Opening Our Heart When Things Fall Apart

Susan Chapman leads a one-day in-person retreat as a foundation for study in the Pema Chodron Contemplative Community.  Pema has often expressed her wish that people not only read her books but also meditate. This retreat is an opportunity to establish a foundation of meditation prior to a 5-week online course, led by Susan, devoted to Pema’s “How We Live is How We Die”.

Susan has been plumbing the wisdom of birth and death all  her life, but especially since encountering her own life-threatening illness a few years ago.

Join Pema and Susan in exploring this rich and challenging subject of endings and beginnings.

The One-Day Retreat:
Sunday, February 18, Susan will lead this meditation retreat at the Vancouver Shambhala Centre  in recognition of Pema’s desire that we not simply read her books, but also practice sitting.  

This retreat is offered as a foundation for the following course:

The  (optional) Course “How We Live is How We Die” :
A five-week online course led by Susan and devoted to  Pema Chodron’s “How We Live is How We  die” Five Monday evenings, Feb 26 – Mar. 25 (the Zoom link will be provided to participants before the course.)

suggested donation: $100
for more information on the course: https://vancouver.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=695440

Susan Chapman has been a student of Shambhala since 1974, when she met her teacher, Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche. She has an MA in Buddhist and Western Psychology from Naropa University and is a retired family therapist. She spent nine years at Gampo Abbey, mentoring with Pema Chodron, and remains a student of Pema’s to this day. In 2008 she moved Burnaby, where she lives with her husband, Jerry, and their cat, Ziji.  In 2020 she retired from her role as an acharya and as faculty for Karuna Training after being diagnosed with breast cancer.   Her first book, The Five Keys to Mindful Communication, was published in 2012. Her new book, Which Way is Up? will be published in 2024.