The Wakeful Body with Lama Willa Blythe Baker
Join Lama Willa Blythe Baker for a virtual meditation retreat exploring the body as a dimension of consciousness.
When we think of “consciousness” most of us think of the mind, or of maybe something expansive that transcends the mundane mind, but rarely do we think of consciousness as something to do with the body. Yet the most current scientific theories emphasize that consciousness is embodied and enworlded. Another way to say this is that consciousness lives in the through the body. The body therefore is not merely a material form….it is conscious, aware and wakeful.
In this half day retreat, we will explore what it means to experience our body as conscious, and our consciousness as embodied, and why it matters critically for our practice, our life and the welfare of others.
About the teacher:
Lama Willa Blythe Baker, Ph.D. is the Founder of Natural Dharma Fellowship in Boston, MA and its retreat center Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, NH. She was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism after twelve years of monastic training and two consecutive three-year retreats. She also has trained in the Nyingma and Shangpa lineages. In 2013, Willa completed a doctorate at Harvard University, and was Visiting Lecturer in Buddhist Ministry from 2013 to 2017.
Willa is author of four books: The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom (2021), The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work (2012), Everyday Dharma: Seven Weeks to Finding the Buddha in You (2009), and Essence of Ambrosia (2005). Her articles and translations have appeared in Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, Tibet Journal, and other periodicals and anthologies.
She is a contemplative faculty member with the Mind and Life Institute, Sangha Live, One Earth Sangha, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, the Omega Institute and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. She is a member of Clark University’s Council of the Uncertain Human Future and sits on the advisory board for One Earth Sangha.
At present, Willa writes, teaches, guides meditation retreats, and develops curriculum for people interested in cultivating a deep meditation practice in daily life. Her teaching interests include the wisdom of the body, eco-dharma, non-dual awareness and compassion. She lives in a cabin on a lake in New Hampshire.
About the event:
This retreat is being offered on a “pay what you’re able to” model, with a wide sliding scale to accomodate all income ranges. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary in Costa Rica! The Consciousness Explorers Club is a registered not-for-profit with the mission of making meditation and personal growth practices fun and accessible to all.
Zoom link for the workshop will be provided upon registration. An audio recording of the session will be shared with registered participants after the event, for those unable to attend some/all of the live session.
Sliding scale tickets: $50 general, $25 subsidized, $75 contributor, $100 super supporter, PWYC by donation
Register via Eventbrite