2022 Schedule
Hello, dear Sangha and Sangha-to-be!
Just like last year, regarding our Wattle Hollow events:
ONLY FULLY VACCINATED FOLKS WILL BE WELCOME.
So you beautiful soulful millennials and others who are on the fence about this issue, it’s time to get in line for your vaccination if you want to come to Wattle Hollow programs this spring and summer and fall. The booster is also something I heavily encourage!
There will probably be more dates and events scheduled than are listed below, but this is the schedule that I can foresee for now.
Blessings to you all and may your mindfulness be deep and rich, amidst the battering difficulties of this past year.
You can send your questions to me: joyfoxwath@gmail.com
About Dharma Days
Dharma Days are a one-day opportunity, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to take a personal tour in the Theravadan Vipassana meditation traditional practices of sitting, walking, eating and loving-kindness/metta.
It’s a great chance for beginning meditators to get their feet wet, and for oldies to refresh their practice. We also do a mild 50-minute stretching/yoga/or creative movement session. An organic vegetarian lunch will be served. No charge for this day, though dana/donations are accepted. See Registration Form below to register.
We will have chairs or cushions available for sitting, and yoga mats for our period of stretching, though you all are of course welcome to bring your own. I will send out an orientation letter well before the event.
All are welcome, though pre-registration must be no less than three days before the retreat (e.g. the Wednesday before). These Dharma Days have been filling up the last couple of years, so don’t wait til the last minute to sign up, friends.
At Dharma Day, we also practice the Buddhist tradition of Noble Silence, though there will be group discussions and question periods. The participants’ silence allows them to sink down into the practice without distractions.
(If you are concerned about the Covid-19 sanitation aspect for your yoga, blanket and meditation equipment, probably better to bring your own supplies and perhaps dishware for lunch, dears.). Masks will be optional.
Nature Day
Saturday, April 23, 2022
I am happy to announce the convergence of THREE delightful naturalists who will lead us in our exploration of springtime wonders on this Saturday’s hike:
-Joe Neal – the “Bird Guy” who is well-known in the region and an avid environmentalist.
-Colby Marshall – whom I think of as the “Frog Guy”, who does environmental impact statements for a living…and is the closest neighbor to Wattle Hollow.
-Bo Verser – the “Bug Guy”, and also an avid environmentalist/ photographer. (see more about Bo and other teacher profiles at this link.)
We’ll start at the top of the Wattle driveway at 9..and walk down the 1.25 mile driveway (There is parking across from the driveway at my neighbor’s house. We can ferry you back up the mountain later.)
We have a bring-your-own sack lunch/potluck on the the Wattle Hollow deck, traditionally, and then the hardiest members of the group will climb down into the creek-bed for a deeper exploration of the flora and fauna and everything else that we find! Or just explore the ecology of the pond, perhaps?
No charge for this day, folks…but bring your binoculars if you have some.
Songwriters Creativity Weekend
April 29 – May 1st, 2022
I’ve lost track of the number of fabulous weekends (27, maybe?) during which we have seen our “inner children” run free of their boundaries in a joyful exploration of what is possible, musically and creatively.
Our amazing and talented guides are Jack Williams and Still on the Hill musicians, Donna and Kelly Mulholland. It feels like a family reunion, and the newest members are lovingly absorbed right away.
These retreats usually fill up, so please contact Judy Williams ( email judy@jackwilliamsmusic.com or call 205-572-0056)
For information about registration.
AGAIN, ONLY FULLY VACCINATED PARTICIPANTS MAY REGISTER.
These Songwriters’Creativity retreats are now scaled down in size to enrich our experience and minimize crowding.
Dharma Day
Saturday, May 7, 2022 (10 a.m. -4 p.m.) – THIS IS NOW FULL and a waiting list….
We will be practicing the various forms of Vipassana Buddhist meditation:
-Sitting (no sessions more than 30-40 minutes), various types of practices.
-Walking (both indoor and outdoor)
-Eating (lunchtime will be silent, with special focus on the food)
-Metta/Lovingkindness practice
The practice of Noble Silence will be observed all day, except for group discussions, in order to deepen our meditative focus.
All Dharma Days are suitable for oldies and newcomers…since we all need to arrive with “beginner’s mind,” anyhow.
No charge for this day, in the ancient Buddhist tradition.
Eight- Day Meditation Retreat
May 14 – 21st 2022
I am very happy to restore this opportunity, to enter deeply into a meditative journey with you, dear yogis. We will have time to practice the “Sweeping” tradition of my root teacher, S.M. Goenka, as well as our other meditative practices.
You must have completed at least one Dharma Day (not necessarily this year) to qualify for the weekend experience.
This will be an opportunity to sink deeper into our meditative focus, perhaps gaining an inner witness powerful enough to open a dialogue with our wily monkey minds, about craving and aversion. It will be held in noble silence, except for group discussions and personal interviews with Joy. We will fast from Saturday lunch until Sunday morning, in accordance with the Buddhist custom.
We will be preparing and cooking the noonday meals together, to give yogis a more cohesive and wholistic perspective on nurturing ourselves and the planet.
Registration will close one week before the event, so don’t hesitate to sign up soon, dears.
No charge for this event, although donations (dana) are accepted.
Dharma Day
June 4, 2022 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Dharma Days are an opportunity to take a personal tour of the Theravadan Vipassana meditation (traditionally practiced in SE Asia and in the West) practices of sitting, walking, eating and loving-kindness/metta.
It’s a great chance for beginning meditators to get their feet wet, and for oldies to refresh their practice. We also do a mild 50-minute stretching/yoga/or creative movement session. An organic vegetarian lunch will be served.
No charge for this day, though dana/ donations are accepted.
Kundalini with Jimmye Whitfield as taught by Yogi Bhajan
Sunday, June 19th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Picean Age is falling apart at all the seams. The Aquarian Age is here! Turmoil, emptiness, insanity and pain is everybody’s affairs.
How do we get through to the much anticipated Age of Peace, Love, Happiness and Enlightenment?
Come join us as we access into our greatness to find what our souls already know. Our day will include a leisurely lunch and a lovingkindness meditation guided by Joy.
Dharma Day
July 9th, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
We will be practicing the various forms of Vipassana Buddhist meditation:
-Sitting (no sessions more than 30-40 minutes), various types of practices.
-Walking (both indoor and outdoor)
-Eating (lunchtime will be silent, with special focus on the food)
-Metta/Lovingkindness practice
The practice of Noble Silence will be observed all day, except for group discussions, in order to deepen our meditative focus.
All Dharma Days are suitable for oldies and newcomers…since we all need to arrive with “beginner’s mind,” anyhow.
No charge for this day, in the ancient Buddhist tradition.
Time Out Weekend
RESCHEDULED!! – Fri 6 pm, July 22 – Sunday 4 pm, July 24
We will be exploring an alternate concept of time, the creative life-giving force of living in “kyros” time, as opposed to the traditional and widely accepted version of chronological time.
What does it cost us to pretend that our lives can be measured out in minutes, hours, days, months … and to ignore THIS, whatever is happening here in this moment?
We will hold Noble Silence (except for group discussions and Interviews (with Joy), fast on Saturday evening, and do
some kind of movement exercises each day.
No charge for this weekend, but you must register well in advance.
Being Where You Are Weekend
Rescheduled!! November 4th – 6th (Fri 6:00 pm – Sun 2:00 pm)
We are again quite fortunate to lure the amazing Mark Cain away from his extremely busy farm schedule to join us for
this event, and to share his grace as a yogi-meditator. He and I will co-teach and guide you. This event has happened annually every year for (about?) sixteen years, minus the pandemic one year.
This is a deeper dive into the possibilities of witnessing our meditative focus and offering the mind and body a veritable “brainwash.”
No particular expertise is required for either meditation or yoga….but each participant in our sangha needs to pack equal parts of self-compassion and intention for the journey.
$125. Suggested donation, though of course no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
The weekend is held in Noble Silence, except for group discussions, and an interview with me (Joy).
