Eight Wednesdays, January 18th - March 8th | 7:00 - 9:30pm CT
One Daylong Retreat February 19th from 9:30 - 4:00pm CT
Before the class begins, participants are required to attend one of the following three orientation sessions: January 5th and 12th from 7:30 - 8:30pm CT, or January 14th 12:30 - 1:30pm CT. Participants are also required to fill out a questionnaire and waiver which will be sent out after your registration is processed.
On Zoom only. During course sessions, participants will be asked to keep their cameras on to support group coherence and presence.
Led by Nan LeRoy, 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, and gentle yoga. Sessions will include formal meditation practice, and large and small group discussions. Participants are encouraged to spend 30-60 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, the daylong retreat, and a daily practice.
Common Ground offers all programs freely in the spirit of generosity. If you'd like to volunteer or donate to support the teacher(s) and the center, visit https://commongroundmeditation.org/about/supporting-the-center/. If you donate, be sure to enter "Dianne LeRoy" in the Teacher/Fund box. 2/3 of the donation supports the teacher(s) and 1/3 supports the general operations of the center.
Here are a few words from Nan LeRoy about her practice and work:
I have had an active insight meditation practice in since the early 1980’s. I trained as a
meditation teacher in the mid-nineties, taught insight meditation for many years, and was an
assistant on numerous insight meditation retreats in the Northwest with Julie Wester, a teacher
on the Spirit Rock Teachers Council. I graduated from the first Community Dharma Leaders
program at Spirit Rock in 2001. I continue to teach mindfulness meditation in the community
and have led a small meditation group for many years now in Portland, Oregon. I continue to
attend meditation retreats when I am able. Several years ago I decided to expand my teaching
to include Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in order to make this valuable practice
more widely available. I attended the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute out of
the UC San Diego School of Medicine Center for Mindfulness and completed their program to
be qualified to teach MBSR.
In addition, I continue my work as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health consultant in a
local non-profit agency in Portland and have taught in the Infant Toddler Mental Health
graduate certificate program at Portland State University. I have a regular yoga practice and
have taught yoga. I am an avid cyclist and a fortunate mother of three and grandmother of 8.
I enjoy sharing the joys and challenges of meditation practice and of just being human with
others.
