Weekly Email 4-6-22
Dear Common Ground Community,
We want to thank Brian Young for joining the Common Ground Board of Directors at our annual meeting on March 20th. At this meeting we also said goodbye to Board Chair Ramesh Sairam and Board Director scottie hall who both have just finished their second three year term on the board. We’re also happy to announce that Arleta Little was elected our new Board Chair. She will be supported by Phillip Cryan as Vice Chair, Rick Condon as Treasurer, Brian Young as Board Secretary, and Meski Mebatsion as a Director. Mark Nunberg and Shelly Graf also serve as Board Officers as the Guiding Teachers. We are all so truly fortunate to have such a devoted, wise and capable group of leaders supporting our dharma community. You might want to take a moment to read the brief Treasurer Report in order to have a better sense of the center’s operation.
With gratitude to the many teachers, leaders, volunteers and supporters who make Common Ground possible!
Mark Nunberg and Shelly Graf
Incoming Board Chair Arleta Little | Outgoing Board Chair Ramesh Sairam
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
- 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
- Every first Tuesday of the month, 8:00-9:00am, with Mark Nunberg, in person
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.
Meets every Friday, 7:00-8:30pm.
To see full list of programs and access Zoom links for online programs visit our calendar.
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
Book Study: The Citadel of Awareness with Merra Young
Wednesday, April 20th, 12:15 – 1:30pm
Upcoming Programs: In Person/Hybrid at Common Ground
6 Tuesdays, March 8th – April 12th, 7:30-9:00pm
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.Mindfulness & Physical Pain: A Workshop with Ramesh Sairam
April 16th, 9:00am – 1:00pm. Info and registration here.Half-Day Retreat with Shelly Graf
Saturday, April 23rd, 1:00pm-5:00pm
In Person or on Zoom. More info and 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.
5:30pm Monday, April 25th – 2:00pm Thursday, April 28th.Mindful Gardening Practice Period with Julie Meyer & Tony Fernandez
5:30pm Tuesday, May 3rd – 2:00pm Sunday, May 8th.Practice Period with Tracey Ghiladri & Robin Major
5:30pm Thursday, May 9th – 2:00pm Sunday, May 22nd.Practice Period for BIPOC Practitioners with Jen Racho & Zenzele Isoke
5:30pm Thursday, May 26th – 2:00pm Sunday, May 29th.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
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
- Common Ground is seeking a qualified volunteer to advise the Finance Committee to make a series of longer-term investments that will help us offset the anticipated future added costs of inflation. Ideally the person would have qualifications and experience advising clients in making similar investment decisions. Email info@commongroundmeditation.org if you are interested.
- 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
Garden Team Meeting (In-Person Only)
Saturday, April 9, 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Sunday, April 24th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
See our calendar for the zoom link
We would like to organize parents or caregivers who are interested in attending, developing, volunteering in a children’s program or preteens program at Common Ground. We’d like to hear from the community about thoughts and hopes for programs, as well as inquire and request folks to lead or volunteer. Children are welcome. We also have compiled a short survey to gauge interest. Please complete the survey here.Spring Maintenance Day!Thursday, May 19th from 9:00am – 12:30pm
Join the city center Building Committee to participate in a day of maintenance, repairs and deep cleaning of the building.
Refreshments will be provided
Upcoming Community Group Meetings
- Be Queer Now, weekly on Wednesday, 7:30-9:00pm
- Black, Indigenous, People of Color Community Group, Thursday April 7th, 6:30-8:00pm
- Christianity-Buddhism Book Group, April 9th, 9:00 – 10:15am
- 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
- Millenials Sangha, Friday April 29th, 7:00 – 8:30pm
- Mindfulness & Depression, Sunday, May 1st, 4:00-5:30pm
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
The sense of “I” arises con-
tinuously, but to the mind it is
just like any other object. You
can learn to be aware of its
presence or absence.
Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote
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