Embodied change-making speaks to the very root of what nourishes paradigm shift and collective transformation. Sacred activism comes from vision rather than the mind of separation and is sourced from connection rather than fragmentation and othering. Inspired by an expansive understanding of socially engaged Buddhism, we are inviting a redefinition and exploration of the word "activism," one that doesn’t assume that action is superior to rest, recognizing that the quality of our action is as important as what we do. Being and relational presence are valuable contributions to change-making.
In our age of accelerated change, this program is intended to support and provide resources for change agents, community organizers, activists, as well as practitioners looking to engage more directly in justice work as spiritual practice. It will give us the opportunity to come home to ourselves to do the inner resourcing necessary for the outward work of taking care of communities and the planet. The path of mindfulness offered by the Buddha helps us cultivate a clear mind, as well as understanding and compassion, so that we can offer our service on behalf of all beings, while leaning into the support of all beings. This includes both the human and more-than-human world, and both the visible and invisible realms.
Sacred justice invites us to examine our unsustainable attempts to “save the world,” which so often lead to burnout, finger-pointing, isolation, and the perpetuation of the very injustices we seek to change. Instead, we will explore what it means to live in service and conscious response in an age of disruption and uncertainty. We will include “savoring our world” in our expression of activism, thus fortifying our commitment to presence, wholeness, discomfort-resiliency, joy, and fierce compassion. This program will invite us to do the inner work of cultivating greater equanimity and compassion while learning skills for relational intelligence, embodied listening, collaboration, resiliency, and conscious response so that our work for external change can be most effective. This program includes space for us to dream and vision how we might co-create a kinder, more equitable world.
Program Overview
 | Application Timeframe | Applications close January 4, 2024 |
 | Prerequisite | Applicants should have attended at least one Buddhist or mindfulness retreat |
 | Duration | 4 months |
 | Opening Retreat (Online) | Sunday, March 24, 2024 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM ET |
 | Zoom Gatherings | Sundays (11:30 AM - 1:00 PM ET) April 7 and 21 May 5 and 19 June 2 and 16 |
 | Practice Partner Calls | At least once per month at a mutually convenient time with your partner |
 | Closing Retreat (In-Person) | June 28 - July 3, 2024 |
Program Overview
| Application Timeframe | Applications close January 4, 2024 |
| Prerequisite | Applicants should have attended at least one Buddhist or mindfulness retreat |
| Duration | 4 months |
| Opening Retreat (Online) | Sunday, March 24, 2024 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM ET |
| Zoom Gatherings | Sundays (11:30 AM - 1:00 PM ET) April 7 and 21 May 5 and 19 June 2 and 16 |
| Practice Partner Calls | At least once per month at a mutually convenient time with your partner |
| Closing Retreat (In-Person) | June 28 - July 3, 2024 |
Embodied change-making speaks to the very root of what nourishes paradigm shift and collective transformation. Sacred activism comes from vision rather than the mind of separation and is sourced from connection rather than fragmentation and othering. Inspired by an expansive understanding of socially engaged Buddhism, we are inviting a redefinition and exploration of the word "activism," one that doesn’t assume that action is superior to rest, recognizing that the quality of our action is as important as what we do. Being and relational presence are valuable contributions to change-making.
In our age of accelerated change, this program is intended to support and provide resources for change agents, community organizers, activists, as well as practitioners looking to engage more directly in justice work as spiritual practice. It will give us the opportunity to come home to ourselves to do the inner resourcing necessary for the outward work of taking care of communities and the planet. The path of mindfulness offered by the Buddha helps us cultivate a clear mind, as well as understanding and compassion, so that we can offer our service on behalf of all beings, while leaning into the support of all beings. This includes both the human and more-than-human world, and both the visible and invisible realms.
Sacred justice invites us to examine our unsustainable attempts to “save the world,” which so often lead to burnout, finger-pointing, isolation, and the perpetuation of the very injustices we seek to change. Instead, we will explore what it means to live in service and conscious response in an age of disruption and uncertainty. We will include “savoring our world” in our expression of activism, thus fortifying our commitment to presence, wholeness, discomfort-resiliency, joy, and fierce compassion. This program will invite us to do the inner work of cultivating greater equanimity and compassion while learning skills for relational intelligence, embodied listening, collaboration, resiliency, and conscious response so that our work for external change can be most effective. This program includes space for us to dream and vision how we might co-create a kinder, more equitable world.
Program Notes
Intention
This training does not offer a certificate. It offers an invitation to work intimately with a community of experienced practitioners on behalf of the greater good. It is about being of service in an age of global uncertainty, rather than collecting an external credential. This training will impact every aspect of your life, and not just your work as a change agent. It integrates presence, courage, and collective transformation.
Our intention is to gather a group of participants that is deeply diverse on all levels, with a hope of our group being at least half BIPOC.
Acknowledgment
This program acknowledges that many of us are navigating full schedules and demanding life circumstances. While some trainings are designed in a linear, rigorous way, this program is designed and led to be restorative and regenerative. There will be a small amount of mandatory practices and reading offered between sessions; however, it is designed not to be overwhelming. There will be optional assignments and readings for those participants who have more free time. This program is offered as an expression of deep feminine post-patriarchal leadership and learning, thus emphasizing relational forms of knowing and care for our bodies and beings as we learn.
Expectations
In addition to the online and in-person gatherings, there will be mandatory and optional readings and practices offered for using everyday life as a laboratory, and a practice partner to have a call with at least once a month.
Path Program and Schedule
Opening Retreat
March 24, 2024 (11:00 AM - 3:00 PM ET / 8:00 - 11:00 AM PT)
Online Retreat
This opening session will help us launch the program, grounding us in the foundational practices and frameworks for our journey together. We will have space and time for practice as well as getting to know each other and our aspirations as we build community.
Zoom Gatherings
Sundays (11:30 AM - 1:00 PM ET / 8:30-10:00 AM PT)
April 7 and 21
May 5 and 19
June 2 and 16
Closing Retreat
June 28 - July 3, 2024
In-Person Retreat
This 6-day retreat brings to a close our 3-month journey of Embodied Change-Making and Sacred Justice On Behalf of Life. Informed by the diverse traditions of socially engaged Buddhism, relational mindfulness, and earth-based practices, we will slow down and reconnect with ourselves and each other through sitting and walking meditation, dharma talks, and sharing in small groups. Each participant will leave with a stronger sense of their intention and strengths as gifts to the world. We will engage in InterPlay — an improvisational practice that unlocks the wisdom and joy of the body — and daily dance practices to deepen our embodiment. We will listen deeply to the land and enjoy vegetarian meals. This retreat will have periods of noble silence and will also have opportunities to engage in conscious community building.
Program Fees
Online Program Pricing:
Includes the Opening Online Retreat and Zoom Gatherings
Residential Closing Retreat Pricing:
Includes Lodging and Meals at BCBS during the In-Person Retreat
| Supported | Mid Level | Sustaining | Benefactor |
| $169 | $219 | $269 | $369 |
| Supported | Mid Level | Sustaining | Benefactor |
| $759 | $999 | $1,259 | $1,759 |
Non-Residential Closing Retreat Pricing:
Includes Meals without Lodging at BCBS during the In-Person Retreat
| Standard | |||
| $425 |
Pricing Notes
- Program fees include all components as outlined.
- Program fees do not include payments to the teacher.
- Participants are invited to support Kaira Jewel Lingo, Deborah Eden Tull, and Konda Mason through the practice of dāna (generosity).
- Financial assistance can be requested on the registration page.
Registration Process:
- All participants are required to register for the Online Program. The entire program fee is due upon registration.
- Online Program participants are also invited to register separately for the In-Person Closing Retreat. The first half of the program fee is due upon registration, and the second half is due before the In-Person Closing Retreat.
- The Online Program is a requirement of attending the In-Person Closing Retreat.
Application Dates
| Applications Open: | September 12, 2023 |
| Applications Close: | January 4, 2024 |
| Initial Accepted Applicants Notified: | January 18, 2024 |
| Payment Due: | Two weeks from the date of acceptance |
| Program Starts: | March 24, 2024 |
Kaira Jewel Lingo began practicing mindfulness in 1997, teaching Buddhist meditation, secular mindfulness, and compassion internationally. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community, Kaira Jewel teaches in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition, at the intersection of racial, climate and social justice with a focus on activists, Black/Indigenous/People of Color, artists, educators, families, and youth. Now based in New York... Learn more!
Deborah Eden Tull is a Zen meditation/mindfulness teacher, author, spiritual activist and sustainability educator. She spent seven years as a monastic at a silent Zen Monastery, and has been immersed in sustainable communities for 25 years. Eden’s teaching style is grounded in compassionate awareness, non-duality, mindful inquiry, and an unwavering commitment to personal transformation. She teaches dharma intertwined with post-patriarchal thought and practices... Learn more!
Konda Mason is a social entrepreneur, eco-spiritual thought leader, mindfulness teacher and justice advocate working at the intersection of social and financial justice and planetary healing. Konda was introduced to Tibetan Buddhism in 1982. Her love for Vipassana began in 1996, working with Jack Kornfield at the Vallecitos Retreat Center. She has taught at Spirit Rock since 1997, starting as a yoga teacher. Konda’s dharma training includes the East Bay Meditation Center Commit to Dharma... Learn more!
