Tuesday, September 22nd
Special guest, Michael Zimmerman!
7 – 8:30pm
$10 Boulder Integral Members
$15 Standard

Join Jeff Salzman and climate change expert, Michael Zimmerman, CU professor and author of Integral Ecology, for an integral view of the scientific, social, and economic forces that make up one of the great issues of our time.   What’s behind the polarized views of this ostensibly objective subject?   Are we really heading to eco-dystopia? … or being hoodwinked by stealth agenda of anti-modernism and world government?   Integral theory challenges the doctrinaire views of both the left and right on this issue, so if you want some fresh thinking on a battle that is going to last our lifetime, come be part of the conversation with Jeff and Michael.

Tuesday, September 15th
7 – 8:30pm
$10 Boulder Integral Members
$15 Standard

• What’s up with all the commotion over President Obama’s initiative to reform health care?
• Why are some people so opposed to a government role, and others so adamantly in favor?
• Is a bi-partisan solution possible?
• What does cultural evolution tell us about how this might unfold, and where it will end up?

Join Jeff Salzman for an integral view of this crazy, mixed up battle, and gain some insight into the social and political forces that are at work.  Bottom line: no need to be discouraged; this is Life living Itself and Emergence emerging (but jeez, does it have to be so painful?).

In his book Grace & Grit, philosopher Ken Wilber writes: “we are living in a world of sin, separation, or duality—that is, we are living in a fallen, illusory, or fragmented state.” He, amongst countless other eminent teachers of spirituality of all traditions throughout history, has taught that there is a path to living as fullness and freedom even in the midst of this sometimes difficult human condition.

In living an integral lifestyle,we try to bring practice and awareness to at least four main aspects of the self: spirit, mind, body, and shadow.  Meditation, then, is prescribed as one of the best medicines for getting to know our deep, interior being, especially in the realm of spirit, but also, in bringing simple awareness to all everyday activities and realities in our complex lives.

This is why we think a meditation course is critical to all happenings at Boulder Integral. And who better start off with than parents, since parents are a special bunch! We want to invite you–under the fine guidance of Charlotte Rotterdam–to start your practice, to refresh, rest, heal and understand the gift of who you are, your family and life.

About the course

Who, as a parent, has time for such a luxury as meditation? Here is a chance to not only rest your body but also your mind, and draw on your inner wisdom to bring greater awareness to your everyday life. The Buddhist teachings remind us that our spiritual practice can flourish within the messiness of everyday chores and obligations. They point to the inherent spaciousness of life and offer practices that can help us access our innate compassion, restfulness and insight within the whirlwinds of our lives.

In our sessions together we will explore

• Introduction to Shamatha meditation – finding calm within; what is true ‘rest’?
• Tonglen – developing compassion for ourselves and others; a powerful technique for healing when there is nothing else ‘to do’
• Feeding your Demons – working with our obstacles and struggles by facing and feeding them; accepting the ‘bad mother’
• Working with the Body – accessing the insights and wisdom of our physical bodies

We’ll take a look at our own wrath, compassion, humor, and stress, and how the myriad of our emotional experiences can be held in a light yet fully engaged manner as we traverse the winding path of parenthood. This class is an opportunity to spend time in actual practice and to explore ways of bringing mindfulness to the everyday concerns and challenges of raising our children. Our time together will be divided between meditative practice, teachings, and discussion, drawing on the shared wisdom of the group.

• No previous meditation experience is necessary.
• Parents of all ages are welcome! It does not matter how young or old your children are or whether your children live with you or not. It could also be that you are currently expecting your first child or you are considering starting a family.
• You may attend on your own or with partner
• Although some of the practices are from the Buddhist tradition, this course is not just for Buddhists and is not a course in Buddhism.  Practitioners within any tradition are welcome.
• Childcare is available on site. Parents who bring children will need to pay for childcare separately from course fees.  To pre-register your child or to find out more about childcare, please contact Charlotte Rotterdam at czrotterdam@gmail.com.

Registration and other details

Course dates: Every Wednesday, October 7-November 18 (excluding November 4)
Meeting time: 5:30pm – 7pm
Venue: 2805 Broadway St. Boulder, CO 80304

Course fees:
Individual  Boulder Integral Member $165/ Individual non-member  $180
Couple Boulder Integral Members $320/ Couple non-members $345

5  Scholarships available to those who really need financial assistance.

Scholarship rate: Couple $190/Individual $135 (please send email to nomali@boulderintegral.org with brief email stating your need for a scholarship)  Scholarship amounts must be paid by check as soon as you are approved. 

Register soon as this course is only taking in 30 participants.  Day 1, Oct. 7 is open to all, so that some of you can decide whether to register for full course. Drop-in day is $20 (non-members) and $15 for Boulder Integral members and this can be paid at the door.  If you decide to register on that day, you may pay by check or register online.

Click here to register

To get the discounted rate, become a member here.

Refund Policy

Your full amount minus $30 of admin fees will be refunded if you cancel no later than Sep. 26.  There is no refund after Sep. 27 unless we have others waiting to take your place.  This is because the course is closed (30 people max.) once everyone has registered in order to maintain a safe container for the deep process oriented work that we will be doing.  If someone drops out, we cannot replace your seat at a later date. Therefore we do not offer any refunds. If you have any questions, please contact Nomali@boulderintegral.org.  Thank you.

About the teacher
Charlotte Rotterdam has been teaching meditation and Buddhism for the last several years. The mother of two boys, she has written on the intersection of spiritual practice and motherhood. Most recently, she served as Executive Director at Tara Mandala Buddhist Retreat Center in southern Colorado; previously she was Program and Managing Director of Naropa University‘s School of Extended Studies. She received her Masters in religious studies from Harvard Divinity School, currently teaches as adjunct faculty in Naropa’s Core College and works as a coach, teacher and consultant. www.feedingyourdemons.wordpress.com

Hi Friends,

Do you have gently used items that you don’t need anymore? Please consider donating to Boulder Integral. We will take care of selling them at the yard sale. You can come by the center and drop off your items anytime between now and May 28th.

To set up a time for items drop-off, please contact:

Linda Laws: 303 541 1540. ext. 16 or Linda@BoulderIntegral.org

Nomali Perera: 303 541 1540. ext. 11 or nomali@BoulderIntegral.org

WHEN: May 29

TIME: 8:30am – 3pm

WHERE: Our parking lot at north/west corner of Broadway and Balsam (2805 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304)