Rebecca led Day-long Retreat in Newark on Feb. 23, 2020

On February 23, Rebecca led a Daylong Retreat at Newark Center for Meditation Culture with the assistance of Kathryn Davis and Leslie.  It was the first retreat held at NCMC’s new home at 2 Park Place, a lovely space for the growing sangha.  The day’s program included sitting and walking meditation, yoga led by Leslie, and a beautiful qigong sequence led by Kathryn.  Rebecca also explained the practice of eating meditation over lunch and offered private interviews for several participants.  The retreat organizer invited Rebecca to integrate her sociological expertise into the discussion.  She spoke about group dynamics that cause suffering in her Dharma talk “Community-building with Clarity and Compassion”.  With conceptual understanding of these dynamics, she explained how we can cultivate clear awareness of these unhelpful habits by Chan practice so as not to contribute to these dynamics.  She also pointed out ways to build more enduring ties in group life that does not require perpetuating the usual dynamics deployed by groups.  Retreat participants shared their experience and reflected on how they could apply the sociological insight and practice in their life at work and spiritual community.  At the end of the retreat, many participants shared how they planned to bring various aspects of the practice home to be integrated into their daily life.  (Photo by NCMC)