Date: 5/2/2019
Subject: Trip to Northern California Teacher Training on 3/31/2019
Experience, Impression and Benefit:
The connections between all teachers and with Shifu are strong. I felt that teachers cherished the opportunity to be together and sincerely practiced the connection throughout the form and formless during the entire training session. Teachers also paid good attention to the feedbacks from others.
Similar to the training at SLM, small group of practice is beneficial for everyone to get the opportunity to teach.
I realized that all teachers both in Sothern and Northern California group including myself have the same areas that require more practicing and clarification.
For example,
- Challenge to sustain the connection with Shifu throughout the teaching.
- Weaker connection with Shifu when it gets into the verbal teaching.
- Proper wordings to be used during the verbal teaching
- The importance of teacher’s own experience and witness.
- How do we not to over emphasize or encourage the sensation of body and charkas so practitioners will not overlook our practice?
- How do we encourage practitioners who loose motivation due to lack of sensation?
- Why is the “Guideline” important to us? And what’s the purpose for us to practice the guideline over and over again?
- Teachers will also lose the motivation and struggle with the practice. Sometimes teachers might even lose focus of the core teachings. How can teachers support each other to surpass?
Sharing with Northern California Teachers Group:
Thanks to the Northern California teacher group arranged some time schedule for me to share the experience of hosting a workshop or regular class outside the center. Since Shifu visited USA in 2017, Walnut Center realized that we need to reach out and make Heart Chan to be more visible at local community. We also realize that we need to step out of our comfort zone i.e. blessed center and shared the teaching freely and openly to the public. It can be throughout hosting consecutively workshops or having an 8-weeks Intro classes. The ultimate goal is to ferry people to the center and become our regular practitioners. Being a center leader with the responsibility of the center growth, I coordinated the other two center’s teachers and worked as a team to reach out. We discussed the format and supported each other. During the workshop, we focus on practicing the foundation of breathing, seated posture and etc. To be successfully hosting the workshop and Intro class outside the center, we will need to fully trust and have faith in the connection with Shifu same as we do at the center. We will even need to put down the intention of ferrying them to the center but just compassionately and freely share Shifu’s wisdom and sacred light with all participants.
Due to the time constraint, there had no opportunities for feedbacks and questions from Northern California teachers.
Sharing with Southern California Teachers Group after the Trip on 4/28/2019:
- Meditation time schedule can be shortening so teachers could have more time to practice the teaching and receive feedbacks. E.g. No. Cal group meditated 50+40 minutes before training on 3/31. And So. Cal group usually meditate 30 minutes before the training.
- The benefits of practicing from both small (3-4) and large group (8-10 the entire team) are equally important. The format can be decided by the hosting teacher.
- Mockup workshop practice has been suggested to be included in the teacher training so teachers can be prepared and ready to outreach.
- We should make the workshops and classes regularly and continuously available at local community (e.g. companies, schools, libraries and community centers..)
- Walnut Center will share the experience, approved initial outreach communication email and workshop format with teachers or centers that are willing to use for reference.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Heart Chan provided me this opportunity to visit No. Cal teacher group and have all the blessed experiences. I’m grateful and would like to reciprocate by deepening and sharing the practice continuously with Shifu’s light and compassion.
Viki with a deep bow