Open Meditation Sessions
Quarterly Community Gathering
Courses
Workshops
Guest Teacher Talks
Meditation Retreats
Yoga and Qigong
Mindfulness in the Twelve Steps
See the Newsletter or visit the Center to learn about more practice opportunities.
Note that some programs require registration—see details in program areas.
Residential Retreat Information & Registration
Open Meditation Session
Open meditation is available on a drop-in basis for anyone wishing to practice silent sitting or walking meditation. Stay for as many 30-minute periods as you would like. Please arrive and depart with the bells, which are rung every half hour.
Monday – Saturday, 7:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Weekly Practice Groups
Common Ground offers practice groups three times a week: Wednesday and Sunday evenings and Sunday morning. These weekly groups are designed to be a cornerstone for one’s practice by providing ongoing instruction and teachings that help illuminate the simple but challenging practice of mindfulness. The Buddha taught that mindfulness is the way to go beyond habits of distraction and grasping. To walk this path of wisdom and compassion, we need the support of a community that shares this intention. Each session includes a guided meditation, dharma talk, and discussion. Both experienced and beginning meditators are welcome. No registration required. Led by Mark Nunberg.
Wednesday, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, 10:30 – 11:40 a.m.
Sunday, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Sunday Morning Children’s Practice
10:30 – 11:40 a.m.
Please join us for this opportunity for children led by community volunteers most Sundays. The practice for children ages one through eight years is held in the community room during Sunday morning weekly practice group. Parents should plan on staying with their child until she or he has settled in. In addition, one parent should assist the teacher every second visit. When not assisting, parents are expected to join other community members in the meditation hall. Please email childrenleaders@commongroundmeditation.org for more information and schedule.
Pre-Teen Practice
The pre-teen group is for children 8-12 years who want to explore Buddhism, mindfulness, and compassion for self and others. We will have stories, presentations, activities, and discussion and introduce mindfulness practices–encouraging children to find what works best for them. The practice is held during Sunday morning weekly practice group. For more information and to register contact Debra at preteen@commongroundmeditation.org.
Teen Practice
You are not alone! Join others your age who are interested in learning how to be more mindful in daily life, relate to difficult emotions, and show up in a good way for your friends, family and others you care about. We will practice together, learn together, and have fun! If you are interested or at least curious, contact shelly@commongroundmeditation.org.
Sundays, January 8 – March 25, 10:30 – 11:40 a.m.
Metta Practice Group
This practice group is for people interested in developing the heart by training in the four beautiful emotions of lovingkindness (metta), compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. Each session includes instruction, a guided meditation, a short dharma talk, and time for questions and discussion. This monthly group meets on the first Friday of each month. No registration required. Led by Mark Nunberg.
Fridays, January 6, February 3, March 2, April 6; 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Practice Meetings
People interested in meeting with Mark Nunberg to discuss their practice can call to set up an appointment. These practice meetings are usually scheduled for 30 minutes and are available to people with specific questions about their meditation practice or for people who are interested in deepening their practice through regular meetings with a spiritual friend.
Quarterly Community Gathering
Please join us for this wonderful opportunity to meet the community that practices at Common Ground and recommit to living a life dedicated to kindness, generosity, and the awakening of wisdom and compassion. Mark Nunberg will give a dharma talk, then the community will recite the Refuges and Precepts. A potluck will begin at 11:45 a.m. Feel free to bring along family and friends. If you plan to come to the sit or talk, you can store food in the refrigerator until the potluck begins. The quarterly gathering replaces the regular weekly practice group on this Sunday. The Sunday morning children’s program will be held as regularly scheduled, as will the open sitting time from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. No registration necessary
Sunday, March 25, 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Courses
Please contact the center to register for courses.
Introduction To Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This course includes exploration of the intention behind practice, an introduction to insight (vipassana) meditation techniques, instructions for working with common obstacles, an overview of the practices of lovingkindness, and a discussion on how mindfulness can be part of one’s daily life. Please register by contacting the center.
Intro Class with Mark Nunberg, Six Tuesdays, January 17 – February 21, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Intro Workshop with Gail Iverson, Sunday, February 12, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Buddhist Studies Program
The Buddhist Studies Program is designed for people who have attended three or more mindfulness meditation retreats and have a commitment to daily meditation practice. Participants will be expected to use the teachings as a focus of their meditation and daily practice. Led by Mark Nunberg.
The Five Spiritual Faculties
This course examines the Buddha’s teachings on the five spiritual faculties: confidence or faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. It is the development and balancing of these five faculties that provide the force that moves the mind from faith to wisdom and release.
Eight Mondays, January 9 – February 27, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Optional sitting period, 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
The Five Hindrances
This course examines the Buddha’s teachings on the five hindrances to mental unification: craving, aversion, dullness, restlessness, and doubt. These afflictive states of mind are often regular visitors for meditators. Developing patience and the skill to recognize, abandon, and prevent these states goes to the heart of the practice of meditation and skillful living.
Seven Mondays, March 12 – April 23, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Optional sitting period, 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Healing in the Present Moment: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
This eight-week program is an introduction to mindfulness meditation practice following the stress reduction program pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn over 30 years ago. Participants will learn and practice mindfulness meditation techniques, including body scan, sitting and walking meditation, gentle yoga, and qigong. Sessions will include formal meditation practice and large and small group discussions. Participants are encouraged to spend 30 minutes per day on daily mindfulness practices. The course is appropriate for people seeking to use mindfulness meditation techniques to improve their general health and well-being. It is open to those willing to commit to the eight-week course and a daily practice.
Eight Thursdays, March 22 – May 10, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Day long retreat: Saturday, April 28, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Led by Debbie Norgaard, who has over 25 years experience as an RN/Nurse Practitioner and is certified as a Healing Touch and Shiatsu practitioner. Her formal meditation practice began 11 years ago. In addition to formal retreat practice, she has completed the seven-day MBSR professional training program.
Workshops
Please contact the center to register for workshops.
With Mark Nunberg: Living the Practice
These workshops include talks, guided meditations, guided reflections, and large and small group discussions designed to open up our understanding about the essential art of awakening wisdom and compassion in our lives. The lunch break will allow for informal discussions and social time. Mark is the guiding teacher at Common Ground.
Relating Wisely to Money, Livelihood, and Worldly Success
In this workshop we will reflect on one of life’s greatest teachers, our relationship to money, livelihood, and success. So much of our sense of self is tied up here. By bringing in the light of awareness, unskillful attitudes and habits become transformed.
Saturday, January 14, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Liberation through Love and Compassion
Although we often talk about the spiritual life in terms of the development of wisdom, it can also be described as a path of deepening love or compassion. In this workshop we will reflect on how love can be the catalyst for awakening, both the means and the fruit of the spiritual life.
Saturday, April 14, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
With Craig Vollmar: Healing through Forgiveness
The practice of forgiveness is a key to open our hearts to authentic happiness. So why do we resist it so intently? Perhaps we are stuck in the stories of our resentments and disappointments and how they stunted our growth. In working with our feelings toward others and toward ourselves, we will come to forgive ourselves for not being better than we are and begin to accept and appreciate ourselves for what we already are. The goal of this workshop is to help us use the wisdom of our experience and practice to work through difficult emotions. In time, with practice, the negative emotions that lock our hearts will dissipate of their own accord and we will begin feeling contented and responding to life without hostility and ill will. Craig Vollmar is a founding board member of Common Ground and leader in the Twelve Step group.
Saturday, January 28, 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
With Gail Iverson and Ramesh Sairam: Mindfulness and Physical Pain
Mindfulness meditation can help practitioners understand the complex nature of pain and provide tools to reduce the suffering associated with it. This half-day workshop will include guided meditation, lectures, and group discussions. It is open to everyone, but may be especially useful for people experiencing physical pain and those (professional and otherwise) who help people in pain. Gail Iverson has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1987 and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at Common Ground. Ramesh Sairam is a practicing psychiatrist in St. Paul who has been practicing mindfulness meditation at Common Ground Meditation Center for five years.
Saturday, February 11, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
With Santikaro: The Healing Power of Emptiness
In my recent experience with lymphoma, treatment at the Mayo Clinic, and on-going recovery from chemotherapy, emptiness (sunyata) has played a central role. Within the pragmatism of early Buddhism, sunyata refers to being empty of self and stuff belonging to self. We will explore sunyata through talks, meditations, and dialogue. Santikaro is a dharma student-practitioner, translator, and Buddhist meditation teacher who lives at Liberation Park in southwest Wisconsin.
Saturday, March 10, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
With Mariann Johnson, Wendy Morris, Jean Hammink, & Louise Delagran: Mindfulness and Leadership
In this workshop we will explore mindfulness practice in the context of leadership, considering questions such as: What does it mean to live out our awareness practice as leaders? How does the practice of mindfulness influence the way we understand skillful leadership in the world? Which of the teachings resonate with you and contribute to your own more mindful leadership? The day will include small and large group dialogue, stories and meditation. Mariann Johnson is the Lead Consultant for M.T. Johnson & Associates and an MBSR Instructor. Wendy Morris is the Founder and Director of the Creative Leadership Studio and designs and conducts programs for leadership venues. Jean Hammink does training, coaching, and consulting using the framework of emotional intelligence and her mindfulness meditation practice. Louise Delagran is an Instructional Designer at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota.
Saturday, March 31, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
With Cheri Maples: Applying Mindfulness in Daily Life
Cheri Maples was ordained a Dharma Teacher by Zen master and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh in 2008. She is cofounder of the Center for Mindfulness and Justice, and a keynote speaker, consultant and trainer. Cheri worked in the criminal justice profession for 25 years as a police officer, the Head of Probation & Parole, and the Assistant Attorney General in Wisconsin. She also has extensive experience as a community organizer and a social justice advocate. She has incorporated all these experiences into her understanding and teaching of the dharma and her practice of engaged Buddhism.
Saturday, April 21, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Guest Teacher Talks
Please join us for these special evenings of dharma (spiritual teachings) and connection with the Common Ground community. These drop-in programs are an opportunity to hear guest teachers and experienced community members speak about their practice. The evening begins with a 30-minute meditation period followed by a talk and discussion. The evening concludes with informal social time, tea, and treats.
With Kaia Svien: Centering Yourself in Greater Love by Opening the Heart to Earth’s Cries
Kaia Svien, M.S., has been an MBSR instructor for 16 years and a student of Buddhist scholar and deep ecologist, Joanna Macy, for many years. Kaia shares some of the central teachings of the “Great Turning” practice that help us to honor our deep emotions for our world and experience how our interbeing with other life forms sustains us.
Friday, January 20, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
With Louis Alemayehu: We Are Here to Awaken
Louis Alemayehu is a writer, educator, activist, poet, father, and grandfather of African and Native American heritage. Louis’ work focuses on teaching, writing, mentorship, community organizing, and transitions-related initiatives. He facilitates workshops on racism, culture, environmental justice, and community building and works deeply across multiple cultural communities. Louis is a cofounder of the Native Arts Circle and the poetry/jazz ensemble, Ancestor Energy, and his writing has appeared in national and international publications. He is currently employed by Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota focusing on urban agriculture, youth development, green economics and health disparities. In 2011 the Process Work Institute in Portland Oregon certified Louis as a “World Work Elder.” Louis has been a member of the Common Ground community for the past 5 years.
Friday, February 10, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
With Santikaro: Patience, When Life Turns Into Samsura
Life is full both of things we appreciate and enjoy and stuff that rubs us the hard way. Often, our mindfulness isn’t up to speed, and we get stirred up. If penetrating insight isn’t available at the moment, patience may be our best bet. See workshops for bio.
Friday, March 9, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
With Cheri Maples: Bringing Skillful Action to Troubled Times
See bio under Workshops.
Friday, April 20, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Meditation Retreats
Retreating from the distractions of daily life is an essential part of the path of awakening. Please join us for these important opportunities to deepen mindfulness. Those who are new to meditation should attend the intro class or several weekly practice groups before their first retreat.
Please contact the center to register for retreats.
Half-Day Retreats
with Mark Nunberg:
Saturday, January 7, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 4, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 17, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 7, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Day-Long Retreats
(Please bring a bag lunch.)
with Mark Nunberg:
Saturday, February 25, 9 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 24, 9 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Common Ground Residential Retreats
At Holy Spirit Retreat Center with Mark Nunberg.
Thursday, January 26 at 5 p.m. to Sunday, January 29 at noon.
Please register online for this residential retreat.
Yoga and Qigong
Mindful Yoga Weekly Practice
In these sessions we practice yoga poses in a way that promotes ease in the mind. We explore physical alignment that results in both physical and mental freedom. In this way, the poses provide an opportunity to consciously cultivate a wholesome, joyful relationship with the body. With practice, mindful yoga supports wise attention in all of our daily activities. Open to adults of all ages and all levels of experience. No need to register, just come.
Mondays (Level I Wynn Fricke starts January 23) Tuesdays (Level II Nancy Boler), Wednesdays (Level I Nancy Boler); 5:30 – 6:45 p.m.
Fridays (Level I Nancy Boler), 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Yoga Nidra Workshops
Yoga means “to connect or unite,” and Nidra describes a state of mind calmer than a sleep state. In these workshops we study and practice relaxation techniques that allow us to “let go” into this deep state of stillness. The result is unification and peacefulness in all aspects of our being. The effects of practicing Yoga Nidra can be better sleep, freedom from anxiety, and the ability to simply relax when you want to. The workshop includes instruction and explanation of Yoga Nidra, a short practice of yoga poses, then 45 minutes of lying on the floor and being guided into deep relaxation and Yoga Nidra. Led by Nancy Boler.
Sundays, January 15, February 5 & 19, March 4 & 18, April 1 & 15; 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Attend one or all. No need to register, just come.
Restorative Yoga Workshop
Restorative yoga focuses on relaxing the body in restful postures. In these modifications of classical yoga poses, the muscles remain quiet; the shape and alignment of the pose is determined by props such as blankets or straps. Tension is released through steadiness of breath and awareness. This workshop is appropriate for all ages and levels of yoga practice. Led by Nancy Boler.
Sunday, January 29, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Yoga Home Practice Workshop
In this workshop we learn a sequence of yoga poses intended for home practice. An audio CD of the same sequence is available to take home. Led by Nancy Boler.
Sunday, March 25, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Pranayama Yoga
The breath is a powerful tool we can use to calm the surface of the mind, to purify the body and mind, and increase our vitality. Pranayama is the practice of exploring these various breath techniques. Pranayama naturally deepens awareness and prepares the mind for meditation.
Sundays, February 26, April 29; 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Yoga Teachers
Nancy Boler was introduced to yoga in 1994 while in the Peace Corps in Nepal. She began her formal practice in 1997 and was certified in 2000 at the Kripalu Center for Yoga in Lenox, Massachusetts. She continues training at Kripalu and also studies Iyengar yoga in Minneapolis.
Wynn Fricke has been teaching hatha yoga since 1990 when she became certified at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York City. Her classes integrate Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Integral Hatha Yoga forms as well as principles of Body-Mind Centering. Wynn is a professional dancer and co-founder of Common Ground Meditation Center.
Drop-in Qigong
Qigong is a deeply satisfying healing practice that integrates mindful awareness, breath, and movement. This practice develops relaxation, concentration, and vitality. Please join us. Led by Mark Nunberg and Merra Young.
Wednesdays, 9:05 – 10:05 a.m., ongoing.
Mindfulness in the Twelve Steps
Weekly Practice Group
This ongoing program is for those seeking spiritual development by practicing the principles of the Twelve Steps and the Buddha’s teachings in everyday life. This program supplements recovery and is designed to reveal to us that consistent mindfulness practice is vital to spiritual progress. This practice group is open to all who have an interest in mindfulness and the Twelve Steps. Led by Patti S., Emil J., and Elene L, Gail I, and Craig V.
Fridays, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. The group now meets every Friday of the month.
Workshop with Santikaro: Addiction to Self
See workshops for bio.
Sunday, March 11, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Twelve-Step Recovery and Mindfulness Meditation Retreat
These four hours without distractions provide a unique opportunity for self-discovery and seeing through mindfulness meditation how we contribute to our own suffering. We will have periods of sitting meditation, gentle stretching, group discussions, a short talk, and a mid-day break for tea and walking outdoors. The environment will be informal and the instructions simple. This will be a unique experience for many of us that will provide a more in-depth 11th step practice. If you have a yoga mat, please bring it for the gentle stretching exercises. No previous meditation retreat experience necessary. Led by Craig V.
Saturday, February 18, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
