Introduction to Compassionate Listening as Contemplative Practice

Compassion is a thread that binds together the deepest centres of life beyond the border of race, religion, tribe or creature. Ilia Delio, OSF

You are invited to join us for a highly interactive, experiential and inspiring introductory workshop on Listening as Sanctuary, as practice that offer concrete skills for engaging with people we don’t agree with and for supporting people in our lives who may have experienced trauma.

Grounded in Christ’s teaching, this course links Christian contemplative practice with the global multi-faith compassion movement exemplified by the Charter for Compassion, Boundless Compassion, and the Compassionate Listening Project. This rich foundation, linked to Christian contemplative practice, offers the skills to listen with a different ear, to listen to the ‘thou’ in the others’ voice, to listen with the ‘ear of the heart.’ It also highlights how, like meditation, capacity for listening with a compassionate heart begins with silence, stillness and breath.

In this course, we will:

• explore this profound model for conflict transformation,

• be grounded in Christian contemplative practice as a foundational support for listening

• discover compassion as an essential form of attentiveness for this time

• practice core self-compassion and compassionate listening skills, and

• learn how each of us has the capacity to contribute to a more compassionate world simply by listening with an open heart.

Course length: The course will be held once a week for 6 - 2.5 hr sessions via Zoom.

Date/Time: Wednesdays, September 13 - October 18, 8 am – 10:30 PST

Registration for U.S. residents: Online: Donate to Boundless Compassion — Boundless Compassion

Registration for Canadians: Contact: Kathleen Coyne kcoyne875@gmail.com

Cost: $150 Scholarships available. Contact: Bobbi, OSB at bbussan@boundlesscompassion.org

The instructor is Dr. Kathleen Coyne, a Christian meditator who has studied and worked for many years in community development and social justice across Western Canada, researching, facilitating, teaching and learning with and about community and social justice.

Here is what some previous participants have said:

Both the information we received and the skills we practiced have made a substantial difference in my approach to compassionate listening and also to self-compassion. We are all richer, wiser, and more compassionate because of you!

I am grateful for all that is being shared, for the atmosphere Kathleen creates, of sacredness, of confidentiality, of safety.

It heightened my awareness to listening to others. And during this time, globally, I believe we need to listen to each other more and feel like we have been listened to.