Living from the Heart

Living from the Heart is a six-session, online workshop offering an introduction to the teachings and practices of Lojong. This mind training discipline comes from Tibetan Buddhism and is presented through a set of 59 slogans or one-line teachings.

This offering is based on a reorganized presentation of the Lojong wisdom centered on one of these slogans: Train in the three difficulties. This teaching invites us to recognize our habitual patterns, try something different, and then make this a way of life.

The source material for the workshop appears on this website.

Overview

We offer an embodied and interactive learning and practice experience grounded in personal reflection, small and large group dialogue and shared practices as vehicles for learning. Together we make interdependence visible, because everyone in the group is a source of wisdom and experience for the whole group. Your companion and guide on this journey of practice and discovery is Gregory Rouillard, an experienced Mindfulness Instructor trained at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

We welcome everyone to join this offering, regardless of meditation experience or personal faith tradition. We do ask that you commit to doing your best to attend all six sessions. We believe that full participation is essential to the experience of meaningful learning and contributes to establishing a container of safety, trust and respect for the group. Participation is limited to 12 people to enhance the quality of interaction and learning within the group. Please register by submitting the form displayed at the bottom of this page.

Cost

We offer this workshop without a set cost, in the spirit of generosity and as a contribution to the benefit of all beings. We gratefully welcome financial contributions offered in the same spirit. There is no minimum contribution required to participate.

During registration, you will be asked to select an amount ($/€) that you can imagine easily and joyfully contributing as part of your participation. Answering this question is not a commitment to pay a specific amount. We invite you to view this question as an opportunity for you to reflect on the perceived value of this offering in financial terms. At some point during the workshop we will take time to reflect on this topic together.

Schedule

The workshop begins on Thursday, January 23. There are six two-hour sessions, every Thursday through February 27. The sessions run from 6 – 8 PM Central European Time (12 – 2 PM US Eastern Time). Here is an overview of the session dates and themes:

    • Jan 23: Introduction to Lojong; the First Point of Mind Training
    • Jan 30: The Second Point of Mind Training
    • Feb 6: The Third Point of Mind Training; the First Difficulty
    • Feb 13: The Second Difficulty
    • Feb 20: The Third Difficulty
    • Feb 27: The Fourth Point of Mind Training; workshop wrap-up

Session Structure

Each session follows the same basic structure:

    • First, we begin with a brief check-in and then practice mindfulness meditation together.
    • Next, we engage in small and large group dialogue to explore the Lojong slogans related to the session’s theme. After a short break, we introduce a new practice to help ground these teachings in lived experience.
    • Finally, we harvest the experience of the whole session before closing.

Mindfulness Instruction / Coaching

As an additional resource for workshop participants, Gregory will offer optional small group and individual sessions during the six weeks of the workshop.

    • The small group session (60 – 90 minutes) offers an opportunity for three or four participants to practice together, learn together and bring their inquiry and insight to each other.
    • The individual session (30 – 60 minutes) provides an opportunity for one-on-one dialogue, meditation instruction and Q&A.

Questions?

If you have questions about the workshop, please use the “Find Us” information shown in the footer to reach out to Gregory.

Registration

Please fill out the following form in order to register for this workshop.

Image Credits

    • Banner: Sky and clouds, Plaka Beach, Pelion, Greece.
    • Top: Buddha in the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, Drala Mountain Center, Colorado, USA.
    • Middle: Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, Drala Mountain Center, Colorado, USA.
    • Bottom: Prayer flags and lighthouse at Cape Tainaro, Mani, Greece.