Events
Events hosted by Buddhism & Mindfulness at All Souls
Our programs are online and in person at All Souls.
No experience is necessary. Join us!
For information about the Zoom login and password,
please go to the All Souls NYC website calendar,
or consult the most recent email sent out by Pamela Patton.
If you aren’t on the Buddhism & Mindfulness email list and would like to join,
please let her know via our Contact Us page.
Ongoing events
Mondays, 10–11am on Zoom
Meditation & Discussion led by Pamela Patton
Please join us!
Join us for a talk and a meditation followed by a discussion (you can choose whether you’d like to go to a breakout room or stay in the main room for a larger group conversation). The topics are different each week — some examples include destructive emotions and the Buddhist understanding of impermanence.
We have variety of guest teachers. They are announced on our mailing list.
Alternating Tuesdays, 1:00pm–2:30pm on Zoom
Dharma Study Group led by Harry Miller
Please join us!
This is a drop-in group — all are welcome to attend once or as many times as you like. We explore basic teachings of Buddhism using both a philosophical and, more importantly, a practical, approach. We study important Mahayana texts like the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. We perform a close reading of the texts, paragraph by paragraph and line by line when necessary. It is a very interactive class — what is most important is that everyone be comfortable with the material and make progress in their own way.
2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 1:00pm–2:30pm on Zoom
Enlightened Aging Book Club with Marianne
Please join us!
The Enlightened Aging Book Club is currently reading Awareness by Anthony de Mello. This group is for people 60+ who appreciate the opportunity to connect with others who are of a certain age and therefore of a certain degree of wisdom. Our conversations are about much more than aging. Drop-ins are always welcome.
Thursdays, 10-11am on Zoom
Transforming Our Suffering led by Pamela Patton
Please join us!
Join us for our weekly Buddhism & Mindfulness program, Transforming Our Suffering. This group meets every Thursday at 10 am and is led by Pamela Patton, Director of Congregational Ministries.
We are currently reading and discussing After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield.. You are most welcome to attend whether or not you’ve done the reading. We start with a short meditation; Pamela summarizes the chapter; Harry Miller reflects on the teachings, and then we have a discussion (you can choose whether you’d like to go to a breakout room or stay in the main room for a larger group conversation). Each session is standalone, so you can drop in whenever you wish.
About the book:
“Enlightenment does exist,” internationally renowned author and meditation master Jack Kornfield assures us. “Unbounded freedom and joy, oneness with the divine . . . these experiences are more common than you know, and not far away.” But even after achieving such realization—after the ecstasy—we are faced with the day—to-day task of translating that freedom into our imperfect lives. We are faced with the laundry.Drawing on the experiences and insights of leaders and practitioners within the Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Sufi traditions, this book offers a uniquely intimate and honest understanding of how the modern spiritual journey unfolds—and how we can prepare our hearts for awakening. Through moving personal stories and traditional tales, we learn how the enlightened heart navigates the real world of family relationships, emotional pain, earning a living, sickness, loss, and death.
About the author:
Jack Kornfield is an internationally renowned Buddhist teacher and meditation master, and a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and of Spirit Rock Center in Northern California. A former Buddhist monk, he holds a PhD in clinical psychology. His books include A Path with Heart, Buddha’s Little Instruction Book, and After the Ecstasy.
Community Meditation on Zoom
8:30-9:00am Monday-Saturday
Please join us!
Join us for short weekday meditations led be members of All Souls Buddhism and Mindfulness. No meditation experience required, all are welcome.
With thanks to our volunteer leaders:
Monday - Harry Miller
Tuesday - Bob Lyster
Wednesday - Laura Cohen
Thursday - Peggy Kampmeier
Friday - Carolyn Jackson
Saturday - Wiley Saichek
One-on-one Spiritual Counseling with Harry or Emma
Email us to schedule a one-on-one meeting
Schedule a private meeting with Harry Miller or Emma Markham to discuss your meditation practice, Buddhism, or other spiritual needs.
Meditation & Discussion led by Pamela Patton
Please join us!
Join us for a talk and a meditation followed by a discussion (you can choose whether you’d like to go to a breakout room or stay in the main room for a larger group conversation). The topics are different each week — some examples include destructive emotions and the Buddhist understanding of impermanence.
We have variety of guest teachers. They are announced on our mailing list.
Alternating Tuesdays, 1:00pm–2:30pm on Zoom
Dharma Study Group led by Harry Miller
Please join us!
This is a drop-in group — all are welcome to attend once or as many times as you like. We explore basic teachings of Buddhism using both a philosophical and, more importantly, a practical, approach. We study important Mahayana texts like the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. We perform a close reading of the texts, paragraph by paragraph and line by line when necessary. It is a very interactive class — what is most important is that everyone be comfortable with the material and make progress in their own way.
2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 1:00pm–2:30pm on Zoom
Enlightened Aging Book Club with Marianne
Please join us!
The Enlightened Aging Book Club is currently reading Awareness by Anthony de Mello. This group is for people 60+ who appreciate the opportunity to connect with others who are of a certain age and therefore of a certain degree of wisdom. Our conversations are about much more than aging. Drop-ins are always welcome.
Thursdays, 10-11am on Zoom
Transforming Our Suffering led by Pamela Patton
Please join us!
Join us for our weekly Buddhism & Mindfulness program, Transforming Our Suffering. This group meets every Thursday at 10 am and is led by Pamela Patton, Director of Congregational Ministries.
We are currently reading and discussing After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield.. You are most welcome to attend whether or not you’ve done the reading. We start with a short meditation; Pamela summarizes the chapter; Harry Miller reflects on the teachings, and then we have a discussion (you can choose whether you’d like to go to a breakout room or stay in the main room for a larger group conversation). Each session is standalone, so you can drop in whenever you wish.
About the book:
“Enlightenment does exist,” internationally renowned author and meditation master Jack Kornfield assures us. “Unbounded freedom and joy, oneness with the divine . . . these experiences are more common than you know, and not far away.” But even after achieving such realization—after the ecstasy—we are faced with the day—to-day task of translating that freedom into our imperfect lives. We are faced with the laundry.Drawing on the experiences and insights of leaders and practitioners within the Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Sufi traditions, this book offers a uniquely intimate and honest understanding of how the modern spiritual journey unfolds—and how we can prepare our hearts for awakening. Through moving personal stories and traditional tales, we learn how the enlightened heart navigates the real world of family relationships, emotional pain, earning a living, sickness, loss, and death.
About the author:
Jack Kornfield is an internationally renowned Buddhist teacher and meditation master, and a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and of Spirit Rock Center in Northern California. A former Buddhist monk, he holds a PhD in clinical psychology. His books include A Path with Heart, Buddha’s Little Instruction Book, and After the Ecstasy.
Community Meditation on Zoom
8:30-9:00am Monday-Saturday
Please join us!
Join us for short weekday meditations led be members of All Souls Buddhism and Mindfulness. No meditation experience required, all are welcome.
With thanks to our volunteer leaders:
Monday - Harry Miller
Tuesday - Bob Lyster
Wednesday - Laura Cohen
Thursday - Peggy Kampmeier
Friday - Carolyn Jackson
Saturday - Wiley Saichek
One-on-one Spiritual Counseling with Harry or Emma
Email us to schedule a one-on-one meeting
Schedule a private meeting with Harry Miller or Emma Markham to discuss your meditation practice, Buddhism, or other spiritual needs.
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Special Events
Flourishing with Shelley Tupper
Sundays, March 17th, and 24th at 10am in the Ware Room
We are excited to announce our upcoming four-week series on Flourishing, designed to help you unleash your full potential and achieve greater personal growth. Through a collaborative and practical approach, our experienced facilitator, Shelley Tupper will guide you through a journey of self-discovery and development, helping you identify your strengths, values, and goals. If you attend one or all, you are bound to walk away with new tools to support you in all aspects of your life.
Shelley Tupper is a Certified Coach, a Practitioner in Positive Psychology, and a Resilience Trainer.
Active Hope for the Climate Crisis with Laura Cohen
Sunday, March 17th, 24th at 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM in The Ware Room
In this three-week program we will work with eco-activist and scholar Joanna Macy's book Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience & Creative Power in order to give space to our emotions around the climate crisis together, develop tools for expanding our capacities to hold these difficult feelings, and channel them into action for the benefit of all beings. Reading sections of the book before each session is optional and encouraged. Each week will involve an overview of the chapters, pair or small group work, and discussion.
Eight Fridays 10am - Noon on Zoom
March 22nd, 29th, April 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th, May 3rd, 10th
Cognitively-Based Compassion Training with Miles Bukiet
on Zoom
Are you a compassionate person?
How do you know you are?
Are you aware of how you behave when you’re feeling compassion?
Are those behaviors interpreted the way you want them to be by others?
How can we strengthen our compassion for self and others, even others who may be adversaries?
Compassion includes at least two key components: recognition of suffering and a motivation to help. This requires we have affection for others and an awareness of their distress. We desire that someone be free from suffering. Our compassion has an affective or feeling component and a cognitive component that includes the awareness of others’ difficulties. Research with CBCT shows that compassion can improve our affect, alleviate stress, decrease depression, and increase self-acceptance. Biologically, compassion is linked to lower cortisol levels and reduced inflammation processes in the body. It has helped cancer patients experience less fear and more hope.
Please join Miles Bukiet for this 8-week CBCT course. Classes are highly interactive and include background on research along with meditations. (For a taste of CBCT check out Emory University’s Compassion Shift page.) CBCT® practices are secular and accessible to all–you do not need prior meditation or other background to participate and benefit.
About the teacher: Miles brings a decade of intensive study (over 10,000 hours) in a range of mind-body disciplines to bear on his work as a meditation teacher and therapist. He leads meditation retreats and programs, coaches individuals one-on-one, is a core member of a team building a meditation app (Madrona Meditation), and is the co-founder of Dharma Gates (a non-profit that connects young people to meditation practice). Much of his training was with Buddhist teachers including two years of solitary retreat (under the guidance of B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D. and Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D.), and three years at various monasteries and practice centers in the United States and Asia. Miles also completed a 1,600 hour Am.SAT Alexander Technique teacher training and is certified to teach Emory’s Cognitively Based Compassion Training course (CBCT), and Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Training course (CCT). Miles earned a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Social Work at Columbia University. His work sits at the intersection of meditation, trauma, Buddhism, psychedelics, and positive psychology.
We are asking for a donation of $250 for this course. Usually CBCT is more expensive, and Miles has generously offered it to us at reduced cost. The donation will be shared by Miles and Buddhism & Mindfulness at All Souls. That said, no-one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Your motivation to do the course is what matters most. Class size is limited. To register, email Rebecca Izuchukwu at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org.
Discussion with Rev. Barbara Becker
Sunday, April 7 at 1:15-2:15pm in the Ware Room
Join Rev. Barbara Becker, author of Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind, as we reflect upon our lives, our mortality, and the things that matter most. We promise a thought-provoking exercise... a memento mori for the modern age. No need to register, just show up!
Introduction to Zen Meditation with Laura Cohen
Sunday, April 14 at 2pm in the Ware Room
Interested in trying meditation, or in establishing a regular practice? Looking to calm a busy mind? Come and learn the basics of Zen meditation. The hour-long session will include sitting meditation and walking meditation, as well as a chance to ask questions. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
Laura Cohen is a student at Union Theological Seminary studying Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement. She practices Zen Buddhism and has recently been exploring the vocation of chaplaincy. She is excited to be here at All Souls this year serving the Buddhism and Mindfulness community.
Exploration of Prayer with Emma Markham
Wednesdays, April 17, 24, and May 1 6-7pm in the Ware Room
In this three-week series we will explore prayer from Christian, Jewish and Buddhist traditions, and how we can find inspiration from these ancient contemplative traditions to help enrich our personal spiritual practices. You are invited to bring your personal background with prayer, as well as your questions and curiosities about what prayer can mean for you to these gatherings where we will learn about, discuss, practice, and create prayer together. This class is free but class size is limited, please register with Rebecca at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org.
Finding Courage Within When It’s Most Needed: A Buddhist & Psychotherapeutic Exploration
With Dr. Pilar Jennings & Jon Aaron
Saturday, April 20 at 10am - 3pm in the Ware Room
This in-person retreat with Dr. Pilar Jennings and Jon Aaron will explore our shared need for inner strength and courage when facing personal and collective hardships. In Buddhist psychology it is suggested that the mind is equipped with all needed resources for navigating our most arduous challenges. The psychotherapeutic tradition has offered a similar insight – that when we utilize the minds deepest intelligence to turn toward inner and societal truths, we can find our way to a place of well-being. In this retreat we’ll examine the healing methods offered in these traditions for building courage and emotional receptivity when facing difficulties. Together, we will contemplate our many internal gifts needed for resilience and determination as we move through this complex time. With periods of meditation, conversation, chanting, and reflection, we will enjoy a day of connection and practice. We sit in chairs, no prior experience with Buddhism or meditation is necessary--all are welcome.
In order to support Pilar and All Souls, we are requesting an offering of $150 for this retreat. Need based scholarships are available. We encourage those who are financially comfortable to contribute any amount above $150. To request a scholarship, please send an email to Pamela with the amount you are able to contribute. We try to offer as many programs as we can for free, and we appreciate your understanding in making an offering for this program and some others.
There will be two 15 minute breaks plus an hour break for lunch.
Please email Rebecca at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org to register.
Pilar is a psychoanalyst in private practice with a focus on the clinical applications of Buddhist meditation. She has been working with patients and their families through the Harlem Family Institute since 2004. She is a Visiting Lecturer at Union Theological Seminary, a guest lecturer at Columbia University, and a faculty member of the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science. In our Buddhism & Mindfulness program, she has taught several short courses, including “Working with Difficult Emotions – A Buddhist and Psychotherapeutic Approach,” which explored a range of emotions from a spiritual and clinical perspective. More recently she taught “How To Be in Relationship.” Her website is drpilarjennings.com.
Jon Aaron’s Dharma home is New York Insight Meditation Center, where he teaches Buddhism and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. He is also the co-guiding teacher of the Makom Havurah at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. His training has been mainly grounded in the Theravāda tradition, in addition to non-dual and Mahayana approaches. His teacher is Matthew Flickstein. More recently he has been training with Kittisaro and Thanissara. Jon also studied contemplative care at the Zen Center for Contemplative Care and completed the Integrated Study and Practice program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Jon Aaron has taught more than 100 cycles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and is a Certified MBSR Teacher Trainer. As a Somatic Experience Practitioner®, he has a particular interest in somatic approaches and healing trauma. You can find Jon in weekly conversation with his friend Doug Smith over on the Diggin the Dharma podcast. JonAaron.net, Space2Meditate.com
Please email Rebecca at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org to register.
Flourishing with Shelley Tupper
Sundays, March 17th, and 24th at 10am in the Ware Room
We are excited to announce our upcoming four-week series on Flourishing, designed to help you unleash your full potential and achieve greater personal growth. Through a collaborative and practical approach, our experienced facilitator, Shelley Tupper will guide you through a journey of self-discovery and development, helping you identify your strengths, values, and goals. If you attend one or all, you are bound to walk away with new tools to support you in all aspects of your life.
Shelley Tupper is a Certified Coach, a Practitioner in Positive Psychology, and a Resilience Trainer.
Active Hope for the Climate Crisis with Laura Cohen
Sunday, March 17th, 24th at 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM in The Ware Room
In this three-week program we will work with eco-activist and scholar Joanna Macy's book Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience & Creative Power in order to give space to our emotions around the climate crisis together, develop tools for expanding our capacities to hold these difficult feelings, and channel them into action for the benefit of all beings. Reading sections of the book before each session is optional and encouraged. Each week will involve an overview of the chapters, pair or small group work, and discussion.
Eight Fridays 10am - Noon on Zoom
March 22nd, 29th, April 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th, May 3rd, 10th
Cognitively-Based Compassion Training with Miles Bukiet
on Zoom
Are you a compassionate person?
How do you know you are?
Are you aware of how you behave when you’re feeling compassion?
Are those behaviors interpreted the way you want them to be by others?
How can we strengthen our compassion for self and others, even others who may be adversaries?
Compassion includes at least two key components: recognition of suffering and a motivation to help. This requires we have affection for others and an awareness of their distress. We desire that someone be free from suffering. Our compassion has an affective or feeling component and a cognitive component that includes the awareness of others’ difficulties. Research with CBCT shows that compassion can improve our affect, alleviate stress, decrease depression, and increase self-acceptance. Biologically, compassion is linked to lower cortisol levels and reduced inflammation processes in the body. It has helped cancer patients experience less fear and more hope.
Please join Miles Bukiet for this 8-week CBCT course. Classes are highly interactive and include background on research along with meditations. (For a taste of CBCT check out Emory University’s Compassion Shift page.) CBCT® practices are secular and accessible to all–you do not need prior meditation or other background to participate and benefit.
About the teacher: Miles brings a decade of intensive study (over 10,000 hours) in a range of mind-body disciplines to bear on his work as a meditation teacher and therapist. He leads meditation retreats and programs, coaches individuals one-on-one, is a core member of a team building a meditation app (Madrona Meditation), and is the co-founder of Dharma Gates (a non-profit that connects young people to meditation practice). Much of his training was with Buddhist teachers including two years of solitary retreat (under the guidance of B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D. and Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D.), and three years at various monasteries and practice centers in the United States and Asia. Miles also completed a 1,600 hour Am.SAT Alexander Technique teacher training and is certified to teach Emory’s Cognitively Based Compassion Training course (CBCT), and Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Training course (CCT). Miles earned a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Social Work at Columbia University. His work sits at the intersection of meditation, trauma, Buddhism, psychedelics, and positive psychology.
We are asking for a donation of $250 for this course. Usually CBCT is more expensive, and Miles has generously offered it to us at reduced cost. The donation will be shared by Miles and Buddhism & Mindfulness at All Souls. That said, no-one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Your motivation to do the course is what matters most. Class size is limited. To register, email Rebecca Izuchukwu at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org.
Discussion with Rev. Barbara Becker
Sunday, April 7 at 1:15-2:15pm in the Ware Room
Join Rev. Barbara Becker, author of Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind, as we reflect upon our lives, our mortality, and the things that matter most. We promise a thought-provoking exercise... a memento mori for the modern age. No need to register, just show up!
Introduction to Zen Meditation with Laura Cohen
Sunday, April 14 at 2pm in the Ware Room
Interested in trying meditation, or in establishing a regular practice? Looking to calm a busy mind? Come and learn the basics of Zen meditation. The hour-long session will include sitting meditation and walking meditation, as well as a chance to ask questions. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
Laura Cohen is a student at Union Theological Seminary studying Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement. She practices Zen Buddhism and has recently been exploring the vocation of chaplaincy. She is excited to be here at All Souls this year serving the Buddhism and Mindfulness community.
Exploration of Prayer with Emma Markham
Wednesdays, April 17, 24, and May 1 6-7pm in the Ware Room
In this three-week series we will explore prayer from Christian, Jewish and Buddhist traditions, and how we can find inspiration from these ancient contemplative traditions to help enrich our personal spiritual practices. You are invited to bring your personal background with prayer, as well as your questions and curiosities about what prayer can mean for you to these gatherings where we will learn about, discuss, practice, and create prayer together. This class is free but class size is limited, please register with Rebecca at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org.
Finding Courage Within When It’s Most Needed: A Buddhist & Psychotherapeutic Exploration
With Dr. Pilar Jennings & Jon Aaron
Saturday, April 20 at 10am - 3pm in the Ware Room
This in-person retreat with Dr. Pilar Jennings and Jon Aaron will explore our shared need for inner strength and courage when facing personal and collective hardships. In Buddhist psychology it is suggested that the mind is equipped with all needed resources for navigating our most arduous challenges. The psychotherapeutic tradition has offered a similar insight – that when we utilize the minds deepest intelligence to turn toward inner and societal truths, we can find our way to a place of well-being. In this retreat we’ll examine the healing methods offered in these traditions for building courage and emotional receptivity when facing difficulties. Together, we will contemplate our many internal gifts needed for resilience and determination as we move through this complex time. With periods of meditation, conversation, chanting, and reflection, we will enjoy a day of connection and practice. We sit in chairs, no prior experience with Buddhism or meditation is necessary--all are welcome.
In order to support Pilar and All Souls, we are requesting an offering of $150 for this retreat. Need based scholarships are available. We encourage those who are financially comfortable to contribute any amount above $150. To request a scholarship, please send an email to Pamela with the amount you are able to contribute. We try to offer as many programs as we can for free, and we appreciate your understanding in making an offering for this program and some others.
There will be two 15 minute breaks plus an hour break for lunch.
Please email Rebecca at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org to register.
Pilar is a psychoanalyst in private practice with a focus on the clinical applications of Buddhist meditation. She has been working with patients and their families through the Harlem Family Institute since 2004. She is a Visiting Lecturer at Union Theological Seminary, a guest lecturer at Columbia University, and a faculty member of the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science. In our Buddhism & Mindfulness program, she has taught several short courses, including “Working with Difficult Emotions – A Buddhist and Psychotherapeutic Approach,” which explored a range of emotions from a spiritual and clinical perspective. More recently she taught “How To Be in Relationship.” Her website is drpilarjennings.com.
Jon Aaron’s Dharma home is New York Insight Meditation Center, where he teaches Buddhism and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. He is also the co-guiding teacher of the Makom Havurah at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. His training has been mainly grounded in the Theravāda tradition, in addition to non-dual and Mahayana approaches. His teacher is Matthew Flickstein. More recently he has been training with Kittisaro and Thanissara. Jon also studied contemplative care at the Zen Center for Contemplative Care and completed the Integrated Study and Practice program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Jon Aaron has taught more than 100 cycles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and is a Certified MBSR Teacher Trainer. As a Somatic Experience Practitioner®, he has a particular interest in somatic approaches and healing trauma. You can find Jon in weekly conversation with his friend Doug Smith over on the Diggin the Dharma podcast. JonAaron.net, Space2Meditate.com
Please email Rebecca at rebecca@allsoulsnyc.org to register.
Some of what we've done in the past...stay tuned for returning events!
Mindfulness Meditation with Mary Jo Meadow
Join Mary Jo Meadow for a five class series on mindfulness meditation. The Theravada is the oldest existing school of Buddhism. Its mindfulness meditation, like other Buddhist methods, leads to deep spiritual realization and to understanding of one's own being. One meditator said that it gives you your owner's manual for yourself. It is especially helpful for people who have trouble developing concentration (an obedient mind that pays attention to what it is told to attend) since its noting method provides "hooks" for attentiveness. Programs dealing with pain, stress, addictions and other unwanted impulses, problem emotions, and problem thinking have been developed from this method. Since the teaching is cumulative, attendance at all five sessions is encouraged.
Mary Jo Meadow is professor emerita of psychology and religious studies from Minnesota State University at Mankato. She has been teaching mindfulness in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia since 1987. She reared eight children. She has 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She now lives in Minnesota with two beloved cats. With thanks to Mary Jo who has kindly offered this class to our community as a gift.
Date with Death Club with Cherie Henderson and Pamela
Created by Karen G. Johnston, MSW, M.Div, DwDC explores mortality in community. DwDC is an opportunity to learn, share, and deepen your own understanding of what death means to you and how you want to approach death -- particularly your own. Informed by spiritual sensibilities, but no specific religious dogma, DwDC just may be for you. Designed as a multi-session learning experience, DwDC participants can attend one, many, or all of the offered sessions. DwDC is not a bereavement or grief support group. While it may be healing of the human condition, the nature of the DwDC is not specifically therapeutic.
Buddhism in a Nutshell with Richard Einhorn and Pamela
Are you curious about Buddhism? Would you like to find out more without any long-term commitment? If so, this five-session course is for you! Buddhism in a Nutshell is a great opportunity to get an overview of basic Buddhist philosophy and principles and learn how to integrate them into your life. Join us for a refreshing overview of Buddhist practice. In addition to readings and discussion, you will receive simple meditation instruction to bring this time-tested philosophy from the head to the heart. All are welcome!
It will be most beneficial if you can attend the whole series but you can also register for individual stand-alone sessions if you prefer.
This course is offered through our partner dharma center, Shantideva Center. Donations are requested, and they are shared by Shantideva Center and All Souls. That said, no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Your motivation to do the course is what matters most. Learn more and register here: https://shantidevanyc.org/programs/study/bin/
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Ananta
MBSR helps participants relate differently to the stresses in their lives and offers the opportunity to cultivate resilience and emotional intelligence. It supports mental wellbeing and many faith-specific contemplative practices. This transformative course is suited for those coming to meditation for the first time or for experienced meditators / contemplatives who would like support in integrating these practices more fully into their lives.
Ananta is a certified MBSR teacher by the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, an ordained Buddhist and a Fellow of the Interfaith Center of New York. He has decades of meditation practice and study experience, as well as leading various cycles of the seminal MBSR curriculum to faith practitioners and the wider public.
Cognitively-Based Compassion Training with Ellen Mendlow and Marshall Kupka-Moore
CBCT® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training). CBCT® is a system of contemplative exercises designed to strengthen and sustain compassion which was developed by Lobsang Tenzin Negi, PhD, Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University.
During the program, we will practice attentional stability, self-compassion and emotional awareness, as well as exercises and reflections to better understand our relationship with self and others. Through engaging with these practices-–derived from Tibetan Buddhist traditions and grounded in extensive research– informed compassion can become a spontaneous response that permeates our lives.
CBCT® attendees receive weekly teachings, an in-depth CBCT® guide, and access to guided meditations via the CBCT® app. Classes are highly interactive and include background on research along with meditations. (For a taste of CBCT® check out Emory University’s Compassion Shift page.) CBCT® practices are secular and accessible to all–you do not need prior meditation or other background to participate and benefit.
CBCT® teachers:
Ellen Mendlow regularly attends our Buddhism & Mindfulness programs. She has practiced Buddhism for over a decade, recently with Sravasti Abbey and Shantideva Center. She is a meditation leader and certified yoga teacher and is thrilled to share her passion for combining contemplative practice and mind-body science with a broad audience.
Marshall Kupka-Moore has been meditating his entire adult life and has a passion for sharing peace and wellness with people wherever he goes. He is a 200-hour certified Vinyasa yoga teacher and has taken multiple trips to India, met the Dalai Lama, lived with and learned from monks, and advised Emory University students exploring the intersection of Buddhism and mind-body sciences. Currently, Marshall is the CEO of Source Wellness and co-founder of the Bed-Stuy Art Residency.
The Skillful Means and Perfections When We Need Them Most with Pilar Jennings
In Buddhist teachings, the Skillful Means (upaya) are a colorful invitation for teachers to reflect on how best to offer the healing methods and insights in the Buddhist tradition given the needs of a particular group. In this six-class series, we will explore what it means to practice the Buddhist ethics of loving-kindness and compassion during times of acute duress. We will consider the ways in which we might best practice this tradition in a world informed by social media, polarization, and the ripple effects of a pandemic. As a template for this conversation, we’ll reflect on the six Paramitas (perfections), those qualities thought to nurture a clear mind and open heart, as we think through how to develop these qualities as we navigate the continued challenges of our time.
Each session includes a dharma talk, a brief meditation, and time for questions.
No prior experience with Buddhism is necessary. All are welcome!
Invitation to Meditation with Emma Markham
COMING SOON
Buddhism & Mindfulness presents a six-part class with Emma Markham. Many people feel confident they’ll benefit from meditation, but they feel unsure about how to start, re-start or sustain a practice that suits them. Through engaging in meditation practice in community, supporting one another in contemplative exploration, and guidance from various spiritual teachings, we aim to deepen our personal meditation practices. If you are curious about meditation or you’d like some support in your practice,
Emma Markham is currently a Master of Divinity in Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement candidate at Union Theological Seminary. She has been practicing Tibetan Buddhism since 2013 and has held a daily meditation practice since she was a teenager. She has led meditation groups at the Church Center for the UN, NY State Mentoring, and other organizations since 2019. Emma is a classical guitarist and worked in nonprofit operations before returning to school to pursue Buddhist chaplaincy.
Join Mary Jo Meadow for a five class series on mindfulness meditation. The Theravada is the oldest existing school of Buddhism. Its mindfulness meditation, like other Buddhist methods, leads to deep spiritual realization and to understanding of one's own being. One meditator said that it gives you your owner's manual for yourself. It is especially helpful for people who have trouble developing concentration (an obedient mind that pays attention to what it is told to attend) since its noting method provides "hooks" for attentiveness. Programs dealing with pain, stress, addictions and other unwanted impulses, problem emotions, and problem thinking have been developed from this method. Since the teaching is cumulative, attendance at all five sessions is encouraged.
Mary Jo Meadow is professor emerita of psychology and religious studies from Minnesota State University at Mankato. She has been teaching mindfulness in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia since 1987. She reared eight children. She has 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She now lives in Minnesota with two beloved cats. With thanks to Mary Jo who has kindly offered this class to our community as a gift.
Date with Death Club with Cherie Henderson and Pamela
Created by Karen G. Johnston, MSW, M.Div, DwDC explores mortality in community. DwDC is an opportunity to learn, share, and deepen your own understanding of what death means to you and how you want to approach death -- particularly your own. Informed by spiritual sensibilities, but no specific religious dogma, DwDC just may be for you. Designed as a multi-session learning experience, DwDC participants can attend one, many, or all of the offered sessions. DwDC is not a bereavement or grief support group. While it may be healing of the human condition, the nature of the DwDC is not specifically therapeutic.
Buddhism in a Nutshell with Richard Einhorn and Pamela
Are you curious about Buddhism? Would you like to find out more without any long-term commitment? If so, this five-session course is for you! Buddhism in a Nutshell is a great opportunity to get an overview of basic Buddhist philosophy and principles and learn how to integrate them into your life. Join us for a refreshing overview of Buddhist practice. In addition to readings and discussion, you will receive simple meditation instruction to bring this time-tested philosophy from the head to the heart. All are welcome!
It will be most beneficial if you can attend the whole series but you can also register for individual stand-alone sessions if you prefer.
This course is offered through our partner dharma center, Shantideva Center. Donations are requested, and they are shared by Shantideva Center and All Souls. That said, no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Your motivation to do the course is what matters most. Learn more and register here: https://shantidevanyc.org/programs/study/bin/
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Ananta
MBSR helps participants relate differently to the stresses in their lives and offers the opportunity to cultivate resilience and emotional intelligence. It supports mental wellbeing and many faith-specific contemplative practices. This transformative course is suited for those coming to meditation for the first time or for experienced meditators / contemplatives who would like support in integrating these practices more fully into their lives.
Ananta is a certified MBSR teacher by the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, an ordained Buddhist and a Fellow of the Interfaith Center of New York. He has decades of meditation practice and study experience, as well as leading various cycles of the seminal MBSR curriculum to faith practitioners and the wider public.
Cognitively-Based Compassion Training with Ellen Mendlow and Marshall Kupka-Moore
CBCT® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training). CBCT® is a system of contemplative exercises designed to strengthen and sustain compassion which was developed by Lobsang Tenzin Negi, PhD, Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University.
During the program, we will practice attentional stability, self-compassion and emotional awareness, as well as exercises and reflections to better understand our relationship with self and others. Through engaging with these practices-–derived from Tibetan Buddhist traditions and grounded in extensive research– informed compassion can become a spontaneous response that permeates our lives.
CBCT® attendees receive weekly teachings, an in-depth CBCT® guide, and access to guided meditations via the CBCT® app. Classes are highly interactive and include background on research along with meditations. (For a taste of CBCT® check out Emory University’s Compassion Shift page.) CBCT® practices are secular and accessible to all–you do not need prior meditation or other background to participate and benefit.
CBCT® teachers:
Ellen Mendlow regularly attends our Buddhism & Mindfulness programs. She has practiced Buddhism for over a decade, recently with Sravasti Abbey and Shantideva Center. She is a meditation leader and certified yoga teacher and is thrilled to share her passion for combining contemplative practice and mind-body science with a broad audience.
Marshall Kupka-Moore has been meditating his entire adult life and has a passion for sharing peace and wellness with people wherever he goes. He is a 200-hour certified Vinyasa yoga teacher and has taken multiple trips to India, met the Dalai Lama, lived with and learned from monks, and advised Emory University students exploring the intersection of Buddhism and mind-body sciences. Currently, Marshall is the CEO of Source Wellness and co-founder of the Bed-Stuy Art Residency.
The Skillful Means and Perfections When We Need Them Most with Pilar Jennings
In Buddhist teachings, the Skillful Means (upaya) are a colorful invitation for teachers to reflect on how best to offer the healing methods and insights in the Buddhist tradition given the needs of a particular group. In this six-class series, we will explore what it means to practice the Buddhist ethics of loving-kindness and compassion during times of acute duress. We will consider the ways in which we might best practice this tradition in a world informed by social media, polarization, and the ripple effects of a pandemic. As a template for this conversation, we’ll reflect on the six Paramitas (perfections), those qualities thought to nurture a clear mind and open heart, as we think through how to develop these qualities as we navigate the continued challenges of our time.
Each session includes a dharma talk, a brief meditation, and time for questions.
No prior experience with Buddhism is necessary. All are welcome!
Invitation to Meditation with Emma Markham
COMING SOON
Buddhism & Mindfulness presents a six-part class with Emma Markham. Many people feel confident they’ll benefit from meditation, but they feel unsure about how to start, re-start or sustain a practice that suits them. Through engaging in meditation practice in community, supporting one another in contemplative exploration, and guidance from various spiritual teachings, we aim to deepen our personal meditation practices. If you are curious about meditation or you’d like some support in your practice,
Emma Markham is currently a Master of Divinity in Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement candidate at Union Theological Seminary. She has been practicing Tibetan Buddhism since 2013 and has held a daily meditation practice since she was a teenager. She has led meditation groups at the Church Center for the UN, NY State Mentoring, and other organizations since 2019. Emma is a classical guitarist and worked in nonprofit operations before returning to school to pursue Buddhist chaplaincy.
Events hosted by Shantideva Center
Our Dharma partner, Shantideva Center, offers Dharma courses, teachings and retreats, meditation for every level of practice from complete beginners to advanced practitioners, and courses for wellness and mindful living. Click here to go to the Shantideva Center calendar of events.
Other Events beyond All Souls
The Buddhism & Mindfulness mailings include suggestions for events happening beyond All Souls. You can subscribe to our mailing list here.