Dear Common Ground Friends,

As many of you know, since the beginning of the pandemic, Common Ground has had the good fortune to be guided in our response by 2 doctor practitioners, Ramesh Sairam and Steve Hilson. I am very grateful that Ramesh and Steve have agreed to host a virtual Community Conversation this Sunday afternoon. Their primary role will be to answer questions that the community might have about how we have come to decisions in general but in particular the decision to lift mask/vaccine restrictions. I have deeply appreciated the wise and spiritually grounded counsel over these past years and feel deeply grateful that they have been willing to offer their unwavering support. Please join using this zoom link if you can.

Warmly,

Shelly

Weekly Programs

To view our entire list of programs and to access Zoom links to participate in online programs, please visit the online calendar.

Weekly Practice Groups

Sunday mornings, 10:30-11:45am on Zoom with Mark Nunberg (with an option to watch the livestream together in person in the meditation hall)
Sunday evenings, 7:00-8:30pm in person with Mark Nunberg
Wednesday evenings, 7:30-9:00pm on Zoom with Shelly Graf

Monthly Practice Groups

Fourth Fridays, 7:00-8:30pm on Zoom, Lovingkindness with Stacy McClendon
First Fridays, 7-8:30pm on Zoom, Lovingkindness with Mark Nunberg

Community Practice Check-Ins

Sundays, 4:30-5:30pm with Mark Nunberg and Wynn Fricke, on Zoom
Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00pm with Stacy McClendon (Mark Nunberg joining on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month), on Zoom
Fridays, 9:00-10:00am with Shelly Graf, on Zoom
Every other Saturday, 10:30am-12:00pm with Ramesh Sairam, on Zoom (next meeting February 12th)
NEW: Every first Tuesday of the month, 8:00-9:00am, with Mark Nunberg, in person

Open Meditation
Join fellow community members for meditation practice in person or online, 7 days a week. Visit the calendar for times and details.Yoga & Qigong
We offer Yoga and Qigong several times a week, both in person and online. Click here for times and details.

Mindfulness, Recovery, and the Twelve Steps
Meets every Friday, 7:00-8:30pm.

Upcoming Programs: Online

To see full list of programs and access Zoom links for online programs visit our calendar.

Community Conversation: Loosening COVID Restrictions with Ramesh Sairam and Steve Hilson
Saturday, March 27th 2:00-3:30pm
The conversation will be recorded. Check the calendar for more info and the zoom link.MBSR-Based Mindfulness Practice with Nancy Boros
Mondays, 12:00-1:00pm

Inner Self-Compassion Course with Jean Haley & Jane Rauenhorst
6 Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00pm, April 19th-May 24th + Half-Day Retreat on May 14th
More info and registration here.

InterPlay with Spruce Krause
Thursday, April 14th, 7:00-8:30pm

Upcoming Programs: In Person/Hybrid at Common Ground

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Course with Mark Nunberg & Shelly Graf
6 Tuesdays, March 8th – April 12th, 7:30-9:00pm
In Person or on Zoom. More info and registration here.Spring Buddhist Studies Course: Sensuality, Craving, Contentment and Dispassion with Mark Nunberg
Four Mondays, March 14th – April 4th, 7:30-9:30pm
In Person or on Zoom. More info and registration here.

Spring Community Practice Intensive with Mark Nunberg and Sarah Wilson
Three Mondays, April 11th – April 30th. Ending with a daylong retreat at our retreat center
In Person or on Zoom. More information here. Registration here.

Upcoming In-Person/Hybrid Programs at our retreat center

Common Ground Retreat Center is located in Wisconsin, about an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from Minneapolis. Registration is now open for the following programs there and can be found here.

Zoom Only (In-person is full): Daylong Retreat with Mark Nunberg & Cecilia Ramon: Cultivating a Wise and Kind Resilience
Saturday, April 2nd, 9:30am-4:00pm. In Person and on Zoom.
Practice Period with Mark Nunberg & Sarah Wilson
5:30pm Monday, April 25th – 2:00pm Thursday, April 28th.

In addition to these weekend retreats, we also offer public drop-in groups on select Wednesdays at the retreat center, 6:30-7:45pm.

First Wednesday of the month: Community Group led by Matthew King and other practice leaders
Third Wednesday of the month: Monthly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg and guest teachers

More info about these Wednesday night programs here.

The Practice of Generosity

Continuing in the tradition of Buddhist monasteries in Southeast Asia, all programs at Common Ground are offered free of charge in the spirit of generosity. This offering is possible because of the generosity of people like you—from the Buddha on down to all the people in our community—who contribute their practice, time, and financial resources to support the continuation of the center.

To learn how to support the center and our teachers, visit this page. Let us know if you have any questions.

Current Volunteer Needs

Looking for volunteer kitchen manager for a retreat organized by the Black, Indigenous, People of Color community group. At our retreat center April 26-29th. Prioritizing BIPOC volunteers.
Looking for audio processing volunteers to help upload talks to Dharmaseed, let info@commongroundmeditation.org know if you have the skills to help.
Weekly Sunday Evening Cleaning: Every Sunday evening there is a drop-in Community Cleaning time from 6-7pm, led by community leaders Brad Dupre and Dave Redelman. No RSVP needed.
Bellringers (in-person): We’re looking for volunteers interested in ringing the bell for the morning sits on Wednesday and Friday mornings, 7:30-8:30am and for Tuesday evenings, 7:30-9:00pm. Email info@commongroundmeditation.org if interested.

Community News

Supporting Parents in the Community
Knowing that pandemic has been hard on parents, we are seeking to better understand the current needs of parents to better assess if there are ways the Common Ground community can be supportive. if you are a parent and would be willing to share your experience, please reach out to Annie at joh02055@gmail.com. If you are a community member who would like to support parents at this time by offering a one time or weekly meal to a family, please contact shelly@commongroundmeditation.org.Upcoming Community Group Meetings

Be Queer Now, weekly on Wednesday, 7:30-9:00pm
Millennials Sangha, Friday, March 25th, 7:00-8:30pm
Mindfulness & Depression, Sunday, April 3rd, 4:00-5:30pm
Black, Indigenous, People of Color Community Group, Thursday April 7th, 6:30-8:00pm
Community Group for Organizers & Social Justice Activists, Thursday April 14th, 6:00-7:30pm
Refirement Community Group for Retirees, Thursday April 21st, 12:00-2:00pm

View public calendar for Zoom links and more information.
To see the complete list of community groups, click here.

Teen Practice Group Back In Session!
For more info, click here.

Weekly Tejaniya

If you think that you are
watching the same thing over
and over again you will become
bored. However, if you take a closer
look at your experience you’ll un-
derstand that no two moments
feel exactly the same

Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote

Weekly Email 3-23-22