Feedback from our “Should we change?” poll
The Portland Shambhala Meditation Center Council has been discussing what we heard at the Town Hall (see background information and panel discussions blog posts). We invited community members to weigh in on the issues in a poll titled “Should We Change or Not, Move or Stay?” We had 49 respondents, which for an online survey of a … Continue
Panel discussion – how other groups have moved or changed
We had a Panel Discussion to hear about the experience of other communities as they moved and changed. Our panelists shared very moving and relevant experience. Here is an audio recording of the Panel their comments and the discussion that followed. Thanks to Nancy Smith for capturing the highlights of what the panelists shared about … Continue
Town Hall Presentation materials – Oct 12, 2019
This is the first of three blog posts about Portland Shambhala Meditation Center’s Town Hall on October 12, 2019. The second covers what we heard from a panel of leaders from other spiritual communities about having moved their centers in the last few years, and the third post reports on what those present said about the … Continue
The role of Desung — navigating an emotional world as we seek to help others
In this 7 minute video, Kirsten Mullen, the new Desung for the Portland Shambhala Center talks about navigating an emotional world as we seek to help others. Awareness is the key.
Harvest of Peace 2019
Portland Shambhala celebrated our annual Harvest of Peace gathering on September 22. Harvest of Peace celebrates the fall equinox,
Have you heard about the Center relocation discussions?
On Sunday Sept. 8 about 20 of us engaged in a lively exploration of the options open to our Center either for renewing our lease or leasing another space. Our lease for $3,000/month ends on Jan. 31, 2020. We have new landlords and are in discussions with them about a new, affordable lease. Affordability is … Continue
Relocation News Bulletin as of August 24th
Given that our current lease at Carnegie ends at the end of January 2020, five months away, the Relocation Team has been busy exploring our options. First, some of us had a congenial meeting with the new owners, Craig and Cameron. They intend to make minor improvements to the building including, if possible, an ADA … Continue
Some certainty in Shambhala
In this video Janie and I discuss some clarity and certainty that’s emerging in Shambhala. The recent letter from the Interim Board has useful details about a level of stability in Shambhala that we haven’t had for the past months. It involves investment in infrastructure and development of care and conduct training for all people … Continue
Relocation update: Reaching out to three local Lutheran churches
Relocation News: One of our strategies for securing a home for our practice has been to look at Sharing space with an existing community–church, yoga center, other community oriented non-profit. Mark Douglass has reached out to local Lutheran churches to inquire about options for sharing/renting space on an ongoing basis. Here’s his report: Leaven Community … Continue
Reporting on the PSMC Council Retreat
For the Portland Shambhala Meditation Center’s first Council retreat this year, we decided to not emphasize note-taking and a tight agenda (agendas and minutes are a hallmark of how we work month-to-month). So in this 7 minute video Janie and I attempt to reflect on what was important and useful in our retreat. Obviously we … Continue
