Equanimity is the balance of the non-reactive mind & heart, grounded in wisdom, which supports a deep caring and leads to an appropriate response.

The quality of equanimity allows us to be less reactive, more compassionate and wise in the face of the Eight Worldly Winds: Pleasure & Pain; Gain & Loss; Praise & Blame; Fame & Disrepute.

Enjoy a weekend of quiet sitting and walking meditation, which allow our minds to settle down and our hearts to open to an inner wisdom. In addition to insight meditation practice, instruction will be offered in equanimity practice, and working with the Eight Worldly Winds such as:

• Equanimity practice using intentional phrases to develop steadiness and balance of mind & heart.
• Develop the qualities of lovingkindness, compassion & joy to support the balance of mind of equanimity
• Somatic practice to reveal and release reactivity in the body; as well as optional simple Qi Gong movement practices to explore the quality of equanimity somatically.
• Mindfulness practice to learn to identify the 8 Worldly Winds, and their ‘weather patterns’ in the mind as well as tools to decrease the reactivity of these ‘winds’.
• The weekend will also include periods of discussion with time to explore how these teachings and practices can be used in daily life, as well as optional opportunities to check in with Heather in small groups.

Heather Sundberg has taught Insight Meditation since 1999 and has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training program. Beginning her own meditation practice in her late teens and for the last 25 years, Heather has studied with senior teachers in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and Tibetan (Vajrayana) traditions. She has completed more than two accumulated years of silent retreat, and has sat 1-3 months of retreat a year for almost 20 years. She was the Spirit Rock Family & Teen Program Teacher & Manager for a decade. Between 2010- 2015 she spent a cumulative one-year in study, practice, and pilgrimage in Asia. Since 2011, she has been a Teacher at Mountain Stream Meditation Center and sister communities in the CA Sierra Foothills and also teaches nationally, especially at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She has training in both Somatic Experiencing and Hakomi Mindfulness Somatic Therapy and offers meditation support to students in person or by phone on a donation basis. Her teaching emphasizes embodiment, compassion and practical wisdom. For more information, please visit www.heathersundberg.com or www.mtstream.org.

Dana (donation): The teacher offers the teachings freely in the tradition of the Buddha and her livelihood is completely sustained by the generosity of the communities she serves. Dana (donation) for these priceless teachings will be gratefully accepted by the teacher, giving participants the opportunity to freely engage in the practice of generosity, the first step toward freedom.