Vimalasara
Guest Teacher
Poet, author, and public speaker Valerie Mason-John (Vimalasara) is the award-winning author/editor of nine books. Her debut novel, Borrowed Body, won the 2006 Mind Book of the Year Award. They co-authored the award-winning book Eight Step Recovery: Using the Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction. And authored Detox Your Heart Meditations for Emotional Trauma. Their most recent book, published in 2020, I Am Still Your Negro: An Homage to James Baldwin has won critical acclaim. They began writing as an international correspondent covering Aboriginal deaths in custody and land rights in Australia. They are a senior teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Community and one of the leading African descent voices in the field of mindfulness for addiction. In July their new book an edited anthology Afrikan Wisdom, Black Liberation, Buddhism and Beyond will be published. They live on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia.
Vimalasara's Upcoming Programs
Short Program | On-Land
Friday, August 15 | 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Keeping Our Joy Alive in Recovery
5.5 CE Credits. Reconnect with the emotion of joy as we practice cultivating mindfulness, sympathetic joy, and lovingkindness to bring lightness and clarity to our lives in recovery. Emphasis will be placed on mindful speech and mindful listening to promote interpersonal effectiveness and empathy. Core practices will include cultivating non-judgmental awareness and present-moment focus, which are critical for disrupting automatic patterns of thought and behavior. We will also examine the role of mindfulness in working with distressing emotions and supporting resilience and well-being.
Short Program | Online
Friday, August 15 | 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Keeping Our Joy Alive in Recovery
5.5 CE Credits. Reconnect with the emotion of joy as we practice cultivating mindfulness, sympathetic joy, and lovingkindness to bring lightness and clarity to our lives in recovery. Emphasis will be placed on mindful speech and mindful listening to promote interpersonal effectiveness and empathy. Core practices will include cultivating non-judgmental awareness and present-moment focus, which are critical for disrupting automatic patterns of thought and behavior. We will also examine the role of mindfulness in working with distressing emotions and supporting resilience and well-being.