All entries filed under this archive
The Boundary Issue – HIGHLIGHT
By Joseph Pascutazz There’s a lot that goes into making your solitary retreat a seamless container… Spacious as it is, Karmê Chöling is a tightly knit community. We mind each other’s business. Boundary issues abound. In a good way, I think, as in: “The boundaries are dissolving.” The walls here are paper thin and seemingly transparent. ... continuePosted May 22, 2025 by Jillian_Johnson
Reflections on Earth Day – HIGHLIGHT
By Gregory Webster Please join Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective for an Earth Day Celebration Sunday Gathering on April 27, 2025. Learn More & Register. The arrival of another Earth Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on what has happened on/to our planet since the inaugural event ... continuePosted April 22, 2025 by Jillian_Johnson
Wild Service: Why Nature Needs You – HIGHLIGHT
Edited by Nick Hayes & Jon Moses Book Recommendations by Gregory Webster Wild Service is a new collection of writings from the English Right to Roam movement. Responding to—and essentially rubbishing—the longstanding assertion that monied landowners are responsible stewards of the countryside, these essays chart other possibilities which resoundingly ... continuePosted February 12, 2025 by Jillian_Johnson
A World Built on Pain: The Call for Healing and Change – HIGHLIGHT
By George Cassidy Payne We live in a world where systems of power and dominance are designed to destroy the very planet that sustains us. These systems, though old in origin, have become more visible than ever before. They are built on extraction, exploitation, and a blind ... continuePosted December 20, 2024 by Jillian_Johnson
The Art of Mindful Birding – HIGHLIGHT
By Sean McCann Mindful birding is the intentional use of birding for cultivating mindfulness. Anyone who has been entranced by seeing a murmuration (a phenomenon in which a flock of birds, sometimes thousands of individuals strong, flies in perfect harmony as one shifting, undulating mass) has had ... continuePosted November 22, 2024 by Jillian_Johnson
Sun Ceremony – HIGHLIGHT
by Emily Takahashi An Excerpt from the Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective March Newsletter For a recent Touching the Earth Salon, I was asked to share a little about a practice I did over the course of one year, 365 days in succession. In November 2020 I took an ... continuePosted March 7, 2024 by Jillian_Johnson
Retreat at Milk Lake – HIGHLIGHT
by Eve Rosenthal and Basia Solarz Milk Lake Farm is land devoted to cabin retreats in Nova Scotia. The cabins at Milk Lake all have running water from a well, a full kitchen, a bathroom with toilet, sink and shower or bathtub, and a wood stove (electric ... continuePosted February 11, 2023 by Jillian_Johnson
Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World – A Touching the Earth Book Review by Christine Heming – HIGHLIGHT
Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World by Barry Lopez A Touching the Earth Review by Christine Heming It is a daunting task to attempt a review of anything written by Barry Lopez, unquestionably one of the most brilliant writers of our time. When I read this collection of essays, it ... continuePosted September 27, 2022 by Jillian_Johnson
Wisdom of Nature – HIGHLIGHT
Carrying practice into the outdoors, this Seattle hiking group takes a wide view by Anisha Prasad When confusion and speed arise, the Seattle Shambhala hiking group hits the trail. This summer we hiked the beautiful Harvey Manning trail, a good five-mile walk in the Issaquah Alps and just minutes ... continuePosted August 27, 2018 by CGH
Working with Perception 2 – HIGHLIGHT
Part Two of an interview with Shastri Donna Williams about embodying Earth energy KCL: It sounds like part of the process is traditional meditation. Donna: Right. KCL: But also walking outside, and doing these sensory awareness practices; it somehow reminds me of meditation, has similar qualities. Donna: Why does it ... continuePosted June 20, 2018 by CGH
Working with Perception 1 – HIGHLIGHT
Part One of an interview with Shastri Donna Williams about embodying Earth energy Mike de Give, KCL: You’ve been working on developing future programs around embodying Earth energy. Can you tell me about your interest in this topic? Donna Williams: There are a couple of streams here. One ... continuePosted June 18, 2018 by CGH
Embodying Earth Energy – HIGHLIGHT
The beauties and benefits of mindfulness practice in the natural world by Donna Williams “The human potential for intelligence and dignity is attuned to experiencing the brilliance of the bright blue sky, the freshness of green fields, and the beauty of trees and mountains,” Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Sacred ... continuePosted May 23, 2018 by CGH
The Experience of Awe – HIGHLIGHT
How awe is connected to using our senses, and to living as an inspired human being by Shastri Donna Williams I’ve been studying contemplative ecology recently, that juncture where our senses contact the natural world and expand, where we can relax–experiencing connection, health and balance. While reading True Perception: ... continuePosted August 1, 2017 by CGH
Creating a Zen Garden – HIGHLIGHT
Just in time for Midsummer, here is a guide to creating a meditative space in your own backyard by Sally Perkins Sometimes what we are looking for most can really can be found in our own backyard. Consider the great emphasis we place on meditation in Shambhala. In ... continuePosted June 24, 2017 by CGH
Growing Enlightened Society – HIGHLIGHT
A new project in organic gardening and permaculture methods at Ziji Garden by Audrey Dallamaggiore and Simon Bertin Last November, Dechen Chöling hosted an Enlightened Society Assembly. During this ten-day program, participants were offered the chance to apply the teachings to a practical project around the land center: they ... continuePosted May 1, 2017 by Audrey Dallamaggiore