Classes & Retreats
Heart Cultivation & The Brahmaviharas
The Four Faces of Love
with Douglas Pullin
Five Wednesdays, Beginning April 23
4/23 — 5/21
5:15 pm – 6:45 pm
HELD IN PERSON AND ONLINE VIA ZOOM
$145 Suggested Donation
No one turned away for lack of funds
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​This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness and who knows the path of peace...
—The Metta Sutta
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Deepen your experience of love, compassion, joy and peace.
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In a supportive space in person or online (on Zoom), focus on the cultivation of the qualities of mind and heart that are referred to as the Divine (or Sublime) abidings (or modes of conduct). They are also known as the Brahmaviharas (Brahma + viharas). They are described as the "four illimitables" (appamannya) in that they have no bounds.
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Through a variety of concentration meditation practices and skillful intention we can cultivate our inherent capacity for calming, stilling, and healing our state of mind and body. As we cultivate these limitless qualities of loving goodwill, compassion, joy, and equanimity, we can harvest true happiness, spiritual strength, and insight. These practices are considered complementary to insight meditation.
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Each class will focus on one of the four Brahmaviharas with the final class being an opportunity to practice integration into daily life. The format for classes includes a Dharma talk, guided meditation, discussion, interactive exercises and take home practices. This class is open to both new and more experienced students. It is also a good companion to the Basics of Mindfulness class.
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BOOK FOR CLASS: The Four Sublime States by Nyanaponika Thera
Also available on Amazon​​​
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Qigong and Mindful Movement
A Daylong Retreat with Jim Dalton
Saturday, May 3
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
HELD IN PERSON at PIMC
$85 Suggested Donation
No one turned away for lack of funds
HELD IN PERSON at PIMC​
Portland Insight Meditation Center 6536 SE Duke Street Portland, OR 97206
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The Buddha’s classic mindfulness instructions pointed to practice with four bodily positions: sitting, standing, walking, and lying down, plus the transitions between.
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Each quarter at PIMC we present a Qigong workshop to develop mindfulness of the body within all these transitions, attending to the sensations, the feelings and the mind states which arise. Most important, we learn where to look for refuge, letting go of our attachments to conditioned happiness and illusory worldly success. We learn to move with deep understanding of dissatisfaction, the escape of pursuing mundane success, and the false promise of a permanent, unchanging self. We discover the true refuge in the Dharma. Each movement reveals a point of origin, a middle passage, and the inevitable ending, each gesture a lesson in letting go. Each movement is an opportunity to let go a little and experience a little healing, a little peace, a glimpse of freedom. Little steps, many times...
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All Welcome. No prior experience required.
Qigong and Mindful Movement
A Six-Class Series with Jim Dalton
Mondays, Beginning May 5
5/5 — 6/16 (No class on 5/26)
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
HELD IN PERSON at PIMC
$150 Suggested Donation
No one turned away for lack of funds
​This 6 class presentation by Jim Dalton will focus on QiGong as an intricate network of energy pathways, exploring more of the Taoist traditions of Shibashi, 8 pieces of brocade and the Five Elements.
Given the pace of change in our city, our nation, and the world, the need for healing and reconnecting with friends is greater than ever. Practicing QiGong as a group is an effective medicine for our modern planetary crisis. No previous experience is required, and the benefits are many-layered. Register for the class today.
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All Welcome. No prior experience required.
Embodying the Four Noble Truths
A Daylong Retreat with Tim Geil
Saturday, May 10
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
HELD IN PERSON & ONLINE
$95 Suggested Donation
No one turned away for lack of funds
​The Four Noble Truths offer the fundamental roadmap for our practice. Through our direct experience, we can recognize dukkha, understand its origin, and realize its cessation. During this daylong, we will explore each of the Noble Truths in an embodied way through Insight Meditation, dharma talks and questions. All levels of experience are welcome.
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All Welcome. No prior experience required.