John McLaren Park viewpoint - Sourced from 2015 SFMTA blogpost
OVERVIEW
Off-Grid Retreats is deeply grateful to collaborate with Charity Kahn to offer this nature-centered mindfulness based daylong in John McLaren Park. There is more information about Charity’s teaching certifications and experiences at the bottom of this page.
Charity will guide you in sitting meditation, walking meditation, Qigong practice, and wandering in nature. We’ll connect with body as Earth, and our inter-being with all.
Part of the day will be in silence, to support a container of restoration and peace.
The images in the gallery below are sourced from All Trails webpage for John McLaren Park.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Practitioners from any and all backgrounds are welcome. No meditation experience is required.
During the registration process, you may sign up to be put on our email dedicated to participants that are interested in carpooling.
After you register, Off-Grid Retreats will email you to describe where Charity will meet participants on Saturday, March 16th at 9:00 am PST in John McLaren Park.
Charity will lead participants in wandering throughout the park to 2 additional practice sites. There is a path that connects all 3 locations. In some lengths of the path is on dirt instead of being paved. The total amount of time spent walking between practice sites will be less than 15 minutes. There is a bathroom near each location, or on the way in between.
The group will wander to a second site in the late morning, which is also where we will eat lunch. The group will wander again to a third site for the completion of the afternoon practice.
After you register, in addition to sharing where the meeting place is located, Off-Grid Retreats will email you a recommended packing list. Please be sure to pack what you feel is necessary to enjoy the outdoors in a variety of conditions.
PRICING & POLICIES
Off-Grid Retreats and Charity suggest contributing a donation of $80.00 - $120.00.
These generous donations allow Off-Grid Retreats to offer our event and retreats freely to all regardless of financial means. So we thank you in advance for your contributions.
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel your reservation more than 1 week before the event start date, you must cover the refund processing fee. Then, the remaining amount paid will be refunded to you. If you cancel less than 1 week before the event start date or leave the event early no refund will be provided.
COVID Policy: Off-Grid Retreats will adhere to all California COVID mandated requirements. Thus, we reserve the right to change our policy, if the state's mandated requirements change. Currently, Off-Grid Retreats does not require any COVID vaccination(s) or test(s) to attend this gathering but we kindly ask people to stay home if they feel sick the day before and/or the day of this event.
THE TEACHER
Charity Kahn has trained in the Insight tradition since 2006. She is a certified meditation teacher through Jack and Tara’s MMTCP and a certified Qigong teacher through Nick Loffree.
Charity is an experienced student participating in Spirit Rock’s 2023 - 2024 Liberation through Emptiness and Awareness Practices (LEAP) Program. She is also currently enrolled in John Munro’s Small Universe Qigong training and Sacred Mountain Sangha’s Dharmagiri online training.
For the last 10 years, Charity has been teaching meditation in person and online. She offers outdoor meditation+qigong retreats and classes at the SF Botanical Garden, other outdoor venues, and at Quinta do Areal in Portugal.
Charity head’s up the Vegan Journey project and courses for PAEAN, the new climate+dharma initiative of Thanissara and Kittisaro’s Sacred Mountain Sangha. She also co-led a four-day retreat at a farmed animal sanctuary, combining meditation and climate activism. She runs frequent online meditation and vegan+dharma courses along with running a weekly meditation group online. And since 2001, Charity has been teaching and performing music+dance+mindfulness for children ages 0-8 in schools, concert halls, markets, other venues, etc.
Charity has attended several multi-day retreats in the Insight tradition (7-15 days), and two retreats in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn (4-5 days). She continues to attend retreats frequently about 1-3 times per year.
All in all, Charity feels, “grateful to be offering practices, courses and music to support people in grounding down, waking up, tuning in, and facing outward with more calm, equanimity and kindness.”
To learn more about Charity, please feel free to visit the following websites:
https://www.charitykahn.com https://www.jamjamjam.com https://www.paean.earth