A Seminar on Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery with Carolyn Rose Gimian

Date: Friday night, April 27th 7-9 pm–public talk
Saturday, April 28th 9 am – 4 pm (lunch break 12-1:30) Sunday, April 29th 9 am – 12 noon.

Location:Family Life Bureau (The Pastoral Centre) west side of Basilica: “Main Entrance”

What does it mean to smile at fear? To begin with, it means to relax with uncertainty, allowing ourselves to be fully with ourselves, as we are. One way to cultivate this is through the practice of meditation.The application of mindfulness allows us to stop the world from spinning, by stopping the spinning of our own minds. When we begin to see the situation as it is, and see our own minds clearly, we’re on the road toward defusing anxiety and panic. From the experiences we have in meditation, we may also begin to see how to relax on the spot in the midst of the most difficult circumstances in our lives. It is possible to be there in a simple and open way.

The weekend will include an introduction to mindfulness meditation, periods of meditation practice, several talks, group discussions, and smaller group activities.

Carolyn Rose Gimian has been a meditation teacher for more than 35 years. A senior student of Chogyam Trungpa, she is the editor of many of his books, including The Collected Works of Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, and Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery. Mrs. Gimian is also the Director Emeritus of the Shambhala Archives and the Director of the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project. She lives in Halifax.

Cost: Friday night talk $5; Weekend program $60, includes Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday (cash only, please) Discounts are available. Space is limited. To register, e-mail asafer@nf.sympatico.ca by April 20th.

Tickets available from Andrew Safer & The Pastoral Centre 9:00- 4:30 Mon.-Fri. west side of Basilica, “Main Entrance” (726-3660)

Mindfulness Workshop Series with Andrew Safer at the Family Life Bureau, Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre, 200 Military Road. Wednesdays evenings, March 28th to May 2nd: 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Mindfulness practice brings us back to the here and now and helps us to not get caught up in the storylines in our head about the past and future. Presented by Andrew Safer, a practitioner with 40 years’ experience in mindfulness meditation, this workshop series is for beginners and people who would like to develop a regular mindfulness practice.

In individual sessions at Aspens & Oaks, Meditation Instructor Andrew Safer provides an overview of mindfulness, gives meditation instruction, offers tips on how to establish a regular meditation practice, introduces mindfulness exercises, and provides guidance on how meditation practice relates to everyday life. Aspens & Oaks: 754-2068 – 23 Cashin Avenue, St. John’s

A study group on Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa will begin on Monday, November 21st from 8:00 to 9:00 pm at the Family Life Bureau, 200 Military Road, St. John’s. We will meet every other Monday. The cost is $5 per session.

Please note that registration is closed.

A Seminar on Communication and Relationships on the Spiritual Path with Ken Friedman

Are intimate relationships an obstacle to spiritual realization, or a potential gateway to sacred world? This seminar explores teachings from the Buddhist and Shambhala mindfulness traditions on the nature of love. Topics include: are relationships completely hopeless?; the importance of communication on the spiritual path; meditation and the realization of aloneness; not causing harm to others and the practice of kindness; the masculine and feminine principles; and the meaning of marriage or union on the spiritual path. The program will include talks, sitting meditation, individual interviews, and group discussions.

Ken Friedman, an authorized teacher in the Kagyu and Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist lineages, as well as the Shambhala tradition, has been a student of the late Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, since 1974. Mr. Friedman has presented seminars on communication and relationships in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Montreal, Halifax, London, Paris, and Amsterdam, and in numerous other cities throughout North America and Europe. Mr. Friedman resides permanently in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and particularly likes to spend time with his wife, his four daughters, and his three granddaughters.

Dates: Friday night, September 30th 7-9 pm—public talk
Saturday, October 1st 9 am – 4 pm (lunch break 12-1:30),
Sunday Oct. 2nd 9 am—12 noon

Cost: Friday night talk $10; Full session $50, includes Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday morning (cash only, please). Discounts are available if you need financial help for any reason. Space is limited.

Registration deadline: September 28th

For more information or to register, e-mail asafer@nf.sympatico.ca. Tickets may be purchased at the Family Life Bureau, 200 Military Road.