Why Do We Practice? A BIPOC Meditation Retreat

Nashville POC Sangha

“The point of dharma practice isn’t to perfect yourself. It’s to perfect your love."  - Jack Kornfield

Wild Heart Meditation Center

In this half day retreat, we’ll meditate and be in community together, with a theme of connecting to why we practice: what’s the point of meditation and Buddhist practice, where does stress relief come in, and is that different from relief of suffering?The day will be facilitated by Nashville POC Sangha co-founder Jennifer Wang and will include guided and silent meditation, a talk given by Jennifer, and group discussion and Q&A. The retreat is meant to be experienced in its entirety so please arrive a few minutes early to get settled into your seat so that we can start promptly at 10am. To experience the retreat fully, we encourage you to plan ahead so that as much as possible, you can disconnect from your device and dedicate yourself to your practice for the duration of the retreat.This retreat is free of charge, suggested $25 donation. Facilitators are not compensated, funds go directly toward the sustainability of Nashville People of Color Sangha and a donation to Wild Heart Meditation Center for hosting us. Tea and snacks will be provided.Open to all self-identified people of color. Come as you are, no meditation experience needed! What is Nashville POC Sangha?Sangha is the Pali word for "spiritual community." Nashville POC sangha is a group for self-identified people of color to meditate together and hold space for whatever is coming up in our practice and in our lives. This is an intentional environment for POC to share in a space free from the adaptations of mind, and speech and action that often arise in spaces occupied by the dominant culture. Our intention is to support safety for both the POC in attendance and white bodied people we ask to abstain from attending. Learn more at www.nashvillepocsangha.org.About JenniferJennifer grew up in sunny Los Angeles (Tongva land) alongside her twin sister, younger sister, mother and father, who moved to the US as teenagers from Taiwan and Hong Kong, respectively. She now splits her time between Nashville and Los Angeles.Jennifer has been a regular practitioner of mindfulness and meditation for over 15 years, and has practiced in various traditions, including the Theravada Insight tradition, Shambhala, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition. She is the co-founder of the Nashville POC Sangha, a facilitator at One Dharma Nashville and serves on the boards of the Tennessee Environmental Council, Turnip Green Creative Reuse Center, and The Maddox Fund.FAQDo I have to be Buddhist?No; topics of discussion are universal, though we may use and explain some Buddhist terminology.What is meditation?Meditation is simply placing the mind on an object of attention. Formal meditation practices promote relaxed concentration and awareness through focusing on the breath or single object, observing the mind, and inclining the mind towards a chosen quality.How will this help me?Meditation and mindfulness can be helpful for calming the mind and nerves, getting familiar and friendly with our own minds, and gaining insight about the way things are. Through this ultimate act of self-care, we can refill our internal fuel tanks and lay the groundwork for taking wise action and relating compassionately with the world and those around us.What defines a person of color?A person of color is someone who does not identify as white. For those that are of racial identities that include white (ie mixed race), we hope you feel welcome here.Can white allies attend?No. While we appreciate the allyship and desire to learn, this space is intended to provide POC individuals an environment that enables expression without the need to accommodate dominant culture. Through this rare opportunity to be in a dedicated affinity group, our deep aspiration is to provide a safe space for internal and external openness for POC, and in doing so we encourage white allies to also find a separate dedicated white affinity group where they too can share openly without fear of offending POC as they continue to learn and unlearn.

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