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Christmas is often associated with a pinnacle of joy and merriment. However, the time of waiting, or the dark nights of December that lead us into the light of celebration are a wonderful opportunity to drop into stillness and prepare mindfully, peacefully and lovingly for the wonder of the season.
Once again, this Winter, The Sanctuary invites you to join us for a month-long online Winter reflection that coincides with Advent. We will explore the benefits of slowing down, letting go and resting as we prepare for the return of light.
The Sanctuary has brought together four contemporary contemplatives from a range of traditions who will share their own wisdom and experience of embracing darkness, as we wait for the arrival of brighter days.
Week 1 – Hope: Saturday, November 29th at 11am with Pádraig Ó Tuama.
Poet and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama’s work centres around themes of language, power, conflict and religion. Working fluently on the page and in public, he is a compelling poet and skilled speaker, teacher and group worker. He presents Poetry Unbound with On Being Studios. From 2014-2019 he was the leader of the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation community. With undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in theology, multiple professional qualifications in conflict mediation (specialising in groups), he also holds a PhD (Poetry & Theology) from the University of Glasgow. For the Autumn terms of 2024-28, he is a visiting scholar at the centre for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University.
Week 2 – Peace: Saturday, December 6th at 11am with Brother Richard Hendrick.
Brother Richard is a priest-friar of the Irish branch of the Capuchin Franciscan Order and the author of the viral poem Lockdown and the bestseller Still Points: A Guide to Living the Mindful, Meditative Way. His second book, Calming the Storms: Meditation as a Path to Inner Peace and Happiness, was recently published. For over 20 years, he has worked to bring the insights of the Christian Contemplative tradition to wider public awareness, particularly in relation to modern mindfulness theory. He has collaborated with the Sanctuary for many years, developing a variety of courses and trainings, especially for young people and their teachers.
Week 3 – Joy: Saturday, December 13th at 11am with Sister Chân Đức a much-loved senior Dharma teacher from the Zen tradition.
Sister Chan Duc has been a disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh (Global Spiritual Leader, Buddhist monk, author and activist) since 1986. She became the first Western European woman to be ordained as a nun by Thich Nhat Hanh on November 10th 1988 in India. She received the Lamp Transmission to become a Dharma Teacher in 1990 and served as Director of Practice at Plum Village. She is the former abbess of the Green Mountain Dharma Centre in the USA. Sister Chan Duc has been on the board of directors for the Unified Buddhist Church since 1998.
Week 4 – Love: Saturday, December 20th at 11am with Jane Negrych.
Jane Negrych has taught compassion-based mindfulness for 15 years. A former Managing Director of the Sanctuary, she now teaches the Being Present course and the 8-week MBLC Teacher Training Programme. She developed the Mindfulness and Compassion Based Professional Practice course in collaboration with DCU, and has delivered the Caring for the Caregiver programme and created events like the Dawn Chorus and Waiting for the Light for the Sanctuary. Jane holds an MSc in Studies in Mindfulness, is an Honorary Teaching Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, and is currently working toward an MSc in Psychotherapy.
All sessions will be recorded but with the intention of creating a beautiful live experience, we encourage everyone to attend the zoom sessions if they can.
