Imagine how much better the world would be if only….then fill in the blank. We’re encouraged to be the change we’d like to see, but sometimes it’s hard to see how to do that. We can feel mired in a swamp of frustration and fear. That’s when it helps to remember other advice: start where you are. The best way out of the swamp and into a saner world lies in being willing to meet the world as it is and relate skillfully with whatever is happening right now. Meditation and other contemplative practices help us do this by strengthening our ability to cut through habitual patterns. Fixed ideas, denial, and confusion blind us. Connecting with our basic nature cuts through all of that so we can see clearly how to face challenges with courageous openness. Meeting the world as it is lets us relate in an authentic, dignified way with the various energies and situations that arise in us and around us. 

During this retreat, we will explore how celebrating community can strengthen our personal connection with our basic nature and invite collective wisdom and cheerfulness to emerge. The program will include a variety of contemplative practices and interactive engagement exercises. All are welcome, including those who have no previous experience with meditation.

This retreat is offered in conjunction with Applied Mindfulness Training as part of a series of quarterly, day-long retreats, with each retreat focused on a specific theme.

Carol S. Hyman has practiced and taught mindfulness and other contemplative disciplines in business, healthcare, and retreat settings for more than four decades. Focusing on taking mindfulness practice into everyday life, she is the Executive Director of the educational non-profit Applied Mindfulness Training, Inc. and author of the book Meeting Your Mind: Harnessing the World’s Greatest Resource

Chris Wenger will join Carol Hyman in leading this retreat. A meditation practitioner since 2002, he serves as a meditation instructor and teacher at the Atlanta Shambhala Center. 

The retreat is in person only.

Limited scholarships are available for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Email [email protected] for details.