Classes/Workshops
OPEN HOUSE AT SONOMA VALLEY ADULT SCHOOL
WILL BE SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2010, 12 TO 2 PM
COME MEET & CHAT WITH ME AND OTHER TEACHERS
ABOUT
THE CLASSES OFFERED
(THE
CLASS CATALOG IS HERE)
Dharma
Group: Those with some experience in meditation
are invited for weekly sessions which will include showing of a video having
relevance to the Buddha's teaching (30 min), followed by discussion and sharing
of personal insights, then a 20 minute meditation. Videos will be of Buddhist
teachers of various schools, shedding light on meditation practice, ethics and
philosophy. (For meditation instruction see 8-week class below.
¨Wednesdays
7:30 to 9pm, begun March 3, 2010 and continuing weekly at the 21st
Century Health Club building, 680 E Cotati Ave, Cotati (front entrance). This
is an ongoing group and is free, although donations will be appreciated from
those who have the means to give them.
Handling
Emotions Skillfully: This class
guides us to develop a wholesome relationship to emotions which we often regard
as disturbing. These include sadness, anger and fear and their relatives:
grief, depression, irritation, rage, hatred, envy, jealousy and anxiety. We'll
look clearly and courageously at our emotional reactions so we can fully
appreciate them and what they can teach us about ourselves and our world. Using
Buddhist and modern psychological frameworks, plus experiential exercises based
on Insight Meditation, we can come to transcend our habitual reactivity and to
choose more skillful responses to triggering situations. Class is five weeks.
¨Mondays,
7:00 to 8:30pm beginning Sept 27, 2010 at Sonoma Valley Adult School, 20000 Broadway
in Sonoma. Fee, $68, goes to the school. Register online or call
707-933-4033.
What people are saying:
”Entertaining, educational & scholarly—lots to learn” BB,
Sonoma
“I learned there are power, healing and progress in feeling
emotions that we want to avoid” CS, Rohnert Park
“Very helpful in helping me understand not only myself but
others.” SC, Sonoma
“Incredibly effective at dissecting emotions and suggesting how
to tailor responses. A must!” KM, Petaluma
Keeping
the Mind Sharp: Concerned about a declining
memory? At least half of those over 60 are. But a decline is not inevitable at
all – you can retain, even restore, youthful brain function and this class
tells you how. We’ll start by taking some tests of our memory, then go over
practical ways we can improve our brain function and ward off that impairment
that threatens to come with age. We’ll cover the benefits of physical and
social activity, healthy eating, brain/mind exercise, herbs, supplements and
drugs; consider risk factors, alcohol, the sense of smell, depression, the
importance of sleep – and more!
¨Saturday,
Oct 2, 2010, 9am to 1pm at Sonoma Valley Adult School, 20000 Broadway in
Sonoma. Fee, payable to the school, is $46. Register online or call
707-933-4033.
Meditation 101: Stressed?
Replenish your inner resources through simple, nonsectarian practices which
develop attention, calm, happiness and insight. This class progresses through 8
weekly sessions, each 75 minutes long and including a 30 minute
guided meditation, plus a talk and a discussion period. We start with
meditation on the breath (3 sessions – 2 sitting & 1 walking), then move to
Vipassana meditations: 2 on body sensations (2 sessions), 1 on
walking meditation, 1 on a free-floating attention meditation, and concluding
with a pot-luck eating meditation. (The course is approved for 10 hours
continuing education credit for nurses, by the California Board of
Registered Nursing, provider number 10585 - $5 for certificate).
¨Tuesdays,
7 to 8:15pm beginning Oct 12, 2010 at the 21st Century Health Club
building, 680 E Cotati Ave, Cotati (front entrance). Please register by
e-mailing Anu. Fee is by donation
at each session.
Promoting Positive Emotions: This class teaches you a systematic
approach to being happy. It provides inspiration to practice new mental habits,
using insights from the contemporary positive psychology movement and from the Buddha’s
teaching of 2500 years ago. Week one is on genuine happiness, week two on
gratefulness, and weeks three to six on the “Four Divine Abodes” (loving
kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity). Must be willing to do
experiential mental exercises, in and out of class; most will be forms of
meditation.
¨Mondays,
7:00 to 8:30pm beginning Nov 1, 2010 at Sonoma Valley Adult School, 20000
Broadway in Sonoma. Fee, $79, goes to the school. Register online or call
707-933-4033.
Enhancing
& Maintaining Bone Strength: Osteoporosis is a
debilitating and costly disease confronting older women and increasingly, older
men. The problem: fragile bones which are prone to break under the smallest of
stress. Hip fractures are the worst of them all, but spine fractures also
increase risk of premature death. We'll go over what bone strength is all
about, who is at risk for osteoporosis, the tests done to detect it, and what
to do to prevent or correct it. Roles of exercise regimens, food & diet
patterns, and critical individual nutrients – both to build up and to maintain
strong bones – will be presented in depth. New data on vitamins D and K will be
covered, as well as on the available drug treatments.
¨Saturday,
Nov 6, 2010 9am to 1pm at Sonoma Valley Adult School, 20000 Broadway in Sonoma.
Fee, payable to the school, is $46. Register online or call
707-933-4033.
