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scheduled classes.

building a tolerance for happiness.

this is an invitation to cultivate yourself as the ground for happiness and practice happiness.

     ॐ  rid yourself of the skepticism and superstitions that surround happiness,
     ॐ  build an increasing tolerance for happiness, mind and body,
     ॐ  expand the happiness you already have,
     ॐ  be happy, not circumstantially delighted, but actually happy more of the time,
     ॐ  practice happiness as a social virtue.

join us for a couple of hours, every third thursday or so for eight sessions, to begin to relax into that sometimes elusive, much sought after state called happiness.

time: every third thursday evening, or so from 6p-8p
dates: november 30, december 14, january 4 & 25, february 8, march 1 & 22
location: north berkeley, 94702
cost: $280
register: call laura lund at (510) 612-6429

are you happy?
as happy as you want to be? more often than not? as happy as you thought you'd be when you grew up? not just keeping doom at bay but actually happy? maybe a little bit?

or are you rushing about, here and there, to get or do the things you need in order to survive today and be happy someday, only then to risk some unforeseen something-or-other raining on your parade?

all this busyness conditions the body and mind for more rushing about, more doing, more getting, all of which have their merits but are not inherent to happiness. years of habituating ourselves to getting happy someday means that we haven't had much of a chance to learn how to be happy now. heck, we can hardly tolerate it when it happens upon us. really.

happiness is a funny thing.
admit it, when happiness finds you it's more often a cause for cautious skepticism, after the initial delight: this won't last. something must be wrong that things are going right. i don't deserve this. i am going to have to pay for this little slice of heaven.

maybe your form of this skepticism is more like superstition: i better be quiet about this little bubble of joy or someone will take it away from me. i deserve this because i've been so good for so long …and i'll have to keep being good, very carefully good, now that i've had a taste of happiness.

we couldn't be happy, regardless of circumstances, could we?
this invitation is extended without denying or trying to sidestep the various miseries of life because, let's face it, some circumstances will always be easier than others.

most of us have a sort of list of the conditions under which it would be possible to be Happy All The Time, or Mostly Happy. some of us even have pared it down to the essential, "if i only had (fill in the blank), then i'd be happy.” maybe we won't say it out loud, maybe we don't even dare to whisper it or wish it but, at the very least, the wish lurks in all of us, in some form, whether we acknowledge it or secret it away from even ourselves. however we voice it, the presumption is that happiness is coming; in fact, it might be just around the corner. after all, happiness is said to come to those who wait (ever wonder why that is?).

why wait?

everyone wants to be happy.
and indeed we can be happy regardless of circumstances, if we are willing, because this is not an invitation to happiness-because-we've-gotten-what-we-want, at long last, or for pie-in-the-sky someday happiness.

the practice we will engage is called zapchen. you will learn and practice simple exercises that you can take into any situation, from the boardroom to your backyard. these exercises support the budding and flourishing of happiness in ourselves and others through:

     ॐ  simply accessed ease
     ॐ  mental clarity
     ॐ  spontaneous & free flowing laughter
     ॐ  greater flexibility of perceptual & emotional responses
     ॐ  quicker recovery from stress
     ॐ  lower heart rate
     ॐ  better regulation of blood pressure
     ॐ  access to creativity
     ॐ  increased energy
     ॐ  frequent bouts of playfulness

the zapchen approach differs from other practices in that it uses and encourages the things we do naturally to regulate bodily function and perception and to influence the social milieu rather than imposing foreign or rigid structures. this is especially beneficial if you are already under stress from the day-to-day pressures of life and don't want one more thing to do in the long list of things you do each day. this is a practice which you do, primarily, as you go along your way each day.

woman's meditation..

vacation without going anywhere

this is an invitation to let go of old points of view, attitudes and stories and enter a time of respite so that you can be nourished by new things.

time: two saturdays/month from 10a-12p
dates: december 3, january 6 & 20, february 3, further dates to be scheduled
location: North Berkeley, 94702
cost: $140 for these sessions
register: call laura lund at (510) 612-6429

whether or not you have the time and money for your dream vacation, join us for a couple of hours, two saturdays a month or so, to relax into that mysterious, much heralded state known as meditation. with this form of meditation, you will learn to:

     ॐ  allow stillness to simply arise,
     ॐ  encourage the body's natural capacity for ease,
     ॐ  and take the mystery out of meditation.

this form is known as zapchen. you will learn and practice simple exercises that you can take into any situation, from the boardroom to your backyard. the benefits are numerous:

     ॐ  lower heart rate
     ॐ  better regulation of blood pressure
     ॐ  increased energy
     ॐ  quicker recovery from stress
     ॐ  greater flexibility of perceptual & emotional responses
     ॐ  mental clarity

the zapchen approach to meditation differs from other practices in that it uses and encourages the things our bodies do naturally to regulate bodily function and perception rather than imposing foreign or rigid structures. this is especially beneficial if you are already under stress from the day-to-day pressures of life and don't want one more thing to do in the long list of things you do each day. this is a practice which you do, primarily, as you go along your way each day and then, if you notice you'd also like to do a sitting meditation, you can do that too.

I hope you will join us,

Laura

future classes.

conjunctio designs and facilitates customized events and classes for groups, and personal or group retreats. previous classes and retreats have included:

please contact conjunctio, if you would like to request the design, scheduling or organizing of an event, class or retreat.

rates.

number of participants is limited and varies based on location.
class fee scale: $100-$150 /person/day plus accommodations


contact conjunctio.
for a complimentary phone consultation
to determine the best process for you.
(510) 612-6429
thrive@conjunctio.com