IN PERSON: Healing the Wounds of Christianity: A Daylong for the Alphabet (LGBTQIA+) Community
with Melvin Escobar & Dawn Haney
Sunday, March 31, 2024
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Pacific Time
In person at EBMC (285 17th St, Oakland CA 94612)
As mindfulness practitioners learning in the United States, the cultural dominance of Christianity shapes our practice in unacknowledged ways. For those of us in the Alphabet (LGBTQIA+) Community, how have we attempted to escape the traumatic and historical wounds of Christianity with our mindfulness practice, only to find the same puritan values infused here too? Melvin & Dawn will bring together mindfulness practices and expressive art activities to directly explore Christian dominance (including its whiteness/patriarchy) and how we might collectively heal ourselves and our practices.
All registered participants will receive an EventBrite confirmation email.
For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 40 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: Teachers may be unmasked while teaching.
To attend in person, you need to be completely free of fragranced body and clothing products — more information and a list of fragrance free products, including those that are especially good for people of color, appears on our website.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.
Teacher Bios
Melvin Escobar (he/him) is a Core Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center, licensed psychotherapist, and yoga instructor. He has walked the path of service for much of his life, drawing on his experiences as a queer man of color from an immigrant working-class background. Melvin is driven by the desire to make wisdom teachings accessible in culturally relevant ways and continues daily to learn the revolutionary potential of body-centered contemplative practices for personal and social healing.
Dawn Haney (they/she) has been organizing, coaching, teaching, and writing for 25 years, on feminism, white anti-racism, Buddhism, leadership, and liberation. They weave wisdom from Buddhism and social justice traditions, understanding identity, power, and change through their own experiences as a white, fat, queer, nonbinary femme, and through social movements from migrant justice to fat liberation. A dharma student since 2003, she is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leaders program, a Community Teacher at East Bay Meditation Center and the Alphabet Sangha, and has taught across the US, including as a former Co-Director of Buddhist Peace Fellowship.
Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
To support the teachings of Dawn and Melvin, please donate via:
Dawn – Paypal: dawnmarissa@gmail.com -or- Venmo: @dawnmarissa
Melvin – Paypal: melvin@melvinescobar.com -or- Venmo @Melvin-Escobar
paypal.me/PAYPALmelvinescobar; https://www.venmo.com/u/Melvin-Escobar
