The five buddha families permeate all aspects of our lives. Each buddha family is connected with a particular wisdom or enlightened energy as well as its corresponding confused counterpart. When we relate with our experience in a direct, non dualistic way we can tune into the wisdom aspect of each energy. This program will explore the buddha family energies, both enlightened and confused, as they play within our emotions, our relationships and the various aspects of our life.

In each program participants will engage in maitri space awareness practice, based on Tibetan Buddhist yoga, which highlight and draw out each of the five wisdoms. This practice, first developed by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, is at the heart of contemplative psychology. Contemplative psychology is based on the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and emphasizes human beings' innate possession of enlightened qualities such as clarity, compassion and spaciousness,. The various skillful means of contemplative psychology both draw out and elaborate these enlightened qualities in both ourselves and others we come in contact with. Included in each program will be talks, exercises, and meditation practice. Participants can attend any one or all three of the summer program.

In the summer of 2010 the program will emphasize working with emotions.

In the summer of 2011 we will emphasize relationship health, especially focusing on difficult and challenging relationship situations.

In 2012 we will emphasize personal mandala; how to bring the five buddha families into every aspect of our physical, work and home environments.

Summer 2010 " Embracing the Energy of Emotions"

From the perspective of contemplative psychology emotions are gateways to enlightened wisdoms, known as the Five Buddha Families. Instead of our emotions getting in our way and causing pain for ourselves and others, the energy of our anger, fear and passion can be utilized constructively. To do this requires skill and practice. Focus will be on a developing a workable and friendly relationship with our emotions that is not based on suppressing or acting them out. Participants will also learn a daily practice of contacting emotions directly whereby the enlightened aspects of that particular emotion can manifest. In this way we can make emotions such as fear, sadness and anger work for us, rather than against us.