Oh SIT UBC Meditation Conference

04/15/2015

Hello lovely meditators!
We just sent out the feedback survey...if you attended on Saturday and didn't receive an email, let us know and we'll make sure you get a link!

04/12/2015

Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday and shared their energy with us! It was such an incredible experience for us, and we hope that it was for you too.

We'll be sending out a very brief follow-up survey to get a better idea of how the conference was for you. We'd love it if you could take a few moments (less than 5 minutes) to fill it out, and help us grow!

04/10/2015

Are you one of the lucky ticketholders to this sold-out event?

The closest parkade is at 2140 Lower Mall. But it's so much cozier to take the bus :) you might meet fellow conference-goers!

04/09/2015

Sold out!

04/07/2015

Meet our Zen workshop facilitators, Eshin Godfrey and E'cho Sirotnik!

Since meeting Joshu Sasaki Roshi in the mid-1970s, Eshin has dedicated his life to Zen. He trained under Roshi, becoming a monk in 1982. Later he accepted responsibility for the Zen Centre of Vancouver and was ordained in 1988 as a Zen Osho, an authorized teacher. Eshin shares his life and practice with his wife, Myorei Zeraffa, who was ordained in 2005.

Eshin helps uphold the Rinzai-ji lineage by having served as Administrative Abbot in Los Angeles from spring 2013 to the end of that year. He serves the broader community by conducting personal Buddhist ceremonies such as weddings, funerals and memorials.
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E'cho Gareth Sirotnik was ordained at the Zen Centre of Vancouver in 2005, where he’s practiced since 1999 under the guidance of the centre’s abbott, Eshin Godfrey. E'cho first encountered Zen in the 1960s, while studying at Reed College, in Portland, Oregon. He immigrated to Canada in 1972 and worked as a freelance writer and consultant. He’s served as Zen Chaplain at UBC since 2012, leading sitting groups for students, staff and faculty.
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04/07/2015

The information packages and workshop selection link have been mailed out! If you purchased a ticket and did not receive an e-mail, please let us know.
*Select your workshops as early as possible for the best chance of getting the one you want!*

04/06/2015

Meet Tao of Now workshop facilitator Re*****on Cooney!

Re*****on Cooney is a meditation instructor running classes under his school the 'Tao of Now'. Re*****on has been practicing meditation for almost a decade; he became interested in its healing potentials during his teenage years, and has personally witnessed how such a practice has helped inner transformation, as well as engagement in every day living. He is currently completing a M. Ed in Contemplative Inquiry, assessing the benefits of meditation within academic environments.

Re*****on's more recent workshops are focused around music meditations or 'sound journeys.' This incorporates contemplation on the more subtle and vibrational aspects of sound. With the help of guitar extraordinaire, Samuel Romero, live sound journeys are created to assist participants in going deeper into single pointed concentration. Within the workshop there will be both meditations on music, and contrastingly, a silent meditation.

You can learn more by visiting his website: www.nownowtao.com

Re*****on Cooney: Meditation & Yoga Instructor The Tao of Now consists of regular classes and workshops that fuse ancient Eastern teachings with modern Western living. These classes aim to create a community in which people can develop a dedicated meditation and yoga practice in a warm, supportive e…

04/04/2015

As we count down to the amazing weekend coming up just 7 days from now, we will be unveiling each of the community leaders who are sharing their practice with us...

Meet our Spiritual Ecology workshop facilitators!

Maya Graves-Bacchus has participated in the meditation communities of Zen at UBC and the North Shore Zendo for the past three years. As a representative of the Salish Sea Spiritual Ecology Alliance (SSSEA), an organization that works to bring spirituality and environmental activism together, she is interested in meditation’s potential to create a spiritual awareness that is also an ecological awareness.

Sarah Jarvis began a formal meditation practice in 2007, and has since explored many styles and traditions of meditation, including healing practices like healing touch, Reiki, and yoga. She is currently a yoga teacher in the community and studies counselling psychology at SFU. Her research explores the role of mindful self-compassion in our ability to ability to care for one another, our planet, and most importantly, ourselves.

Maya and Sarah will be leading mindful meditation workshop that seeks to engage with the sense of wonder found in the natural world, and harness it as a guide for spiritual practice. Focusing on the beauty of blossoms and trees, this outdoor session hopes to encourage engaged meditation practices that deepen our sensitivity to our daily interactions with the natural, the unnatural and everything in between.

**Participants intending to take this workshop, please BRING AN UMBRELLA or other rain-appropriate clothing in case of inclement weather**

04/03/2015

With just over a week a way! Make sure you buy your tickets asap if you are planning on coming! We are hitting our total sale numbers soon! Don't miss out! :D

https://oh-sit.yapsody.com/event/index/9343?ref=elinkfb

UBC Meditation Conference presents OH...SIT (UBC Meditation Conference) at St. John's College, University of British Columbia using Yapsody, Inc.. Get your tickets now.

03/31/2015

We are so excited for our workshops! One of our presenters is Brian Callahan, founder of truepoint. He will present on "It's Always Now: Practice In The Gaps"

Lots of people know that meditating can be good for you. It helps lower stress, helps you focus more, Meditation can help you study. It can even help you succeed at work. So how come we don't do it? Many people just feel too busy to take the time to meditate. We already feel overwhelmed, why add something new, especially something challenging?

Practice In The Gaps: points at the micro-opportunities that already exist in your life, like waiting in line or waiting on-line, all the times we wait. This is a "gap." We can apply our meditation technique to those moments and begin to practice. You're waiting anyway, why not do something? In the workshop participants will learn and begin to appy 4 different meditation techniques.
The workshop format will be: describe - practice - discuss

Brian Callahan lives in Vancouver and is a senior meditation teacher within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In 2003, he completed a Tibetan 3 Year Retreat and then served as the director of Gampo Abbey, the Monastery of the Shambhala Tradition. Brian loves reading, movies, walking near the ocean and has recently completed his first novel. He holds degrees in Philosophy, Theology, and Business Administration.
Brian and his partner, Margaret Jones Callahan, offer programs in Mindfulness Based Education, especially Mindfulness Based Art Therapy. More information can be found at http:www.truepnt.ca

03/31/2015

How could meditation change your life? It changed Steve Job's life. Join us on April 11th at the conference :)

"If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is," Jobs said.

03/30/2015

Learn more about the benefit of gratitude and compassion at the UBC Meditation Conference!

Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkley