All posts tagged: New Years

Reflection: The Key to Continuous Learning

Published by dmcblog

By Dhi Good // When we take time regularly to contemplate the values we embrace and the goals we set, we create a cycle of continuous learning. This kind of learning needs no external authority. It’s how we access and act on our inner wisdom. Reflection can be an excellent companion to a meditation practice. Meditation practice helps us learn to work with the mind. For example, when we decide to develop a meditation path, how will we know if it is working as intended? How will we know if it is worth the effort and investment of time? That’s where reflection can help make meaning from life and guide our future choices. Cut off the Critic and Cultivate Curiosity Too often we cut off reflection and pronounce harsh judgements on ourselves, saying: “I’m no good at this. My mind is a mess. I’m too lazy, busy, or frazzled.” With such a critical approach, it may be tempting to give up on our intentions because the setbacks or challenges are too painful to examine. We’d rather avoid …

Take These Two Vows for a Fresh Beginning in 2019

Published by dmcblog

By Jonathan Barbieri // Each year we usually have some positive experiences and some negative. By the end of the year there is a quality of shifting – that the energy of the previous year has come to a culmination; it could feel charged or stale and often is somewhere in-between. There is a reason that the New Year’s celebration is several thousands of years old. It has always been a time of renewal – fresh beginnings throughout the world. A time of reflection on our aspirations and human capability. Whether we feel confident about going forward or uncertain the ground is ripe, we human beings have enormously rich qualities. We have intelligence, kindness, caring and an inner strength. These innate qualities are the foundation for the New Year as well as our life journey. Each year at Shambhala Mountain Center, people gather for a New Year’s retreat called Take a Leap. Being at a special place, during a poignant time together with special people, is a great environment to nourish our rich and positive …

Advice for Setting New Year Intentions (Rather than Resolutions)

Published by dmcblog

For the past several years, Shastri Jon Barbierri has come up to Shambhala Mountain Center to lead a group retreat designed to help people enter the new year with strength, intention, and joy. In this short interview, Jon shares some wisdom related to this process of setting intentions rather than resolutions, as well as what he’s learned from leading this retreat year after year. Enjoy the video below, or scroll down to stream/download the audio. Shambhala Mountain Center hosts Take a Leap into 2018: Establish Your Intention and Commitment with Shastri Jon Barbieri, December 29, 2017–January 1, 2018 — click here to learn more Audio may be streamed below. To download, follow this link, click “More,” click “Download.” Featured image by Corey Ruffner About the Authors Shastri Jonathan Barbieri is a senior teacher in the Shambhala Lineage who has taught Buddhist and Shambhala trainings extensively throughout North America for over 30 years. Jon has been engaged in several livelihood pursuits including consulting with cities and counties on workforce development, creating contemplative co-housing communities, and, most …

Setting an Aspiration (Rather than a “Resolution”) for 2016

Published by Travis Newbill

Do you have any New Year resolutions in mind? Any big changes you’d like to see happen in 2016? What is your approach to that whole thing, and what has your experience been in past years? Here’s a way of framing this tradition that you may find helpful: In our culture, the idea of making these “resolutions” — changes that we schedule to take effect immediately at midnight on January 1st, and then sustain indefinitely — is often treated with either an unhealthy degree of ambition and wishful thinking, or else cynicism and a sense of… “screw it.” A wonderful teacher and mentor of mine, Jon Barbieri, identifies the problematic aspects of resolution-making, and offers a different, more sane way of thinking about the prospect of “self-improvement.” The approach that he offers is based on harnessing the energy of renewal that comes along with the changing of the calendar year, and with that, embarking on a journey with the intention of gradually shifting the habitual patterns that bring about the results that we find to …

Jon Barbieri on Establishing Intention and Commitment for the New Year (Video/Audio)

Published by dmcblog

Shambhala Mountain Center hosts Take a Leap into 2015: Establish Your Intention and Commitment with Jonathan Barbieri December 30, 2014–January 1, 2015 It’s become a yearly tradition here at Shambhala Mountain Center for Jon Barbieri to lead a special program that allows our aspirations for the New Year to become clear, confident and committed through reflection and renewal. He leads us beyond the usual goal focused resolutions and we learn how to go deeper and reconnect with our innate insight and wisdom and see renewal as a further step in our life’s journey. Watch our interview with Jon below, or scroll down to stream/download the audio. If you’d like to download the audio file, CLICK HERE and find the “Download” button. Otherwise, you can stream the audio below. ~~~ Jonathan Barbieri was part of the first Shambhala Directors Training with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in the late 1970′s. Since then, he has taught extensively throughout North America. Jon has been engaged in several livelihood pursuits including being a consultant to cities and counties on workforce development …