Living with Climate Change

Climate change can be overwhelming. While looking for practical ways to help our planet, I listened into a dharma talk with Jack Kornfield on climate change that focused on our connection with nature and how we can make a difference with compassion and love.  

Looking to learn more about the causes and responses to climate change? Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that works to identify the top 100 solutions to reversing global warming. Drawdown.org has 100 ideas in use now that could lead to the drawdown point (when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and then steadily decline, ultimately reverse global warming).

We all know that eating a plant based diet and using electric transport will help with climate change, but some of the other things on the list may surprise you.

Here are the top 10 -

1. Refrigerant Management

2. Wind Turbines, onshore

3. Reduction of Food Waste

4. Plant-Rich Diet

5. Tropical Forests

6. Educating Girls

7. Family Planning

8. Solar Farms

9. Silvopasture Livestock

10. Rooftop Solar

There is so much work we can do to help reverse global warming. The creators of Project Drawdown, have calculated that about 1/8 of human-caused atmospheric carbon emissions are due to agriculture, food preparation, consumption and waste. The good news is that this is a great place for you to make changes in your daily life that can have a real impact. This summer, buy food from your local farmers market and CSA share pick ups and of course, bring your Reusable Produce Bags to the market.

Be sure to share with us here at Be Mindful what you are doing to make a difference in your community.

Live Stream Monday Night Dharma Talks From Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Living in Northern CA for the last 20 + years I have been blessed to often visit Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  Spirit Rock is dedicated the practice of mindful awareness and provides silent meditation retreats, as well as classes, trainings, and Dharma study opportunities for both beginners and experienced students.

One of my favorite offerings is the Monday Night Dharma Talks. I make the trip to Woodacre, CA, at least a few times a year to listen to Jack Kornfield (and friends) give these talks. It is amazing to mediate with a large group. If you are traveling to northern CA, Spirit Rock is about a half hour from San Francisco and a must-see for mindful visitors. This Monday, June 3rd, is a special Monday Night, that will focus on the Dharma of Climate Change.

These days living in Truckee, it is not easy for me to drive to Spirit Rock, but (hooray!) some of the Monday night Dharma Talks can now be accessed on the web or via Livestream (Sliding Scale form $0 to $108). Here is the link if you are interested.

Tonight’s Dharma Talk with Jack Kornfield runs from 7:15pm to 9:15pm(PST).

Live Stream Monday Night Dharma Talks from Spirit Rock

Living in Northern CA for the last 20 + years I have been blessed to often visit Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  Spirit Rock is dedicated the practice of mindful awareness and provides silent meditation retreats, as well as classes, trainings, and Dharma study opportunities for both beginners and experienced students.

One of my favorite offerings is the Monday Night Dharma Talks. I make the trip to Woodacre, CA, at least a few times a year to listen to Jack Kornfield (and friends) give these talks. It is amazing to mediate with a large group. If you are traveling to northern CA, Spirit Rock is about a half hour from San Francisco and a must-see for mindful visitors.

Spirit Rock is visited by an estimated 40,000 peace-seekers every year and has become one of the most influential and well-attended meditation centers in the world. The teachings of the Buddha (Dharma) and the practices of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and loving-kindness meditation (Metta) are at the heart of the programs.

These days living in Truckee, it is not easy for me to drive to Spirit Rock, but (hooray!) some of the Monday night Dharma Talks can now be accessed on the web or via Livestream on Facebook.  Due to my kid’s soccer game, I missed Jack’s Monday’s talk on Sept 17th, but could view it on Facebook later in the week for free. Here is the link if you are interested.

If you can't make it to the talks in-person, you can sign up for the livestream or follow Spirit Rock on Facebook.

Monday Night Dharma talks are an amazing gathering where you can quiet the mind and open your heart, and now you can do it virtually. Check out the live webcasts, they are held some Monday nights from 7:15 - 9:15pm PDT. "Spirit Rock Live: Monday Nights with Jack Kornfield and Friends."  

Wisdom 2.0

I was happy to again attend the annual Wisdom 2.0 conference that took place in San Francisco in February. If you have not heard of Wisdom 2.0, it “explores living mindfully in the digital age.”
 
Wisdom 2.0 brings together leaders and entrepreneurs who are looking to balance mindfulness and technology in their worlds. The conference is a mix of folks from different backgrounds. From business people to yoga instructors and teachers to small business owners, this year’s conference brought together more than 2,500 people from over 24 countries.
 
This was my second year at the conference, and the one thing that all attendees share is a desire to create a positive social impact. You truly felt the positive energy as individuals shared their experiences and brought a conscious mindset to the room.
 
Wisdom offers a forum to learn, share and experience the benefits of conscious thought in everyday action. This year’s speakers included mindful leaders like Jon Kabot-Zin, Byron Katie, Dan Siegel and Sharon Salzberg, as well as CEOs like Josh Reeves of Gusto and Laurent Potdevin of Lululemon. Authors, including Glennon Doyle Melton who wrote Love Warrior and Dan Harris who wrote 10% Happier and singer/songwriter, Jewel, were there too, talking about how mindfulness has helped in their lives.
 
One afternoon I spent some time in the The Embodiment Lounge, sponsored by designer Eileen Fisher who is a fan of mindfulness in her life and in her clothing line. She also started LifeWork, a website that connects viewers with teachers, events, workshops, and other tools for mindful practices. Here’s the session I attended in the lounge with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman.

Throughout March, LifeWork will be sharing video of workshops from the Embodiment Lounge, so be sure to check them out.
 
While there is a lot of new age spirit at Wisdom 2.0, you don’t have to be a meditation expert to understand the messages. We are all looking for ways to live our connected lives that is beneficial to our well-being and useful to the world.
 

Monday Night Dharma Talks Live from Spirit Rock

Living in Northern CA for the last 20 years I have been blessed to often visit Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  Spirit Rock is dedicated the practice of mindful awareness and provides silent meditation retreats, as well as classes, trainings, and Dharma study opportunities for both beginners and experienced students.

One of my favorite offerings at Spirit Rock is the Monday night Dharma Talks. I head over to Woodacre, CA at least a few times a year to listen to Jack Kornfield (and friends) give these talks. For over 30 years, a group has been gathering there and sharing the practices of awareness and compassion. It is amazing to mediate with a large group. If you are traveling to northern CA, Spirit Rock is about a half hour from San Francisco and a must-see for mindful visitors.

I have recently moved to Truckee, and it is not as easy for me to drive to Spirit Rock, but (hooray!) the Monday night Dharma Talks can now be access via the web

For a few hours you can put your life on hold and meditate via live stream

Spirit Rock is visited by an estimated 40,000 peace-seekers every year and has become one of the most influential and well-attended meditation centers in the world.  The teachings of the Buddha (Dharma) and the practices of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and loving-kindness meditation (metta) are at the heart of the programs offered at Spirit Rock

If you need an escape from everyday life where you can quiet the mind and open your heart, you can do it virtually. Check out the live webcasts, they are held every Monday night from 7:15 - 9:15pm PDT. "Spirit Rock Live: Monday Nights with Jack Kornfield and Friends." The cost of the live stream a sliding scale starting at $10. There are also many free resources on the Spirit Rock website.