Working with Emotions – Meditation Weekend

Anger, Jealousy, Fear – sometimes it feels overwhelming when emotions rule our daily life and experience, disturbing peace and equanimity of mind. But when we learn to really work with them, instead of compulsively acting upon them, they provide the colorful energy for compassion towards ourselves and others.

Meditation points out ways to befriend our emotions on the basis of awareness as a useful resource in our daily life and on our spiritual path. Instead of rejecting our emotions as uncontrollable troublemakers, we see the potential of our relationship with them to connect us with the wisdom of our inherent nature. We can step beyond our habitual emotional patterns and realize that we don’t have to exclude any aspect of our being.

This retreat is an introduction to meditation and an opportunity to discover the energy of emotions and human realions. The weekend will include mindfulness meditation instruction, talks, meditation practice and discussion, plus time to relax, go for walks and enjoy the nature around Dechen Chöling.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.
– Pema Chödrön

Practical