We Are Nature: Remembering Our Sacred Connection to Earth
with Sebene Selassie, DaRa Williams and Lin Gordon
Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 | 10:00am to 5:00pm
Many of us speak of nature as if it is something external, having nothing to do with us except when we “visit it”. Nature is “out there” or in “the wilderness.” Dharma, which is often referred to as truth or teachings, can be translated as nature. Dharma as nature is everywhere, in and around us. Whether we are aware of it or not, We are always in connection to this truth, that we are this sacred earth.
In this daylong program, we will take time to reconnect to our bodies, hearts and minds remembering that we are nature. Centering land and ancestors, we will cultivate meditative awareness to sense the sacred connection to earth that is always present when we open to it. We will explore how this understanding can support us in our lives, in relationship/connection, our work, and especially in our response to our current planetary crisis. We will use the elements (earth, fire, water, air), movement, music, poetry and relational practices to support healing our wounds of separation.
Drawing on the indigenous wisdom of the Buddhadharma as well as from other traditions, participants will be invited to share their innate and ancestral ways of knowing the truth of our undeniable interconnection.
At this daylong, we will co-create a shared altar to honor our sacred connection to the earth. Please bring one or two special objects, a photo, or other token to place on the altar. This could be something that expresses any grief or sorrow and/or joy or celebration you feel in connection to our current planetary conditions. It could also be something that might represent your intention for this daylong or a being/place you wish to hold in the group heart.
Registration:
Please register at the highest level that your generosity offers.
Explanations of levels follow below.
Registration Fees include Teacher Support
New York Insight Meditation Center has streamlined the registration fee levels. Members of our Circle of Friends are eligible to receive 20% off of the Sustaining Rate via a code provided in the email confirming membership, which you can enter after clicking the Sustaining Level registration.
*Benefactor Level: Supports NYI’s ability to offer the Subsidized Base.
**Sustaining Level: This level reflects the actual costs to support this program. Circle of Friends members eligible for 20% discount with code. Click here to join.
***Subsidized Base: Made possible by the generosity of Benefactor Level above and other donations to ensure participation by those requiring financial assistance.
If you have questions about your registration (cancellation policy, membership discount, email confirmation, etc.), please read our FAQs. If your question is not addressed in the FAQs, please email registration@nyimc.org.
If you are unable to pay the Subsidized Base Fee, you can learn about volunteering to offer work exchange and letting us know how much you are able to pay for this program by emailing registration@nyimc.org.
Teacher(s)
Sebene Selassie
Sebene Selassie is a writer, teacher, and speaker who leads meditation, creativity, and nature-based practices for personal and collective liberation. Using ancient wisdom and modern science mixed with her own relational and relatable style, Sebene helps spiritually curious people explore the profound and sacred truth of belonging. She is trained as a meditation teacher, an integral coach, a practitioner of Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy for Complex Trauma (IFOT), and is a licensed hiking guide in New York state.
Sebene has taught classes, workshops, and retreats online and in person for almost 15 years. She is a devoted student of mystic traditions, including astrology, and writes the popular newsletter Ancestors to Elements. She is author of the book You Belong: A Call for Connection.
DaRa Williams
DaRa Williams is a trainer, meditation teacher and psychotherapist. DaRa has been a meditator for the past 25 years and is a practitioner of both Vipassana and Ascension meditation. She is a graduate of the Spirit Rock/Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program and is currently a Guiding Teacher at IMS. She is the Program Manager and a core teacher in the current IMS Teacher Training. DaRa has been a clinician and administrator in the field of Mental Health for over 25 years and currently maintains a private practice in Manhattan. She is a certified trainer and practitioner of Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy and Complex Trauma. DaRa integrates these skills, understandings and world views in her intention for contributing to the ending of suffering for all beings.
“Both formerly and now, it is only suffering that I describe, and the cessation of suffering.” The Buddha
Lin Wang Gordon
Lin has dedicated over a decade to studying insight meditation (Vipassana) and has recently deepened her practice through the Tibetan Dzogchen traditions. Through her meditation journey, she discovers the transformative power of Buddhist philosophy and practices to help live a life of flow, joy, wonder, and resilience.
She graduated from Mark Coleman’s Awake in the Wild Nature Meditation Teacher Training in 2017 and is currently enrolled in the Community Dharma Leaders Program (CDL7) at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Lin has gained experience leading ecodharma retreats and co-founded the Sacred Earth Sangha of the New York Insight Meditation Center. In addition to sharing earth-based practices and ecodharma, she hopes to guide others in meditation to foster inner transformation and cultivate a deeper sense of purpose and belonging in everyday life.
Lin has served on the Board of the New York Insight Meditation Center and the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center. linwanggordon.com