(Cancelled)(Online) Five Wisdom Energies: Understanding the Feminine and Masculine of Who We Are

NOTE: This is a hybrid on-land and online retreat. To join online, you will need to do your sitting and posture practice on your own, and join online for talks and discussions. More information is listed below.

The feminine and masculine are universal qualities that are expressed throughout  every level of human experience, from the way societies operate to everyday activity to momentary perception. They have cosmic proportions and yet are very immediate in our life. 

Unfortunately, most often we find ourselves full of confusion and emotional turmoil with these seemingly oppositional energies. Yet we can heal this inner fragmentation and come into the full spectrum of who we are because both feminine and masculine energies exist innately within us! 

As well, societal patterns are perpetually locked into a feminine and masculine duality. Could we come to see society as a dynamic mandala? See that all that happens is just  energy—constricted or flowing, predictable or surprising? Could we learn to lean into the powerful energy of the constriction and see the wisdom within it? This is in fact the profundity and ultimate skillful means of the Five Wisdoms mandala. 

About Five Wisdoms Practice

The Five Wisdoms, also referred to as the Five Buddha Families, are traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings relevant to these challenging times. They are a vehicle for self-discovery and a tool for working with others in everyday life, both personally and professionally.

Each of us possess all five energies. Depending on how awake we are to our fundamental nature, the energies can be expressed in ways that reflect our innate wisdom, or in ways that reveal our confusion. According to Buddhist teachings, we all possess both feminine and masculine qualities, so we can express each regardless of our sexual identity.

Through the practice of yogic postures, the energies of our outer, phenomenal world and our inner, psychological realm can be experienced and understood as five different qualities—simple presence, clarity, richness, passion and action—with infinite permutations. Opening to our energy with gentleness and kindness allows us to develop unconditional confidence and a tender heart or maitri. We uncover our strengths and let them shine! We radiate a natural brilliance, our authentic presence.

For a further exploration of each of the five wisdoms, you are invited to explore the teacher’s website.

What to Expect

This program engages us in the immediate experience of embodied energy.

We will have talks and discussion, practice the Five Wisdom postures with coloured glasses, and do interactive practices. Through moving, vocalizing, and role playing, we explore the dynamics further and have insights that cultivate of the best within and around us.

These practices help us develop personal integration through direct experience of the basic elements of our existence: our body, emotions, thoughts, psychology, the spiritual dimension and surroundings. Discovering our unique way of perceiving and interacting with the world yields enormous insight into our patterns: what we think, feel, say, and do.

The Online Schedule

In order to synchronize the online schedule for a range of time zones, participants will be expected to do both their sitting and posture practice sessions on their own — coming together for discussion, talks and other activities with the group at DDL. A more detailed schedule will be provided when you register, but an overview of the sessions for which you need to be logged-in is as follows:

OPENING TALK SATURDAY AUGUST 21
The opening talk on Saturday, August 21 is scheduled for 4:00 pm ADT / 3:00 EDT / 12:00 PDT / 9:00 pm CET.

SUNDAY AUGUST 22 TO SATURDAY AUGUST 28

Atlantic Daylight Time: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Eastern Daylight Time: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Pacific Daylight Time: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Central European Time: 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Note: The closing session on Saturday will start at your usual time, but will be shorter.

To find your time zone, use this Time Zone Converter. Note that Daylight Savings times can vary according to region, so it’s a good idea to check with the Time Zone Converter close to start date for the program.

Who Should Attend

There are no pre-requisites for this course: everyone who is interested is invited to attend.

Please note, if you have significant physical challenges, you are still welcome to attend. You will be instructed as to how to modify the postures.

References

The Five Wisdoms Institute (Irini Rockwell’s website)

The Five Buddha Families (Lion’s Roar article)

Embodied Transformation (Shambhala Times article)

Costs

Tuition: $550 CAD

Useful Links

Registration & Financial Information
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