Heather Sundberg began teaching meditation in 1999 primarily to youth and families. She completed teacher training at Spirit Rock and is mentored by Jack Kornfield. Heather has studied with senior teachers in the Insight Meditation and Tibetan (Vajrayana) traditions, and has sat 1-3 months of retreat a year for over a decade. She was teacher and mangager of the Spirit Rock Family Program from 2001-2010. She is a teacher for Mountain Stream Meditation Center in the Sierra Foothills and also teaches classes, daylongs and retreats nationally, especially at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.
Exploring on the levels of mind-heart-body, including teachings on patience, equanimity, compassion and forgiveness. The talk reflects on befriending the 'difficult' person in metta practice, with the underlying intention of reminding us that we are all in this together; that befriending difficult people can be both workable and transformational and that there are practical tools available to assist us on our journey.
Through stories and practical instruction,s the talk illuminates the direct experience of fear and other challenging emotions and describes the transformation of fear into love through the practices of naming, mindfulness of the body/nervous system, lovingkindness and letting go.
In this talk Heather discusses the wisdom aspects of compassion, such as the three characteristics of existence (change, stress, impersonality), explores obstacles to experiencing the compassionate heart, and presents daily
life practices of compassion in action. The evening concludes with shares from the sangha on their personal compassion practices.
Through personal stories, practical techniques and humor, the talk outlines five areas for working with judgments:
1. Mindfulness of Body
2. RAIN Practice
3. Heart Practices
4. Learning about patterns
5. Value of wise friends
Using images, stories and quotes from teachers and spiritual leaders, this talk explores the practice of equanimity, discussing the topics of dependent conditions, working with challenges to equanimity, and offering equanimity practice techniques.
After recently returning from six months of study and practice in Asia, Heather shares a few stories from her trip, weaving the themes of the outer journey and the inner journey of retreat. Teachings and practice tips focus primarily on working with strong emotions, the five hindrances and the process of letting go.
Through personal stories and practical techniques for daily life practice, the talks explore the relationship between the Divine Abodes (lovingkindness, compassion, joy and equanimity) and the Four Nobel Truths, especially the Eight Fold Path. Part 2 following the Wed. class 5/5/10
Through personal stories, traditional teachings, somatic exercises & exploration of language, the talk explores this fundamental teaching of the Four Noble Truths.
