Heartful Practices During Divisive Times

Virtual Retreat May 17th 2025

The Buddhist Recovery Network (BRN) invites you to attend a meaningful half-day virtual retreat: Heartful Practices During Divisive Times. Right now, we are witnessing a social, constitutional, and human rights crisis that is rapidly escalating with each passing day. The social-political-economic developments these past few months have brought much anger, confusion, frustration, grief, fear, and sense of powerlessness to many of us. 

We have heard the voices of our community and the challenges that arise for our practice, on and off the cushion. As Buddhist practitioners in recovery and for many of us, as people who are struggling to get healthcare, welfare and other rights, or groceries for the family, how do we navigate such divisive times? When hatred and fear are broadcast on TV constantly, how do we keep love, compassion, courage, and humanity alive? How do we embody joy and celebrate life when it seems like our world is on fire? 

Times like this are a true test of our practice. BRN has invited several Buddhist teachers to explore how we can work with fear, anger, distrust, and overwhelm, as well as how to touch into the depths of the four sublime abodes of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.

We cordially invite you to join our virtual retreat on May 17th, 2025, Saturday at 9am-1pm Pacific Time/12pm-4pm Eastern Time.  We hope this retreat brings healing to our hearts and empower us to show up for the world! Please note that to protect the privacy and emotional safety of our participants and teachers, the retreat will NOT be recorded.

This is a donation-based retreat. No one will be turned away due to the lack of funds.

Please visit our event page to register

Teachers speaking 

Valerie Mason-John AKA Vimalasara worked as an international correspondent covering Aboriginal deaths in custody, interviewed Sinn Fein prisoners and ex rebels from the Sierra Leone war. Their work in the field of conflict transformation, with gangs, and the incarcerated, bullies and challenging behavior. They trained in mindfulness and is a senior teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Community. They are one of the founding facilitators of Dr. Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry and also trained in Internal Family Systems. They have also completed short intensive training in Embodied Somatics, Breathworks and Shamanism training. The award winning author of ten books including Detox Your Heart Meditations for emotional Trauma, Eight Step Recovery Using The Buddhas teachings to overcome addiction, and more recently their shortlisted book for two Canadian Awards I’m Still Your Negro an Homage to James Baldwin. Their most recent book is A First Aid Kit for the mind – Breaking the cycle of habitual behaviours.

Learn more about Valerie Mason-John at valeriemason-john.com

Dalila Bothwell’s (she/her) Dharma-meditation practice lives at the intersection of love for community, land, wholeness, and 12-step recovery. The granddaughter of Claudia and Gussie Pearl, she finds refuge and hope in the liberation teachings of revolutionary lovers – from the Buddha to bell hooks.  During her nearly decade-long tenure as a director for New York Insight Meditation Center, she learned the priceless value of sangha and the role relationships play in embodying the teachings and in creating kinder human beings.

Dalila is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders Program, formally educated in nutritional science and food studies and has served with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Insight Meditation Society, and Dharma communities throughout the US. She loves dancing furiously in her kitchen and taking long walks in the desert with her handsome pup, Brisco. Dalila believes freedom is a holistic art.

Learn more about Dalila at www.dalilabothwell.com.

Thomas Davis IV, is a Contemplative Artist and Mindfulness Instructor based in Los Angeles who has been influenced by the contemplative streams of Buddhist and Christian principles, as well the innate wisdom found within Jazz, Poetry, Science and Stories. Following these passions furnishes me with the ability to create and offer a multi-disciplinary exploration of who we are and what is possible for Us. The  core of my service is rooted within the pursuit of a consistent and fluid commitment to personal authenticity; and the exploration of our emerging ideas, concepts and individual expressions of personal and collective Liberation. 

Thomas’s immersion into Dharma practice and Training began 13 years ago at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, CA, and was proceeded by  over 10 years of service as a Lay Minister and Teacher at the Olivet Missionary Baptist Church, Oakland, CA.  

Thomas received Mindfulness trainings at Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader Program 2015-2018, Sati Center for Buddhist Chaplaincy and the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center ( MARC) in 2019; and has been Mentoring Students in MMTCP – Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program for the past 5 years and guided the InsightLA BIPOC Sangha from 2018-2021. Thomas created the platform Avant-Dharma which is the present and evolving expression of his cumulative years of practice and service. Thomas loves to connect with people who are interested in the discovery, observation and navigation of the mysterious pathways of personal growth and development. Personal mentoring sessions are offered upon request; as well as workshops and residential retreats for further immersion into Self-Realization(s). I hope that our paths cross soon, and it will not be by accident!

Learn more about Thomas at https://www.avant-dharma.com