Becoming Your Own Protector. A Buddhist Approach to Self-Care.
Sat 20th & Sun 21st Feb 2021
A Buddhist meditation retreat with sessions guided alternatively by Gen Chitta and Ian McGlade, streamed live on Zoom with an option to replay sessions for one week.
In this retreat opportunity we will explore some timeless advice from the Buddhist tradition on how to develop and maintain a sense of wellbeing, protect ourself from becoming unhappy, and practice self-care without becoming selfish.
In general it is very important to look after our own wellbeing and happiness, but it is not necessary to be motivated by a selfish intention to do this. Also, sometimes when we care about others and know they are depending on us we may prioritise their needs and wishes while completely neglecting the need for self care. If we do this we can easily end up exhausted or burned out. Through practicing the instructions presented in this retreat we can learn to transform the act of caring for our self into part of our spiritual practice of cherishing others. In this way we can protect and look after our own happiness and wellbeing, while at the same time being of benefit to others.
In this course we will explore the following:
- How can we protect ourself from suffering and unhappiness?
- How can we develop and maintain a sense of wellbeing and happiness in life?
- What do we need to do in order to take good care of ourself?
- How can we take good care of ourself without becoming selfish or neglecting others?
Guiding the sessions will be Buddhist nun Gen Chitta, a student of Tibetan Buddhist master Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for 17 years, has been guiding retreats in NI for the last 10 years and can offer gentle guidance and the clear wisdom of ancient Buddhist practice in a way that’s suitable for everyone of any age, background or belief. Also guiding some sessions will be Ian McGlade. Having attended at Potala for many years, as well as many residential retreats internationally and an extensive teacher training programme Ian will bring the inspirations of his experiences through to everyone attending.
With a total of 8 sessions to explore the incredible advice and meditation practices contained within the text New Eight Steps to Happiness by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, we will have the opportunity to get to know experientially these practices and their transformative effects in our life.
Each session will include a talk, a guided meditation and short Buddhist chanted prayers which function to prepare the mind with beneficial motivations for meditation.
Session times 10:00 – 11 :00, 12:00 – 13:00, 15:00 – 16:00, 17:00 – 18:00
Session fees – £12/day – £20/2 days Members go free