“Generally speaking, we regard discomfort in any form as bad news. But for practitioners or spiritual warriors – people who have a certain hunger to know what is true – 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.” Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart, 2016, p.13.
This new course is an invitation to gently expand our capacity to work with fear. We will explore how to carefully come to the edge of what is familiar and comfortable, because it is precisely at that boundary that the deeply conditioned pattern of fear begins to emerge. Right there is the place to practice – to slowly train ourselves to open to the truth of those moments and learn.
We will begin by learning how to see and listen to our fears. By doing so, we will develop our capacity to acknowledge and distinguish between types of fear – from physical fear, including pain and discomfort, to emotional fear, including feelings such as unworthiness, abandonment, exclusion, and hatred. And from there, we will explore specific practices to work with fear. Yet, from the very beginning, having the mere intention of facing what is difficult is already an act of compassion. Through this practice, we will develop great strength and equanimity of heart/mind.
The class will meet weekly for 90 minutes. Each session will include a guided meditation, a brief reflection on the theme of the day, working in small groups, and being in the presence of one another. Ultimately, the goal is to create a community in which everyone feels embraced and supported by the collective energy generated by the practice.
Facilitator: Valeria Galetto
Duration: Eight weeks. The course begins on Tuesday, April 20th, and ends on Tuesday, June 8th, 2021.*
When: Tuesdays from 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm PST.
Where: Online, live via Zoom.
Cost: By donation.
*Duration: this is an eight week course. However, if the group is interested, there is the possibility to extend it.
To register or for more information, please contact inf.samma.sati@gmail.com
Samma Sati 