Awake & Embodied — A Retreat with Viveka

Awake & Embodied — A Retreat with Viveka, Nov 8, 6pm to Nov 11, 2:30pm

On this retreat we will delve into the dharma teaching:  

Body like mountain 
Breath Energy like the ocean’s waves 
Heart Mind like the Sky

These verses are a simple pointing to the awakening and freedom ready to be discovered, here, in our present embodied experience. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition these are known as the ‘Three Naturals.’ These verses are practice pointers in the Mahamudra approach to meditation and an invitation to:

• Come home to the stability and support of the body and open to a sense of belonging,
• Befriend the cycles of energy and emotional energy natural to being human, 
• Recognize and relax into the boundless nature of heart and mind.

The retreat will feature meditation, community connection options, and ritual practices (imagine chanting, singing and music). The teaching will draw inspiration from the flow of the Three Naturals and include periods of teaching input with ample space for practice without input, including somatic (embodied) experiential activities and inquiry (the use of questions to explore experience).
 

We will ease into a communal practice of silence to support rest and regeneration as well as a quality of presence and listening essential to spiritual insight. We appreciate that some will be coming to retreat seeking spiritual community as well as conditions for meditation - those wishing for mindful conversation in sangha will have opportunities to do so during mid day break, away from communal areas. There will also be regular structured opportunities to connect in small groups using a circle process.
 

Viveka (she/they) was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1997 and is based at the San Francisco Buddhist Center where she was chair for 16 years until 2016. Currently Viveka is President of the New York and Mexico City Triratna Buddhist Centers. Viveka teaches Buddhism and meditation internationally  with a focus on teaching retreats. Viveka was a co-founder of Triratna’s Total Immersion longer meditation retreats and has led many month-long retreats to support the deepening of meditation encompassing the interplay of samatha (stability) and vipashyana (insight). Viveka’s personal practice and teaching has depth in early Buddhist mindfulness approaches taught in the Anapanasati and Satipatthana Suttas as well as later Vajrayana non-dual nature of mind meditation and liberating energy approaches, especially the teaching lineages handed down through Milarepa (Mahamudra) and Padmasambhava. Viveka has been a leader in encouraging the development of effective, embodied, emotionally intelligent and creative meditation teaching and practice in Triratna.

Viveka is also a certified somatic coach and an Assistant Somatics Teacher with the Strozzi Institute and is how somatics is enriching their dharma teaching. Their teaching is healing and trauma informed and creates an atmosphere of welcoming that holds a diversity of peoples. A proud child of Chinese immigrants, Viveka lives in San Francisco, California with her husband. For 30 years she has been a consultant and leadership coach and trainer for racial and social justice as an integral expression of her dharma practice.

This retreat is residential and meals/housing are included in the price. Please see the note below about donations for teachers. You can access helpful information about attending retreats at Aryaloka here.

A Culture of Generosity and Support
In the tradition of passing on the Dharma freely, our Dharma retreat and workshop facilitators offer their work without charge and are not paid. We recognize the value in what they do and want to thank them for their time, energy and wisdom. A financial gift can help support our facilitators to afford them the opportunity to lead. Please consider making a donation towards their support. There is often a cash collection and a thank you card that is passed on the retreat, though one can also make a donation directly to facilitators with a check, and some use money transfer services such as PayPal or Venmo. Thank you for your generosity.

At Aryaloka, we strive to make our programs available to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. Our fee structure allows you to pay according to your means. 

The Event Rate is our actual fee for the event. It is for people paying their rent or mortgage, and who can afford occasional or regular leisure expenses such as dining out. Any payment above the advertised fee is a tax-deductible donation. 

The Mid-Level Reduced Rate is for those who are paying their mortgage or rent, though experience a consistent tightness in budget that makes extras like leisure activities or unexpected expenses difficult or impossible. 

The Base-Level Reduced Rate is for those without an income or with an income low enough that making ends meet is a challenge. 

Those whose circumstances are not included above can email the office to make other arrangements. info@aryaloka.org