Intense times of war and crisis can and does often lead to intense Dukkha. But a crisis can also serve as a bedrock to spiritual breakthrough, deepening of liberating insights and openness of the heart. The Upanisa Sutta talks about the possibility of stepping out of Samsara: that Dukkha can lead to Sadha, i.e faith and trust, that pave the way to more beautiful qualities of the mind-heart, until liberation. We will explore this topic together.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of July 11, 2022
This week’s topic is Mindfulness in Daily Life. Trying to practice mindfulness in the busyness of our daily lives can leave us confused or frustrated. We know the potential benefits of such a practice, but the different pace, sensory input and constant activity make it challenging to remember to practice, let alone develop a continuous sense of presence. In this week, we explore hands-on sustainable practices with fresh perspectives, free from idealistic expectations or guilt.
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The Joy of Letting Go: Simplicity and Renunciation
Recorded :
July 6, 2025 In our consumer culture, we fall for the illusion that more choice-in things, work, people, even spiritual paths-leads to more freedom, when often the opposite is true. As Jack Kornfield says, we live “in an era of unlimited desires but limited resources, when we think it’s the opposite.” More mindful awareness of our consumption isn’t…
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Light on the path: pleasure, joy, fulfilment and free-ness.
Recorded :
September 24, 2017 Our founding and guiding teacher Martin Aylward reflects on the importance of being nourished and uplifted by our practice. He looks at the nature of happiness and our sometimes difficult relationship with pleasure; explore opening up to joy, and point to ways in which dharma practice is fulfilling and freeing.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Ulla Koenig – Week of October 4, 2021
This week’s theme is: Meeting the Bodily Companion
Mindfulness of the body is a key aspect of practice. When we’re in contact with our bodies, we root ourselves in the present moment and find refuge from obsessive thinking. These sessions serve a renewal of our relationship with our lifelong companion: the body. Movement, breathing, skilfully applied imagination, etc. will provide creative ways to deepen an embodied way of life. Everybody will be able to join in these gentle but powerful practices. Make sure you have enough space to comfortably stretch your arms to all sides and consider practicing standing or lying down during these sessions, depending on your level of energy.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Martin Aylward – Week of April 11, 2022
Daily meditations with Martin Aylward.
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Practicing Belonging in a Divisive World
Recorded :
October 20, 2024 The precepts are often shared on the first night of retreat to kind of go into a social contract of how we’re going to care for one another on retreat, while holding the nobility of silence. And out in the world, without the protection of silence and this commitment, we often forget how deeply we…
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Trusting Impermanence
Recorded :
April 16, 2023 ‘All things fall apart’ was the Buddha’s last teaching before passing away. How can we live peacefully with this universal and challenging truth? In this session, we’ll practice how attuning to change supports letting go.
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Sangha: You Are Not Alone!
Recorded :
March 16, 2025 The Buddha’s insight that all things arise dependent on something else points to a universe in ongoing relational flow. When experienced directly, we know this flow to be love. Together we will open to receive the many ways we are touched by life through our connections to each other and the Earth, our ancestors and…
Discussion