WISDOM CENTER
OF SANTA CRUZ
MANAGING EMOTIONS MINDFULLY
Wisdom Center, Fall 2024
Tuesdays, September 3 through October 22
6:00 to 7:30 pm
In person | Registration open
His Holiness the Dalai Lama always says, “We all want happiness, and want to avoid suffering.” Our emotions can lead us to our greatest joys and most painful sorrows. In their most creative capacity, they are guides pointing us towards who we truly are and what is most meaningful in our lives. However, most of us struggle with disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, jealousy, resentment, etc. At their most destructive, we are caught by them: lost in the grip of anger, sadness, fear, or overwhelm. This suffering is something we have all felt, but we can create more space, choice, and ease in the face of it.
Does Buddhism have any unique perspective to offer that can help us deal with our disturbing emotions? Do the ideas of Buddhist psychology and modern research support each other, or contradict each other?
In this class, we will we will explore the interface between the ideas of modern psychology and the Buddhist contemplative methods and approaches to dealing with disturbing emotions, including:
-
Understanding how emotions work, and how they can work for and not against us;
-
Recognizing and working with emotional triggers;
-
Looking at the definition of disturbing emotions from both the Buddhist and psychological perspectives
-
Applying an understanding of Buddhist philosophical principles to our emotional lives
These sessions will include discourse, discussion, small group activities, meditation instruction and guided meditation sessions. They are suitable for new students as well as experienced students wishing to deepen their practice. All are welcome. This class is open to all levels of meditation experience.
Note: This class is not designed as a drop-in class. The sessions will be progressive, with each session building on the information of the one before, therefore it is recommended to attend all the sessions if possible.
Tuition:
Full tuition $399
Subsidized tuition $250
Fixed income $108
Refund Policy:
Refund minus $25 processing fee.
Coming next January 2025
Compassion Cultivation Training
This 8-week training includes 2 hours per week of meditation instruction & practice, lectures, skill-building and group discussions
at the
Wisdom Center of Santa Cruz
The Galleria, Suite 240 COMMUNITY ROOM
740 Front Street, Santa Cruz
**Waiting list is now open for Winter, 2025
Sign up below to be notified.
with Tenzin Chogkyi
https://www.unlockingtruehappiness.org/
8 week class
In person only; Limited to 25 people.
Compassion Cultivation Training™ (CCT) is an 8-week educational program designed to help you improve your resilience and feel more connected to others—ultimately providing an overall sense of well-being. This course is designed to develop the qualities of compassion, empathy, and kindness for oneself and for others by integrating traditional contemplative practices with contemporary psychology and scientific research on compassion.
The Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) was developed at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and the Compassion Institute (CI) by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists and researchers.
CCT will support you to improve your relationships with friends, family, clients, patients, staff, and coworkers.
You’ll walk away from each CCT class with tools and practices you can immediately put to work.
CCT will help you:
-
Improve awareness
-
Increase connection to others
-
Decrease the distress you may feel in difficult situations
CCT is a two-hour weekly class that includes:
-
Large and small group discussions to share learning experiences
-
Guided meditation to improve awareness
-
Listening and communication exercises to build compassionate interactions
-
You’ll also have daily homework of one guided meditation per day and informal practices to try as you go about your day.
A commitment to attend each session is required. If you know you will need to miss more than one session, please consider attending the training at a future time when you can attend all the sessions. While no previous meditation experience is required, we ask that participants practice a guided daily meditation as a key component of the training.
Class length: 8 consecutive Tuesday evenings 6:00-8:00 pm, April 23 through June 11
About the instructor:
Tenzin Chogkyi (she/her/hers) is a teacher of workshops and programs that bridge the worlds of Buddhist thought, contemplative practice, mental and emotional cultivation, and the latest research in the field of positive psychology. She is also a certified teacher of Compassion Cultivation Training and the Cultivating Emotional Balance program. Tenzin is especially interested in bringing the wisdom of Buddhism into modern culture and into alignment with modern cultural values such as racial and gender justice and environmental awareness. She feels strongly that a genuine and meaningful spiritual path includes not only personal transformation, but social and cultural transformation as well. She loves interfaith collaboration and is a volunteer for the Interfaith Speakers Bureau of the Islamic Networks Group in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. She also finds time to create her Unlocking True Happiness podcast which you can check out at unlockingtruehappiness.org where you will also find her current teaching schedule. She is currently based on traditional Awaswas Ohlone land, in what is now known as Santa Cruz, CA.
Frequently asked questions
I want to register for a class but will need to miss a class or two. Is that okay?
It is strongly recommended that students attend all classes. If you plan on missing more than one class, it is advised to wait and register for a course at a time when you’ll likely be able to attend all sessions.
How much meditation experience is required?
No previous meditation experience is required, although willingness to practice daily meditation is a key component of the training.
Tuition:
Full tuition $399
Subsidized tuition $250
Fixed income $108
Refund Policy:
Refund minus $25 processing fee.