Shambhala Training Level I: The Art of Being Human (Online)
with Gayle Van Gils
Open to all
Shambhala Training Level I presents a thorough grounding in mindfulness-awareness meditation practice, as well as ways we can bring its benefits into our everyday life. Shambhala Training Level I: The Art of Being Human is open to all and is the first of five weekend retreats in the Shambhala Training curriculum.
Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.
- Pema Chödron
About Shambhala Training Level I
This virtual study and practice meditation retreat weekend presents the view that at our core, we are fundamentally wholesome, decent, and worthy of respect no matter the circumstances we are in. Shambhala Training takes the approach that each of us possesses innate human wisdom, courage, and kindness. Meditation practice provides a way for us to connect more readily with these inner resources so that we can bring them out into our daily lives.
The weekend includes talks, sitting and walking meditation instruction and practice, small group meetings with an experienced meditation instructor, and group discussions of the training material and experience. This program gives us an opportunity to connect with our natural confidence and relax to the freshness of the present moment, no matter what that moment may bring. We'll discover that practicing meditation is not about escaping from the world we live in, but rather discovering our natural awareness in every aspect of our lives: work, play, relationships, emotions, and more.
Shambhala Training Level I is appropriate for beginning meditators or those looking to reconnect with the teachings and practice. Participants leave with the understanding, motivation, and tools to bring a mindfulness-awareness meditation practice into their daily lives, fostering a greater sense of connection with themselves and availability to others.
Shambhala Training Level I includes:
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Guided meditation practice
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Talks on Shambhala teachings
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Question/Answer sessions after the talks
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Small group Q&A's with a teacher
- Group discussion
Recommended book: Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa
We are looking for a volunteer zoom host to assist this Shambhala Training Level I. The responsibilities are easy to learn and training will be provided. If you have previously completed Shambhala Training Level I, you are eligible for this volunteer role. You can deepen your connection with these profound teachings at no cost, and receive a program discount to use for a future SMCNY course of your choosing. Please email us at [email protected]
About Shambhala Training
Shambhala Training offers a structured path of training in meditation, compassion, and wisdom teachings. The program consists of weekly classes and weekend meditation retreats suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators, and is open to people of any spiritual tradition.
About the Teacher
Gayle Van Gils mentors leaders and emerging leaders to find personal and business success from the inside out. She has deep experience and training in applied mindfulness and emotional intelligence, personal development, group dynamics based on empathy and authentic interaction, and the science of workplace wellbeing. This unique combination of skills allows her to communicate the human tools needed for our dynamic and challenging times. She is a compelling teacher and coach who inspires confidence and growth in her clients, helping leaders align with their values and bring greater value to their teams, organizations, and the world. Gayle is the award-winning author of Happier at Work: The Power of Love to Transform the Workplace, the popular and highly rated Udemy course, “Smart Tips: Wellness”, as well as reaching thousands of millennials with her meditation teaching on the iPhone apps Simple Habit , Wellness Coach, and RoundGlass.
Gayle is the founder of Transform Your Culture, LLC , a consultancy offering leadership coaching and training, strategic culture change guidance, training in applied mindfulness and emotional intelligence, and values and vision alignment. She is a certified instructor of Search Inside Yourself, the mindfulness and emotional intelligence training developed and proven at Google and a both a Goleman EI and Beyond EI meta-coach, helping leaders and other coaches to deepen their Emotional Intelligence. With her unique combined background of an MBA from UCLA, a Psychology BA from Duke, and decades of practicing meditation Gayle continues to help thousands of people to find more peace, energy, inspiration, joy, and success in their lives and businesses.
Testimonials
"What a profound weekend; perspective shifting."
"It feels like everything has changed, even though my life is exactly the same as it was on Friday."
"I had been meaning to take this for a long time. It was a much deeper experience than just coming to the weekly talks. I have a new appreciation for retreats."
Open to all. Zoom information will be sent prior to the class. The Patron rate makes it possible to support our online programming at this time.
Please register in advance; last minute registrants run the risk of not receiving their Zoom link in time to attend.
