Classes & Retreats
The Heart of Who We Are
A Half-Day Retreat with Caverly Morgan
Saturday, April 5, 2025
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
$70 Suggested Donation
No one turned away for lack of funds
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HELD IN PERSON AND ONLINE VIA ZOOM
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Join us for The Heart of Who We Are, a retreat with Caverly Morgan exploring transformation, the power of community, and the remembrance of our true nature.
Drawing from her book* of the same name, Caverly will guide us through powerful reflections that support moving beyond the witness in our meditation practice. This movement further enhances our capacity to navigate loss, be resourced for the times we are in, and act in the world on behalf of who we truly are.
*Copies of Caverly's book will be available for purchase on Saturday and Sunday.
More details about the theme of our time together—an excerpt from The Heart of Who We Are:
“For many of us on a journey of liberation, we get stuck at the point in practice where we feel ourselves to be a witness observing objects, separate from them.
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When stuck in such a place, it can be easy to fall for negative self-talk, like “I am seeing all these thoughts arise in meditation. If only I could clear my mind, I would be at peace. I must keep practicing.” We become identified with seeing ourselves as the witness, the subject, with thoughts as the object, and in this process, we become the “I” who strives in practice.
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Most of us spend our whole day moving through the world experiencing life through the lens of I, me, mine in relation to what is “out there.” Subject-object. In spiritual practice, this process of othering internally often simply becomes a more subtle subject-object relationship. (How you do anything is how you do everything.) “I” notice these thoughts. “I” try to clear the mind. “I” had a bad meditation today because the mind was busy. “I” long for enlightenment.
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Within this phase of practice, we are not truly free. We might be better at responding versus reacting, we might have less suffering in our lives than we used to, we might have increased our concentration skills, but we are not truly free.
It is ego’s ultimate disappointment that there is no such thing as enlightened ego.
In this created story of separation, we also are prone to hover above our experience, witnessing it rather than fully embodying it. We step outside experience, albeit in a subtle way. (More on the problematic nature of this kind of disembodiment in the next chapter.)
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From this perspective, even focusing on the breath can create a subtle subject-object relationship. The witness, the subject, “I” am focusing on the breath, or sounds, or sensation (objects). This lens maintains relationship.
Truth is revealed in the collapse of all relationship.
It is the shining of the unity of oneness.
Liberation is not only the recognition of this oneness—
it is the realization that we are this.”
During our day of practice, the exploration of this theme will happen within the transformative container of Relational Dharma. (More about Relational Dharma can be found here: What is Relational Dharma? — Caverly Morgan).
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Join us for a day of being nourished by community, nourished by practice, and nourished by the heart of who we are.
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All welcome. No prior experience required.
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Heart Cultivation & The Brahmaviharas
The Four Faces of Love
with Douglas Pullin
Five Wednesdays, Beginning April 23
4/23 — 5/21
5:15 pm – 6:45 pm
$145 Suggested Donation
No one turned away for lack of funds
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HELD IN PERSON AND ONLINE VIA ZOOM
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This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness and who knows the path of peace...
—The Metta Sutta
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Deepen your experience of love, compassion, joy and peace.
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In a supportive space in person or online (on Zoom), focus on the cultivation of the qualities of mind and heart that are referred to as the Divine (or Sublime) abidings (or modes of conduct). They are also known as the Brahmaviharas (Brahma + viharas). They are described as the "four illimitables" (appamannya) in that they have no bounds.
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Through a variety of concentration meditation practices and skillful intention we can cultivate our inherent capacity for calming, stilling, and healing our state of mind and body. As we cultivate these limitless qualities of loving goodwill, compassion, joy, and equanimity, we can harvest true happiness, spiritual strength, and insight. These practices are considered complementary to insight meditation.
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Each class will focus on one of the four Brahmaviharas with the final class being an opportunity to practice integration into daily life. The format for classes includes a Dharma talk, guided meditation, discussion, interactive exercises and take home practices. This class is open to both new and more experienced students. It is also a good companion to the Basics of Mindfulness class.
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BOOK FOR CLASS: The Four Sublime States by Nyanaponika Thera
Also available on Amazon​​​
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Qigong and Mindful Movement
with Jim Dalton
Six Mondays
3/3, 3/10, 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/14 [No Class March 17]
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Held In-Person at PIMC
Drop-ins also welcome!​
$150 Suggested Donation
No one turned away for lack of funds
HELD IN PERSON at PIMC​
Portland Insight Meditation Center 6536 SE Duke Street Portland, OR 97206
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This 6 class series by Jim Dalton will focus on QiGong as an intricate network of energy pathways, exploring more of the Taoist traditions of Shibashi, 8 pieces of brocade and the Five Elements.
Given the pace of change in our city, our nation, and the world, the need for healing and reconnecting with friends is greater than ever. Practicing QiGong as a group is an effective medicine for our modern planetary crisis. No previous experience is required, and the benefits are many-layered. Register for the class today.
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