On Saturday, October 3rd, 2020, we began our walking meditation on a beautiful crisp autumn morning across the bridge over the Dam. With the warmth of the sun on our backs, we tread mindfully on the paved path.
A man walking his dog….breathing in…..breathing out…..a couple strolling hand in hand…..breathing in……breathing out……tranquil reservoir water on one side of the bridge and the rushing sound of water down the Dam on the other side…….breathing in……breathing out…..
As we come to the picnic park area, the gentleness of the mother earth path felt soft beneath our feet……breathing in……breathing out…….tall trees on dewy grass lawn…….breathing in……breathing out…..a woman dressed in purple sitting on a makeshift chair in the midst of a professional photo session taking place below our path ……breathing in……breathing out……
Ah….now we’re on the gravely winding path on the Park above the Capilano Lake. The blue open sky nurturing all living beings on earth……breathing in…..breathing out…..the magnificent vistas of the Lions and Grouse Mountains behind the Lake…….breathing in…….breathing out……the strong scent of freshly mowed grass……breathing in..,…breathing out…..
Come join us as we practice this energy invigorating walking meditation again at Cleveland Dam on Sat, Oct 24, 2020, at 9:00 AM.
Meeting Area: The Information area by the stairs from the Parking lot.
Warmly,
North Shore Mindfulness (NSM) West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) 695 21st Street, West Vancouver TUESDAYS: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Dear Friends: Let us celebrate the refreshing fall air, washed clean with rain. Join us on the first Saturday of the month for outdoor walking meditation. It is not possible to meet in person at SAC for the next few months. Instead, we continue our online Tuesday practices, dwelling in the present together….breathing in and breathing out……
Online Zoom Schedule: Tuesdays 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
October 6 – Dharma Reading and Qi Gong – Enjoy your life force through gentle movement
October 13 – Five Mindfulness Training – Listen to a recitation and beautiful chanting
October 20 – Dharma Reading and Mindful Tea – Have a cup of tea ready for the meeting
October 27 – Deep Relaxation – Prepare a place to rest
Volunteer facilitators, Janet, Ian, Sharon, and Linda, take turns leading our gatherings. If you are new to our Sangha or haven’t tried our online practice, you are very welcome. Please email us at nsmindfulness@gmail.com with your intention to join. This way, you can introduce yourself and we can tell you about our NSM traditions before your first online practice with us.
The following link is valid for all of October’s online practices:
We plan to practice mindful walking outdoors on the first Saturday of each month. On Saturday morning, October 3, let’s walk around the park above the lake at Cleveland Dam.
Meeting place at the information kiosk by the stairs from the parking lot
Park at the Cleveland Dam parking lot on Capilano Road, just north of Montroyal Boulevard in North Vancouver. For transit directions, check their website.
Sept 8 Walk at Memorial Park, 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
Dear Friends:
We are happy to resume our gatherings this month, both online and in person. How wonderful to know our Sangha continues to be our place of refuge to enjoy meditation and explore the thoughtful teachings of Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Our usual location, West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC), is only open in the daytime this fall. We propose to meet at SAC the first Monday of each month from 3:30 – 4:30 PM. It will be a treat to finally sit together. Since many members cannot attend during the day, there will be an online practice most Tuesday evenings. In addition, we would like to hold walking meditation outdoors once per month on a Saturday morning. We hope these plans meet your needs, and you will join us regularly. The collective energy is so nourishing, and your presence benefits us all.
September’s Agenda:
Sep 8 Tuesday 7:00 – 8:00 PM Walking meditation at Memorial Park, located opposite the West Van library. Gather near the archway.
Effective March 14, 2020, the District of West Vancouver has temporarily closed the Seniors’ Activity Centre to protect the health and well-being of our community. As a result, Sangha gatherings of North Shore Mindfulness are suspended.
It is especially important during times of trouble to continue our healthy meditation practice. During the coming weeks, there are resources for us to access from home, including the Plum Village website https://plumvillage.org and thefree Plum Village App. This app can support us to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and joy through guided meditations, deep relaxations, practice poems, and bells of mindfulness.
Finally, there will be a first-of-its-kind free online event presented March 25-29 by the Lion’s Roar and Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation, called In the Footsteps of Thich Nhat Hanh. To learn more, see https://promo.lionsroar.com/free-summit-thich-nhat-hanh/.
During this uncertain and turbulent time, the health authorities advise us to practice ‘social distancing’, such as avoid public gatherings and work from home. Freed from some of our usual busyness and social obligations, different opportunities arise. One such opportunity is to reconnect with Nature. Imagine yourself mindfully walking in one of the many north shore parks, beach walks or hiking trails. Breathe in the abundant fresh air, gaze at the grandness of the sky above you and reflect how the trees along your path have patiently and stoically stood through all kinds of elements, such as the wind, rain, and hot sun. Many of the trees existed before we set foot on this earth and will continue to live long after we’re gone. Without Nature, there would not be humankind. We may have been complacent sometimes about the natural beauty that surrounds and supports our wellbeing. Let’s take this time now to wake up our senses in Nature!
We can also take this opportunity to spend more quality time with close family members and friends. Please take care of yourself and stay well. 🙏
Warmly, Linda and Janet on behalf of
North Shore Mindfulness Tuesdays 7:00 – 8:30 PM (temporarily canceled) Audio Visual Room West Van Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) 695 21st Street, West Vancouver, BC
We are aware that real happiness depends primarily on our mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that we can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that we already have more than enough conditions to be happy. – Thich Nhat Hanh
This photo is of an altar Janice Walker made outside her window. If you look closely, you can see a string of mini twinkle lights which Jan turns on at night. Do you see the peaceful Buddha at the front? The North Shore Mindfulness sangha gave this to Jan and Bob when they moved from Vancouver to Victoria in August 2017.
Dear Friends Despite the coolness of the morning air, spring is just around the corner. 🌸🌹💐🌷
Come join us on Tuesday evenings to practice sitting and walking meditation, as well as for the following activities:
Mar 3 – Deep Relaxation – Mats and cushions are provided. Please bring a blanket or an extra layer of clothing to make yourself comfortable. Mar 10 – Five Mindfulness Trainings Mar 17 – Dharma Reading Mar 24 – Mindful Tea Mar 31 – Mindfulness Songs from Plum Village
Warmly,
Linda on behalf of
North Shore Mindfulness Tuesday 7:00 – 8:30 PM Audio Visual Room @ West Van Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) 695 21st Street, West Vancouver
Dear Friends: Because we have been advised that registration is filling up, we are forwarding you the April retreat info one more time. We look forward to having an enriching time together at this Washington oceanside location. There will likely be a lot of younger and Vietnamese folks at this retreat. So far, several members of our sangha have already registered! If you are interested in attending please register right away to ensure your spot. If you are not entirely sure, don’t worry because their refund policy is: ‘If you cancel one week before the arrival date, we will fully refund your payment’.
when you first arrive at the registration page please note that most of the top portion is in Vietnamese. Scroll down a bit and you will see the English portion
in the box for ‘….would you like to have a round trip transportation to the retreat’, they are referring to busing to and from the Seattle area, not from Vancouver so please answer ‘NO’
under the NOTE section (the second to last box), please state: I AM PART OF THE NORTH SHORE MINDFULNESS SANGHA GROUP so you can qualify for NSM’s group rate
register for yourself only. Therefore in the last question where it says “would you like to register for additional people?” your answer is “0”
you will receive an automatic email after you register as an individual, stating your fee is US$150, but we DO qualify for the US$120 group rate, as we have established this with the organizer
E-transfer does not work between Canadian and US Banks so paying by PayPal is the best option
please inform us once you have registered because the retreat organizer has asked for a list of names of people registering as our Sangha group
we will contact you about possible carpooling closer to the time of the retreat.
Email us if you have further questions. Warmly,
Linda and Janet on behalf of
North Shore Mindfulness Tuesdays 7:00 – 8:30 PM Audio Visual Room @ West Van Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) 695 21st Street, West Vancouver
A MINDFULNESS RETREAT – led by eight Monastic Disciples of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh coming from Magnolia Grove Monastery. This retreat will be conducted in English & Vietnamese
OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART Retreat is held at Fort Flagler Historical State Park. The retreat is open to families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds. This is a good opportunity for us to sow the seeds of mindfulness so that we can look deeply into the mind and revive our understanding and love for our loved ones. With the guidance of the monastics and the support of fellow practitioners, we will have a lot of transformations. Both beginning and experienced mindfulness practitioners are welcome. During break-outs, children are grouped by age. The children’s program will include singing, reading, playing games, and learning basic mindfulness skills. Adults will have opportunities to practice meditation together and engage in Dharma talks, silent sitting and walking meditation, mindful eating, community-building through singing, sports, and other practices that you can apply to your daily lives. TIME Thursday, April 16th, 2020 – 3 PM until Sunday, April 19th, 2020 – 12 PM
LOCATION Fort Flagler Historical State Park 10541 Flagler Road Nordland, WA 98358
PRICING (Food & Lodging) Adults (18+) – $150/person OR $120/person for group of 2 or more people Teenagers (13-17) – $80/person Children (6-12) – FREE REGISTRATION www.sites.google.com/site/khoatuvn/
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? Ms. Minh Nguyen – (206) 920 – 4781 . (425) 403 – 3456Mr. Hinh Tran, Mr. Luat Nguyen Mr. Sy Phan, Mr. Tien Hy vietwakeupwashington@gmail.com
Due to snowy driving conditions, we are cancelling tonight’s meditation gathering. Too bad to have to miss our Deep Relaxation! I hope you will enjoy a relaxing evening at home instead.
Warmly, Janet
on behalf of North Shore Mindfulness West Van Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) Audio Visual Room 695 21st Street, West Vancouver
When times are tough, it is common wisdom to ‘take it one day at a time’. In his book, Peace is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hanh says beautifully:
Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others.
Each morning, we can recite the gatha from the above picture to start our day in mindfulness.
Please join us Tuesday evenings as we explore inspiring teachings by Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Every week we enjoy sitting and walking meditation, followed by these practices:
Feb 4 Deep Relaxation* IF THERE IS TOO MUCH SNOW, WE WILL SEND A CANCELLATION NOTICE BY THE LATE AFTERNOON
Feb 11 Five Mindfulness Trainings
Feb 18 Dharma Reading
Feb 25 – Mindful Tea
* Mats and cushions are provided for deep relaxation. Bring a blanket or whatever you like to be comfortable.
Warmly,
Janet – on behalf of
North Shore Mindfulness Tuesday 7:00 – 8:30 PM Audio Visual Room @ West Van Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) 695 21st Street, West Vancouver
A MINDFULNESS RETREAT – led by eight Monastic Disciples of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh coming from Magnolia Grove Monastery. This retreat will be conducted in English & Vietnamese
OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART retreat is held at Fort Flagler Historical State Park. The retreat is open to families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds. This is a good opportunity for us to sow the seeds of mindfulness so that we can look deeply into the mind and revive our understanding and love for our loved ones. With the guidance of the monastics and the support of fellow practitioners, we will have a lot of transformations.
Both beginning and experienced mindfulness practitioners are welcome. During break-outs, children are grouped by age. The children’s program will include singing, reading, playing games, and learning basic mindfulness skills.
Adults will have opportunities to practice meditation together and engage in Dharma talks, silent sitting and walking meditation, mindful eating, community-building through singing, sports, and other practices that you can apply to your daily lives.
TIME Thursday, April 16th, 2020 – 3 PM until Sunday, April 19th, 2020 – 12 PM
LOCATION Fort Flagler Historical State Park 10541 Flagler Road Nordland, WA 98358
PRICING (Food & Lodging) Adults (18+) – $150/person OR $120/person for group of 2 or more people Teenagers (13-17) – $80/person Children (6-12) – FREE
