Day of Mindfulness

This day of practice will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, dharma discussions, and opportunities for one-on-one discussions with the teacher.

The zendo has limited capacity so please do register in advance. The registration fee covers rent, other administrative expenses, and teacher time. If you prefer to make a contribution in cash or by e-transfer instead and save the eventbrite ticket fee, email rachel@bcims.org for the code for a no-cost ticket. A few further thoughts about the registration fee: I do need to cover my costs when it comes to offering these events, and I do need to know that you're committed to showing up, and a registration fee helps with both of those things, but I really don't care how much any individual contributes, or whether your contribution comes in through eventbrite or not, so please don't be shy about asking for the registration code for any reason at all.

If you haven't meditated with me before, or if you're newer to meditation, it's a good idea to come to one of my 7 am sits before we gather. Also please note that I'm renting space from the Zendo but am not a Zen teacher: I was trained in the Insight tradition.

Please do make sure to allow plenty of time for travel so that you can arrive by 8:45 am to settle in so that we can start promptly at 9.

What to bring:

blankets or shawls (the zendo can be chilly at times)
comfortable "quiet" clothes (please no nylon pants or jackets)
slippers or thick socks to wear indoors
lunch
snacks to share if you feel inspired!
What not to bring:

please don't wear scented products.
About the space:

There is a fridge where you can store food. We'll make tea at lunch time and at the end of the day. If you bring a water bottle, you'll leave it in the kitchen instead of bringing it to your spot in the meditation hall.
Coats (especially nylon jackets) and shoes stay in the entrance hall; feel free to bring slippers to wear indoors.
There is free unrestricted parking on the street down the block, and the zendo is accessible by bus.
The entrance is at ground level and the two single-stall bathrooms are wheelchair accessible.
There will be a limited number of people in the space, and you can set up a chair or a cushion or a bench in a spot around the edge of the room.
Chairs, meditation mats, cushions, and benches are available and you're welcome to bring your own gear if you prefer. I'm following the convention of referring to periods of stationary practice as "sit" but you're welcome to practice lying down if that's what works for your body.
We will be able to do walking meditation both indoors and outdoors.
Covid safety: we're managing risk by limiting the number of people in the space. You are invited to wear a mask while in the space but we are not requiring anyone to wear a mask. Please don't come if you have any new cold symptoms; contact me for a refund instead.

The basic structure of a day will be something like this:

9 am: opening circle; sitting meditation with instructions
9:45 walking meditation
10:30: sit with light guidance
11:15 walking meditation
noon: sit with light guidance
12:30 pm: lunch in silence
1:15: sit with light guidance, q&a
2:00 walk
2:30 sit with light guidance
3:00 walk
3:30 sit & closing
4 end and tidy up, linger for tea and snacks if you like!
I'll fold in q&a at the end of some of the sitting periods, and during some of the walking periods there will be an opportunity to ask questions one-on-one.

About meditation postures: I'm following the convention of using "sit" or "sitting meditation" to refer to periods of stationary practice, but the way we'll be configured means that there's plenty of space for folks to do lying down practice if that's your normal meditation posture. Similarly, mindful movement of other forms can be substituted for walking meditation, depending on what works best for your body.

Email rachel@bcims.org with questions.

Rachel Lewis began practicing insight meditation in 2003, while completing her physics PhD at Yale. Since 2011, she has taught dharma and meditation classes and retreats in British Columbia and beyond. She completed the IMS/IRC 4-year teacher training in 2021, and is a guiding teacher of the British Columbia Insight Meditation Society. Her dharma teaching interests include the power of music, humour, and creativity to increase our capacity for learning, as well as the way that practice supports and is supported by social justice work. See other upcoming events on her website.

With heartfelt gratitude, I acknowledge that we are meeting in what is now known as Vancouver, BC, the beautiful, traditional, and unceded lands of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, who live on and have stewarded this land for thousands of years. A portion of the registration fees from this event go to supporting survivors of residential schools.