Weekly Email 4-14-23
Dear Common Ground Friends,
Just a week ago I noticed signs of life sprouting in the rain garden at Common Ground’s city center and then just a couple of days ago, the subtle green popping through the earth had grown at least 3 inches. This morning, beautiful daffodils greeted me when I arrived for early morning meditation! Maybe you also feel the vibrant spring energy in your being. Spring can be a season to renew our practice and perhaps to plant seeds of friendship and care in this community that we love. Our calendar is full of programs that support restoration and connection, starting with a community potluck this Sunday following the morning practice group. Feel free to bring friends and family along! Join us next Saturday for Earth Day activities led by Jean Haley and Kaia Svien. Kathleen Schuler and our trusted garden stewards will be raking leaves and trimming perennials next Saturday as well. Stop in to help out or just to say hello. Ramesh Sairam will be starting a new monthly practice group, the first Thursday of each month, starting in May. Our reliable and responsive building maintenance team will be leading a spring maintenance day later in the month. I hope to see you at the center soon.
Bright Spring Wishes,
Shelly Graf
Co-Guiding Teacher
Community Potluck!
Join in for Common Ground’s Spring community potluck this Sunday, April 16th from 12:00-1:30. Bring a vegetarian dish to share! If you’d like to volunteer before, during, or after the event sign up here.
The Practice of Generosity
Ongoing Programs
To view a complete list of our regular program offerings, visit our upcoming programs page on our website. As always, our online calendar is the best way to find the correct times and Zoom links.
Open Meditation
In-person meditation is now available, M-F, starting at 6:30 a.m. Check our online calendar for additional times and details. There are many in-person as well as virtual opportunities for silent meditation, 7 days a week. Visit the calendar for times and details.
Weekly Practice Groups
- Sunday mornings, 10:30-11:45 am in-person and on Zoom with Mark Nunberg
- Sunday evenings, 7:00-8:30 pm in-person with Mark Nunberg
- Wednesday evenings, 7:30-9:00 pm now in-person and on Zoom with Shelly Graf.
- Wednesday, April 26th with Meg Brandeland on the “Last Days of the Buddha: Reflections on the Mahaparinibbana Sutta“. Meg will be livestreamed into the dharma hall.
- Now in-person and on Zoom! First Fridays, 7:00-8:30 pm, Lovingkindness with Mark Nunberg and Stacy McClendon
- NEW PROGRAM! First Thursdays, 7:00-8:30pm, Developing the Art of Spiritual Inquiry with Ramesh Sairam
- Sundays, 4:30-5:30 pm, on Zoom with Mark Nunberg and Wynn Fricke, on Zoom
- Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00 pm, on Zoom with Stacy McClendon, on Zoom
- Wednesdays, 8:30-9:30 am, in-person with Shelly Graf, assisted by Robin Major
- Fridays, 9:00-10:00 am, on Zoom with Shelly Graf
- Every other Saturday, 10:30 am-12:00 pm, on Zoom with Ramesh Sairam
Meets every Friday, 7:00-8:30 pm.
In-person and on ZoomMBSR-Based Mindfulness Practice with Nancy Boros
On Zoom only
Mondays, 12:00 -1:00 pmInterPlay with Spruce Krause
On Zoom only
Thursday, April 13th | 7:00-8:30pm
- Children’s Program: The Children’s Program is held on the 1st and 3rd Sundays, 10:30 – 11:45 am. The program is for kindergarteners – 3rd graders. If your child is preschool age, you are welcome to join the group but a parent will need to stay with the child.
- Teen Program: The teen group will meet 10:30 – 11:30 am on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. You can join the Common Ground teen listserv by emailing info@commongroundmeditation.org.
To see the full list of programs visit our calendar
2nd and 4th Thursdays | 7:00 – 8:30pm
In-person and on Zoom
No registration necessary
Saturday, April 22nd | 9:30 am- 12:30 pm
Optional Potluck 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
In-person only
Register here
2:00-3:30 pm, Sunday, April 23rd
In-person only
No registration necessary
Saturday, May 6th | 1:00 pm-5:00 pm
In-person and on Zoom
Register here
Saturday, May 13th | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
In-person only
Register hereUpcoming Programs at our Retreat Center
Common Ground Retreat Center is located in Wisconsin, about an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from Minneapolis. More information and registration for upcoming programs at the retreat center can be found here
Tranquility & Insight Retreat with Gabe Keller Flores & Mark Nunberg
Tuesday, April 18th – Sunday, April 23rd
In-person only
Register here
Creating a Wordless Good Space: a Mindful Yoga Retreat with Nancy Boler
Thursday evening, May 18th – Mid-day Sunday, May 21st
In-person only
More info and registration here
Embodying the Dharma: an Insight Meditation Retreat with Wynn Fricke and Shelly Graf
Thursday, June 1st- Sunday, June 4th
In-person and on Zoom
Register here
June Practice Periods
Common Ground Co-Founder and teacher Wynn Fricke will be in residence at the retreat center through the month of June. Click here to learn more about the teacher-led practice periods Wynn will be offering that month.
In addition to these weekend retreats, we also offer public drop-in groups on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at the retreat center, 6:30-7:45 pm. The groups are led by Dharma teachers and community leaders. More info about these Wednesday night programs here.
Current Volunteer Needs
Please contact our Office Manager, Robin Major, at robin@commongroundmeditation.org if you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities:
- Audio and YouTube Volunteers: We’re looking for volunteers to join our audio processing and YouTube editing teams. It’s easy to learn! No previous experience in audio or video is necessary.
- Office Volunteers: We are looking for one or more people with 1-2 years of experience at the center and with prior office experience to help us with office tasks and bulletin board maintenance. Experience with G-Suite and general comfort with computer technology would be helpful.
- Website Volunteer: We are hoping to redo our website in the coming months. If you have experience building websites and are interested in helping with this, please write an email of interest to Robin.
- Wishlists: If you would like to donate a specific item, check out the Retreat Center Wishlist and the City Center Wishlist.
Community News
Upcoming Garden work days
Saturday, April 23rd | 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Spring clean up. Come help rake leaves and trim perennials. All skill sets welcome.
Monthly garden work days on the 2nd Sunday of each month following the Sunday morning practice group will begin on Sunday May 14th | 12:00pm – 2:00pm.
All skill sets welcome.
Spring Maintenance Day!
Saturday, May 20th | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Join Common Ground’s Building Committee to spruce up the city center for a new year. All skill sets welcome
Upcoming Garden work days
Saturday, April 23rd | 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Spring clean up. Come help rake leaves and trim perennials. All skill sets welcome.
Monthly garden work days on the 2nd Sunday of each month following the Sunday morning practice group will begin on Sunday May 14th | 12:00pm – 2:00pm.
All skill sets welcome.
Disability & Chronic Illness Sangha at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center
CIMC’s Disability & Chronic Illness Sangha would like to invite Common Ground community members who self-identify as disabled and/or chronically ill to join their sangha online. If it would be supportive to practice with others in this way you can learn more and access the Zoom link here.
TCVC Retreat with Deborah Helzer & Vance Pryor
June 17th-24th
This retreat, organized by the Twin Cities Vipassana Collective, will be held at St Anthony Spirituality Center in Marathon, Wisconsin. Click here for more info and registration.
Volunteers in Prison
A few Common Ground community members are working with prison facilitators to restart meditation and Buddhist programs that were suspended during the height of covid. If you are interested in volunteering with this community group, you can read more here.
Upcoming Community Group Meetings
To view a complete list of our regular program offerings, visit our upcoming programs page on our website. As always, our online calendar is the best way to find the correct times and Zoom links.
- Be Queer Now, weekly on Wednesday, 7:30-9:00 PM
- Black, Indigenous, People of Color Community Group, First and Third Thursdays, 6:30-8:00 PM
- Community Group for Organizers and Social Justice Activists, Thursday, April 13th, 6:00-7:30 PM
- NEW! Learning to Approach Social and Political Conflict with Skill and Kindness, Sunday, April 16th, 1:30 – 3:00 pm
- Mindfulness & Depression, Sunday, April 16th, 4:00-5:30 PM
- Millennials Sangha, Friday, April 28th, 7:00-8:30 PM
- To see the complete list of community groups, click here.
Keep a Sharp Eye on Your Mind
My teacher used to say,
“The fire on your stove won’t
do anything to you; it’s the fires
of greed, hatred, and delusion
that will get you.”
Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote
Leave a Reply