registration: Not required
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: This group reads books to deepen our spiritual lives and to build community among participants. Newcomers are welcome to join the group anytime. Register on The Abbey website and we will send you a Zoom link.
Comments: The group just started reading , The Meaning of Mary Magdalene by Cynthia Bourgeault. We enjoy this group and the lively discussion both in small-group breakout rooms and with the whole group.
The Gathering at The Abbey
Dates and Times: Second and fourth Sundays of the month; 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Central Time (optional discussion from 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
Registration: Sign up with link sent via email (sign up for emails at The Abbey)
Cost: Free
Frequency: Twice monthly
Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: The Gathering is a Sunday morning time of contemplation and reflection in community.
Comments: A rotating group of leaders and spiritual directors lead each session. Readings include poetry and inspirational texts from different spiritual traditions. All are welcome.
Word of the Week (from Contemplative Outreach)
Dates and Times: Emails sent on Sundays, meets each Tuesday at 8 a.m. and Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Registration: Sign up for weekly emails here.
Cost: Free annual subscription (with recommended donation of $95/yr)
Frequency: Weekly, per above
Duration: One hour
Format: Zoom – link is sent weekly in the email on Sunday
Recording Available: No
Description: A beautiful email is sent on Sundays with the reading of Lectio Divina that will be done. There is a sit and then the Lectio Divina.
Comments: We like this because it’s a chance to revisit the reading for the week—and they always include beautiful artwork (it’s Lectio and Visio Divina!). We like the sense of community. It’s a pretty stable group and there’s a chance to share. We also like the balance of it—they are very mindful of the time, it’s just an hour. There’s a rhythm of it that we like. We read the emails each week and appreciate having the email in advance to sit with it a little before the group reading. There are also opportunities to interact online with the group during the week. We will note that it can be difficult to find the link for the Zoom in the weekly email; it is also spelled out here—the third bullet has link to the zoom with poorly brown highlighted “Click on this link,” but it also provides the zoom code and passcode in the email.
Wisdom Waypoints Daily Centering Prayer/Meditation
Dates and Times: Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m.; Monday/Wednesday/Sunday 6 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Registration: No registration required, join via website
Cost: Free
Frequency: Daily, per above
Duration: 30 minutes
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: A collective wisdom pause for “Silence and Stillness.” Wisdom members lead each sit with a brief reading, chant, and meditation/stillness.
Comments: We like this because it is a way to maintain our personal practice alongside others with the degree of anonymity (or not) with which we are each comfortable. Wisdom Waypoints is a part of Cynthia Bourgeault’s network of teaching and practice resources.
The Welcoming Prayer – Videos (from Contemplative Outreach)
Dates and Times: Always available
Registration: N/A
Cost: Free
Frequency: N/A
Duration: Varies, from 5 minutes to 1 hour, most are about 30 minutes
Format: YouTube
Recording Available: Yes
Description: A collection of videos on the Welcoming Prayer (34 videos). There was a series of 8 videos which are part of a larger curriculum for a self-guided online course on this practice, “Embracing Living: The Welcoming Prayer,” which is offered by Contemplative Outreach in conjunction with Spirituality & Practice).
Comments: We regularly enjoy offerings from Contemplative Outreach and are always eager to learn more about The Welcoming Prayer. Some of the 34 videos linked here are from early in the Pandemic (when we were all trying to figure out how to be in community when we couldn’t meet in person), and some videos are more recent.
Mindful Mondays (from the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing)
Dates and Times: Monday afternoons, Noon – 1 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes, for 1 week after each session
Description: Join the Earl. E Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing for an informal hour of gentle movement and guided meditation. Our experienced facilitators will guide you through a series of mindful movement and meditations that will leave you feeling rejuvenated. No prior experience or special clothing is necessary.
We rotate through various modalities of gentle, mindful movement. Please check the Mindful Monday’s registration webpage to learn the specific mindful movement planned for each week’s session. Prior to each session, as best you can, you may wish to secure a space that will accommodate mindful movement and where you won’t be easily interrupted for the duration of the hour-long session
Comments: This is a new offering to us. We saw a forest meditation video produced by this group, found their website, and thought this would be interesting to explore.
The Tears of Things: Integrating the Prophetic Path (from The Center for Action and Contemplation)
Dates and Times: Self-paced
Registration: Open
Cost: $100 (or $80 or $60, based on financial circumstances)
Frequency: Self-paced with 9 prophetic themes)
Duration: Varies
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: A self-guided online course based on Richard Rohr’s new book, “The Tears of Things.” Explore the wisdom of prophets from ancient times to modern day, and discover how we can transform our anger into compassion in our modern “age of outrage.”
“The Tears of Things: Integrating the Prophetic Path” will lead you on a journey from righteous anger at injustice, through grief for the world’s suffering, and—for those committed to the path—finally to grace-filled love for everyone and everything.
Students will explore themes from “The Tears of Things,” like radical grace, collective evil, and the alchemy of tears. Discover deeper meaning in the Hebrew prophets and find inspiration from today’s truth-tellers like Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, Etty Hillesum, Howard Thurman, Joanna Macy, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Oscar Romero.
This self-guided course offers a flexible online learning experience to explore prophetic themes from the sacred space of your home. You can enroll anytime and access all course materials through CAC Connect, our new online learning platform. Engage with the material in a space that’s safe for questions and deepen your understanding alongside fellow seekers.
Comments: We’ve previously enjoyed many offerings from the CAC and Richard Rohr. This offering is an online, self-paced program based on his new book, but we are not sure if he is speaking in it. There doesn’t appear to be a live portion of this course and we are not sure if there is online interaction (though they usually do offer that).