MY WEEKLY OFFERINGS
Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30AM. Qigong under the Oaks, Pomona College Organic Farm. The given address is 295 E. 1st St., Claremont, CA 91711. But it's not the easiest place to find. I am happy to send directions to folks who email me at MindBodyLosAngeles@gmail.com.
Thursdays, 10:00-11:00AM. Qigong with the Ancestors, Bethel United Church of Christ (Congregational), 536 N. Euclid Ave., Ontario, CA 91762, either in the sanctuary or the parlor (whichever is cooler!). Park in the back. Enter via the ramp that leads from the parking lot up to the back door. It's a big ol', marvelous building. Wander until you find us.
MY MONTHLY OFFERINGS
Third Saturdays of the month (next one July 20), 9:00-10:00AM. Silver Lake "Wilderness" Qigong. The wilderness has no address. Please email me at MindBodyLosAngeles@gmail.com for detailed car-or-bike-or-bus + walking directions.
First Fridays of the month (next one August 2), 9:00-9:30AM. Qigong at the Castle, Pilgrim Place, 733 Plymouth Rd. Claremont, CA 91711. Please know that Tai Chi and/or Qigong have been happening here for a good 30 years or so, originally taught by missionaries who retired and moved here from China or Japan. The current schedule is four gatherings per week for 30 minutes—using routines that were established maybe a decade ago! When I first arrived, I simply joined in. Then participants learned that I taught and expressed interest in exploring some new material. And that's what I provide. If you would like to join in, please contact me in advance. If you are unfamiliar with this intentional community, it is likely I can give you a little introductory tour at 9:30.
YOU MIGHT WISH TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCES (all of which are either free, by donation, low-cost, based on sliding scale, or have scholarships available).
ONLINE QIGONG
Dr. Kathy Yep: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays; 8:00-8:30AM. Drop-in. Recommended $1-10. "Poems, cards, quotes, and art also welcome." (How I love that!) The Zoom link is at her website.
MEDITATION COALITION
A group of teachers, facilitators and students dedicated to providing access to meditation and Buddhist teachings for all who are interested. "We belong to the communities we support and serve. We are committed to ethical behavior, social justice, and compassionate action." At the website, you will find opportunities for meditation practice and dharma instruction, such as; daily, virtual half-hour sits; twice-weekly online dharma classes; twice-monthly, online neuro-divergent affinity group meditation; once-monthly Black, Indigenous, People of Color and Allies Sit and Discussion; once-monthly, in-person "Foundations of Mindfulness;" once-monthly, online "Women and Whiteness."
WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME ALONG THE WAY
Wednesdays, 8:00-9:15AM. Claremont Zen Meditation Group's weekly sit and discussion. Most of the year (September through May) we meet at the McAlister Center for Religious Activities of the Claremont Colleges. But June through August (when school is not in session), we move to the Claremont Friends Meeting (Quaker), 727 Harrison Ave., Claremont, 91711. It was founded in 1993 by Claremont McKenna College philosophy professor Steve Smith (now retired), who is a Pilgrim Place resident and who still facilitates!
The Gathering is a weekly, interfaith event (on-going for many decades). I'm not exactly a regular attendee, but I am sure to show up, when I get invited to sing. On Thursday, July 25, 7:00PM, the content will be "short readings of the late mystics" (as yet unrevealed to me). For my part, I suggested "From far, from eve and morning" from Ralph Vaughn Williams' song cycle On Wenlock Edge, based on selected poems from A. E. Housman's collection entitled A Shropshire Lad. Vaughn Williams' setting is wonderfully atmospheric and mysterious! "The stuff of life to knit me blew hither. Here am I." It's infused with Qi. Last month, I attended a free sound bath at Lopez Urban Farm, 1034 W. Mission St., Pomona, CA 91766. To my surprise, there were four sound healers, each with a station, around a large, circular ceremonial space under a number of giant Live Oak trees. Turns out, they are monthly! The next one is scheduled for Sunday, July 21, 2:00-5:00PM. (A potluck follows, hence the 3-hour duration.) The farm is a remarkable operation, as you will see, if you explore the website. I'm still awaiting word for our fall Wagner Ensemble concert in Sherman Oaks. Sometime in November, I expect. Watch here for updates.
It's a long way away (December 5), but I'm very happy that I am scheduled to provide a one-off Integral Qigong and Tai Chi session at The Hive—the Rick and Susan Sontag Center for Collaborative Creativity—of the Claremont Colleges. "The Hive provides a space to experiment and play and fosters collaboration by bringing people with diverse backgrounds and experiences together." I think it could be the beginning of a very special relationship ...
Longer away still is Sunday, January 5, 2025. What can I say? I'm thrilled that I have already been engaged to appear in Gian-Carlo Menotti's opera Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Southland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Hard to believe, but it will be my fourth year in a row to perform the role of King Kaspar under the baton of SSO founder and conductor Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann. Please put the date on your calendar, too!
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