ROCKLAND – On Sunday, November 2, Rockland Shambhala will host a meditation retreat with Shambhala Guide Rachel Nixon and senior teachers Christopher and Eunice St. John. The retreat will take place at 16 School Street in Rockland from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a half-day option available. Everyone is welcome, and the program is by donation. Preregistration is requested.

The meditation retreat is an opportunity to get to know your mind and heart and cultivate gentleness. The environment is relaxed, friendly, and supportive. The retreat begins at 8:45 a.m. with tea and registration. The day will include shamatha ("peaceful abiding") meditation, periods of sitting and walking meditation, individual meditation instruction, talks, and discussion. There will be a lunch break mid-day, and the program will close with a talk and reception, ending at 4 p.m.. There is a half-day option for those who are not able to attend the whole day. No previous meditation experience is required.

Shastri Christopher St. John and Eunice St. John have both been practicing, studying and teaching in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition since 1982. Eunice served as Director of the Brunswick Shambhala Center from 2000-2005. Christopher has been Resident Director of Shambhala Training at the Brunswick-Portland Shambhala Center since 1995. He was named Shastri by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in 2016. Rachel Nixon was first introduced to the Shambhala teachings in 1999, and she has been a Shambhala Guide since 2015.

Rockland Shambhala is affiliated with the Brunswick-Portland Shambhala Meditation Center, as well as Shambhala International, a non-profit organization with more than 200 Shambhala Meditation Centers worldwide. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist master, founded Shambhala in the United States in 1970.

For more information and to register for the class, visit http://rocklandyoga.com/program/fall-meditation-retreat or contact Rachel Nixon at rocklandshambhala@gmail.com or (207) 594-1694.