Morning visit with Thich Nhat Hanh at Tu Hieu Pagoda, April 2019
Dear Friends:
Our beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, continues to show us how to live with grace and courage at age 93! When I was fortunate to be in his presence in Hue, Vietnam last April, he turned his gaze towards the group of visitors, as you see in this photo. When he slowly looked from person to person, I felt an immense sense of calm and love sweep over me. Also during the visit, Thay teased the nuns by playfully posing with a frangipani flower. Everyone was smiling and laughing with him. Then Paul Davis, one of the leaders of our Loving Work Foundation travelling group, presented to Thay the photobook he created, A Way of Life: Zen Monastics at Work and at Play, 2017. He and Thay looked through some of the familiar photos together. What a memorable, precious time!!
Now, on to our December schedule. I hope you will come and relax in the support of our Sangha on Tuesday evenings, or enjoy your practice in your warm home or in the quiet forest. Give yourself the gift of taking time to stop and take care of yourself. The Christmas season is for many of us a time of mixed emotions: happiness, distraction, loneliness. How fortunate to know we can always touch that deeper joy available to us by coming back to our true selves. “There is a concentration on your in-breath that will make body and mind come together in just one moment. And suddenly you find yourself fully present, fully alive” (The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh, 2012).
We have the following three meetings this month. There is a social gathering planned for December 17.
Dec 3 – Deep Relaxation*
Dec 10 – Recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings
Dec 17 – Meditation for the first hour, followed by a social time with tea and treats. You are invited to bring a few snacks to share.
* 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
Even though winter will shortly arrive, we can still enjoy the vibrant colors of fall
Dear Friends:
The weather is a bit nippy now but what glorious sunshine we’ve been having! It has now been two months and we have fully embraced our mindfulness practice at our new location in the West Van Seniors’ Centre. The AV room has allowed us to comfortably practice our sitting meditation, walking meditation, deep relaxation as well as Thich Nhat Hanh’s Mindful Movements, all in one spacious area.
At the start of the evening, please enter the meditation space with enough time to mindfully find a spot and be ready when the bell is invited at 7:00 PM. There are chairs and mats available but bring your own cushion or bench if that is your practice routine. If you are unavoidably late, you are welcome to quietly join the group.
Along with weekly sitting meditation, walking meditation, and dharma sharing, the additional scheduled activities for November are:
Nov 5 – Deep Relaxation * Nov 12 – Recitation of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings Nov 19 – Dharma Reading Nov 26 – Mindful Tea Meditation
* Mats and cushions are provided. Bring a blanket or whatever you like to be comfortable.
Warmly,
Linda and 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
Here is the Audio Visual (AV) Room just before our gathering begins…a place is ready for you
Dear Friends:
The North Shore Mindfulness community has met in our spacious new room at the West Van Seniors’ Centre for a whole month and we really like it! While having a new space has taken a little getting used to, we are nicely set up and enjoy returning to the warm, familiar support of our dear Sangha. We have met some new meditators and enjoyed reconnecting with long-time members.
Our basic practice and program rotation remain the same. However, before our gathering begins, now we have the opportunity to connect in the café between 6:00 to 6:45 PM. Some people have treated themselves to an inexpensive home-cooked dinner and others settled on a bowl of hot soup. Then, we are welcomed to enter the AV room at 6:50 PM so we can mindfully find a spot and be ready when the bell is invited at 7:00 PM. There are chairs and mats available but please bring your own cushion or bench if that is your practice routine. If you are unavoidably late for the first sitting meditation, please quietly join the group.
Along with weekly sitting meditation, walking meditation and dharma sharing, additional activities for October are:
Oct 1 – Deep Relaxation (Mats are provided. Bring a blanket to be comfortable)
Oct 8 – Five Mindfulness Trainings
Oct 15 – Dharma Reading
Oct 22 – Tea Meditation
Oct 29 – Ten Mindful Movements
Why Sangha? Thich Nhat Hanh teaches: Alone we are vulnerable, but with brothers and sisters to work with, we can support each other. We cannot go to the ocean as a drop of water – we would evaporate before reaching our destination. But if we become a river, if we go as a Sangha, we are sure to arrive at the ocean.
Warmly,
Janet and Linda on behalf of NORTH SHORE MINDFULNESS
Our new location at the West Van Senior’s Activity Centre
After seven good years of meeting at St. Stephen’s church, North Shore Mindfulness is moving just a block away to West Vancouver Community Centre. Our new location is the Audio Visual Room at the Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) at 695 21st Street, West Vancouver. Our day and time – 7:00 – 8:30 PM Tuesday night – remain the same. People of all backgrounds and ages are welcome to our practice group.
Our first session at SAC will be Tuesday, September 10, 2019 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Bus service and parking are located nearby. Please enter the fully accessible building through either of two large entranceways. There is no need to stop at a registration desk. Just look for the cafeteria, called Garden Side Café, and find the AV room directly across from the café.
Our evening format remains the same, including sitting and walking meditation, deep relaxation, drinking tea mindfully, reciting the Five Mindfulness Trainings, learning about the dharma, and dharma sharing. Mats and chairs are provided. Please bring your own cushion or bench.
We have a new opportunity to share food and fellowship in the café. From 6:00PM onwards, bring or buy a meal, snack or drink, or just drop by our table for a visit.
From 6:45 PM onwards, please mindfully enter the meditation (AV) room and
remove your shoes, if comfortable
sign in
make a donation, or Dana, as you are able
find your way to a chair or cushion and sit silently until our practice begins at 7:00
We look forward to sharing our mindfulness practice with you from September 10th onwards at our new home.
At North Shore Mindfulness, we recently received the following request for submissions to a book project. Would you like to submit a story about your experiences for Walking with Thay? The editors are asking for a maximum of 1200 words, which is about 2 pages single-spaced, and the submission deadline is August 30th.
Dear friends of Thay,
How excited we are to tell you about a new book project, Walking with Thay, in which students of Thich Nhat Hanh share their journeys of transformation as a result of following Thay’s teachings. The book will be a compilation of first-person shortstories of how we were touched, moved, and inspired by Thay.
Walking with Thay is a celebration of Thay’s life and a celebration of our lives with him as our beloved teacher. May this book further the bond of Thay’s students around the world, and may it also inspire potential new students on this path of joy and love.
Best of all, the Walking with Thay book project is also a fundraiser. All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.
We invite you to be part of this exciting project in the following ways:
1) Submit your story for consideration.
2) Spread the word and build momentum! Pass this email on to other students of Thay.
How to decide to submit a story
Reflect on these questions:
• Were you lost or searching and the teachings of Thay were your answer?
• How did Thay’s teachings liberate you? Bring you joy, freedom, peace, or something else that inspired you?
• How did his teachings bring you something beautiful that was previously missing?
• At what point did you know that Thay was your teacher? Describe that experience.
• Was something going on in your life for which Thay’s teachings provided a turning point or offered a different path? Tell that story.
More information about how to submit a story:
• Please send a Word document or Google Doc of no more than 1200 words. This book will be printed in English, so all submissions should be in English. We will select a range of stories that capture various perspectives and experiences to create a poignant volume. If your story is selected, we will send back comments for revision. You will be required to resubmit the story by the resubmission date for inclusion in the book.
• Initial submission deadline: 5 pm (ET) August 30, 2019
Mary Hillebrand has studied and practiced in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh since 2001, participating in sanghas
Dear friends of Thay,
How excited we are to tell you about a new book project, Walking with Thay, in which students of Thich Nhat Hanh share their journeys of transformation as a result of following Thay’s teachings. The book will be a compilation of first-person shortstories of how we were touched, moved, and inspired by Thay.
Walking with Thay is a celebration of Thay’s life and a celebration of our lives with him as our beloved teacher. May this book further the bond of Thay’s students around the world, and may it also inspire potential new students on this path of joy and love.
Best of all, the Walking with Thay book project is also a fundraiser. All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.
We invite you to be part of this exciting project in the following ways:
1) Submit your story for consideration.
2) Spread the word and build momentum! Pass this email on to other students of Thay.
How to decide to submit a story
Reflect on these questions:
• Were you lost or searching and the teachings of Thay were your answer?
• How did Thay’s teachings liberate you? Bring you joy, freedom, peace, or something else that inspired you?
• How did his teachings bring you something beautiful that was previously missing?
• At what point did you know that Thay was your teacher? Describe that experience.
• Was something going on in your life for which Thay’s teachings provided a turning point or offered a different path? Tell that story.
More information about how to submit a story:
• Please send a Word document or Google Doc of no more than 1200 words. This book will be printed in English, so all submissions should be in English. We will select a range of stories that capture various perspectives and experiences to create a poignant volume. If your story is selected, we will send back comments for revision. You will be required to resubmit the story by the resubmission date for inclusion in the book.
• Initial submission deadline: 5 pm (ET) August 30, 2019
Jeanine Cogan, Ph.D., is a long time student of Thich Nhat Hanh who fell in love with the teachings in 1996 and is committed to introducing mindfulness and meditation to others. She is known among her students as warm, lighthearted, and grounded. As a former academic, Jeanine edited two books as well as professional journals and is thrilled to bring this editorial success to the Walking with Thay book project.
Mary Hillebrand has studied and practiced in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh since 2001, participating in sanghas in Washington, D.C., and Madison, Wisconsin. In her current role as a high school teacher, Mary enjoys teaching mindfulness to her students and sharing her practice with other educators. She also brings 10 years of technical experience to the Walking with Thay book project from her first career as a magazine editor and writer.
In gratitude and peace,
Mary and Jeanine
Washington, D.C., and Madison, Wisconsin. In her current role as a high school teacher, Mary enjoys teaching mindfulness to her students and sharing her practice with other educators. She also brings 10 years of technical experience to the Walking with Thay book project from her first career as a magazine editor and writer.
Dear Friends Last Saturday, Trish Thompson offered a most enlightening day and it was very enjoyable because of your presence. This was the first Day of Mindfulness hosted by North Shore Mindfulness in recent years and oh boy, did we learn a lot! But mostly we are grateful for the genuine support of everyone involved in this event from Trish Thompson and Jeanie Seward-Magee to the warm-hearted interactions we experienced with all of you.
To continue your practice, here are links to three local Sanghas:
Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings and Plum Village retreats, please visit: https://plumvillage.org
With Abundant Gratitude
Linda, Ian, Janet, and Sharon on behalf of North Shore Mindfulness
Our Day of Mindfulness SanghaWalking meditation in Stanley ParkMindful picnic in the parkWalking in the West End Neighbourhood of VancouverMindful movements
Dear Sangha members Exciting news! Trish Thompson will be leading the North Shore Mindfulness meditation practice on Tuesday, June 18th, 7PM – 9PM. A number of you have already registered for the June 22nd Day of Mindfulness but if you cannot attend this event, Tuesday, June 18th is a chance for you to meet Trish and experience meditation practice with her guidance. Even if you are going to the Day of Mindfulness, enjoy a more personal time with her in a small group setting on Tuesday, June 18th.
Here is a brief bio from the https://www.lovingworkfoundation.org/ website: Trish Thompson is the founder of the Loving Work Foundation which supports “…humanitarian programs that improve the lives of disadvantaged Vietnamese children and families….In the mid 1990s she was a student of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama for six months and was the first western retreatant to live with the Tibetan nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery….In 1997, she became a student of the Zen Master, the Venerable Thích Nhất Hạnh. She is a Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village tradition, having received the Lamp of Wisdom Transmission from her teacher (Thay).”
Dear Friends: Our Day of Mindfulness is a week and a half away. Here is further information to help you settle in for the day:
1863 Alberni is on the north side of Alberni, close to Denman Street on the Stanley Park side.
Please arrive in silence by 9:45AM on Saturday June 22nd.
When you arrive at the front doors of 1863 Alberni, wait mindfully until someone lets you into the building.
If for some reason you arrive later than10:00AM, please wait by the large window to the left-hand side of the entrance until someone comes to the front door to quietly let you in. If you happen to arrive during sitting meditation, please sit on the wall by the window outside and do the sitting meditation with us. Once we finish, someone will come and let you in.
Please bring your cushion or meditation bench if you use one.
Drink only water indoors to avoid coffee or tea spills staining the carpet.
Bring a vegetarian lunch plus any snacks and drinks you may need during the day. There will not be an opportunity to buy food. Weather permitting, we will picnic at the park.
Turn off your mobile phone or leave it at home.
For deep relaxation, bring what you need to be comfortable, such as a yoga mat and/or blanket.
Your registration fee covers expenses such as the room rental, and a portion will be donated to the Loving Work Foundation. DANA is also warmly welcomed.
We look forward to spending a mindful day with Trish Thompson and all of you.
The weather has been beautiful as we have enjoyed our walking meditation outdoors these past couple of weeks.
We have four more sessions before our Sangha takes a break for the July and August summer months.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019: Deep Relaxation (Bring your yoga mat)
Tuesday, June 11, 2019: Recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings
Tuesday, June18, 2019: Dharma Reading
Tuesday, June 25, 2019: Mindful Tea Meditation
Our sessions will resume on Tuesday, September 10, 2019.
Please arrive at St. Stephen’s Church a few minutes early to start our practice at 7:00pm. Some folks sit on chairs available at the church, and others bring their own cushion or bench. You are invited to stay on at 8:30 PM for a social cup of tea.
JUNE 22: DAY OF MINDFULNESS with TRISH THOMPSON
On Saturday, June 22, the North Shore Mindfulness Sangha will host a Day of Mindfulness in Vancouver led by Dharma Teacher Trish Thompson (True Concentration on Peace), Founder and Director of The Loving Work Foundation in Vietnam. We will enjoy an inspiring day of sitting and walking meditation, dharma talk, and dharma sharing together. Some of you have already registered but there are still spots available. For further details please refer to the Day of Mindfulness post at northshoremindfulness.com.
Warmly,
Linda on behalf of
North Shore Mindfulness Tuesday, 7-8:30pm @ St Stephen’s Church, 885 22nd St, West Vancouver
Did you know about this? It’s news to me. A local yoga and meditation studio here in West Vancouver just sent me an invite to join their special session today. In London, England they are setting up recreation centres and parks for group meditation. There is a Brit who is hosting a meditation session in London this morning and flying to Vancouver to hold a group session at our Museum of Anthropology tonight.
Kind of wonderful for more and more people to de-stress and enjoy mindfulness. Our appointment with life is in the present moment. If we do not have peace and joy right now, when will we have peace and joy – tomorrow or after tomorrow? What is preventing us from being happy right now? As we follow our breathing, we can say, simply, “Calming, Smiling, Present moment, Wonderful moment.” (Thich Nhat Hanh: ‘Peace Is Every Step)
How appropriate that our North Shore Sangha meets tonight and will meditate together with people around the world.
