WHAT IS IT?

A brand new program of meditation and mindfulness practice for the whole family! Open to all. No need to be a Zen practitioner or even Buddhist. All ages welcome!

See description below.

WHEN IS IT?

Sunday mornings from 10am to Noon

beginning July 8th, 2007

(we will not meet the following sunday July 15th because of the Tibetan retreat that will be happening at The House of One People that weekend )

We will resume on Sunday July 22

WHERE IS IT?

The Montague Farm Zendo (house of One People)

at the Maezumi Institute

177 Ripley Road

Montague, MA 01351

for directions: http://www.zenpeacemakers.org/about/directions.htm

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Starting on July 8, 2007

Each Sunday morning 10am to noon

10:00-10:15 arrive and drop kids off downstairs in the H.O.O.P. common room with the adults who will be facilitating dharma school for the morning*
10:15 Zazen (Sitting Meditation) begins upstairs in the Zendo
10:15-10:45 Zazen
10:45-10:50 Kinhin (Walking Meditation)
10:45-11:15 Zazen

10:15-10:45 Zazen
10:45-11:15 Group Counsel or Book discussion

(at the first meeting we will choose a book to read and discuss over the next month or so. Please bring any suggestions you may have. Something about practice and relationships/families would be ideal. Some suggestions already received are: Pema Chodron's Start Where You Are,

Jon Kabat-Zinn's Everyday Blessings-the inner work of mindful parenting, and Tara Brach's Radical Acceptance.)

10:15-10:45 Zazen
10:45-11:15 Dharma Talk by Sensei Eve Myonen Marko

then

11:15-12:00 Families come together downstairs in the Common Room for tea and snack, to see what the kids have been working on and to build a sense of community.

* Dharma school ( depending on the number and ages of the kids involved ) will be facilitated by myself (Anne Waters) and/or one or two other adults from the participating families on a rotational basis.

Various ideas for Dharma school are:

To begin by sitting in a circle and making sure everyone knows one another and to allow each child an opportunity to share anything they'd like about their week.
A very short meditation session
Reading of a Jataka Tale and discussion
A Dharma-related craft - http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/sumaries/activity.htm
Buddhist studies- http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/index.htm
More long-term projects such as painting a large mural, creating and performing a play based on a Jataka tale or other Buddhist story, working on community service projects
free play time for the very little ones
Snack to be provided by whichever grown-ups are helping out with the kids that week- something simple that doesn't require cooking (i.e. cheese and crackers, fruit, veggies, hummus, chips, juice, coffee, tea, muffins etc...)
Suggestions for activities are always welcome!

I'd love to hear from any families that are interested in participating, so I can get a rough idea of how many people to expect and have time to plan an activity for the kids based on ages. I may also need a few parent volunteers to help me out with the kids on the first day depending on how many there will be.

Please feel free to email me Hschooler01@hotmail.com

or call 413-367-7506 if you have any questions.

Hope to see you there!

For more info. on Zen Peacemakers, Montague Farm Zendo and the Maezumi Institute: http://www.zenpeacemakers.org/index.htm

May you be well in all ways :)

Anne Waters