SEEING THE GOOD: FINDING LASTING JOY & BALANCE IN TIMES OF CHALLENGE
An AWAKENING JOY MINDFULNESS COURSE for Women
Feb. 11-March 11, 2023
Saturday Mornings - 10-11:30 a.m. (CT)/11-12:30 (ET)
Online via ZOOM

No dark fate determines the future. We do. Each day and each moment, we are able to create and re-create our lives and the very quality of human life on our planet. This is the power we wield.
— The Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu (from The Book of Joy)

Life on this planet is full of challenges—both personal and existential. But as the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu reveal to us in the quote above, this is not reason for despair. We have the power to cultivate joy and happiness in our lives—no matter what is going on around us.

As the New Year unfolds, it is the perfect time to recommit to our own wellbeing. And it is essential for our wellbeing that we find a way to recalibrate, to turn our attention towards that which is good—the essential beauty and wonder and endless grace both within and around us—each and every day. It is here that hope lies—in the beauty that is waiting for us to turn our gaze towards it, all the time, but in so many ways, we have forgotten how to see.

During this course we will explore the time-honored mindfulness practices known in Buddhist teachings as the ‘four radiant abodes’: joy, compassion, lovingkindness (or ‘metta’ as it is known in mindfulness meditation circles), and equanimity—that beautiful place of inner peace that allows us to find strength and calm in the midst of life’s storms.

We will also take time to turn towards self-care and to establish daily habits that will allow us to find the resilience, strength and fortitude we all need to be well and feel good in our lives. Together, these practices will help us to see the good within ourselves, others, and the larger world in which we live— to find peace, light and hope—even in the midst of difficulty and challenge.

I hope you will join me for this journey back to goodness, remembering that which we have forgotten, and in the process, restoring ourselves and our lives to wonder, joy, hope and delight.

Note: You may wish to have the books Awakening Joy by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander and The Book of Joy, a collaborative book by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams, on hand for the course. While this is not required, I highly recommend purchasing these books as a way to support you on the path (both available as hard copy or audio book and most likely available from your local library.)

If you have any questions about this course, please contact me.