Dancing in the Dark Fields of Illness & Pain, Online 2/22–3/29

The Zoom link to participate in this event will be provided at least 24 hours before it begins. Please call 415-354-0360 if you have any questions.

Six Saturdays, 2:30 – 4:00 pm PT

This is an online introductory class for people who are working with the fierce teachers of chronic illness or chronic pain. In this six-part interactive class we will share our stories and explore practices that may be useful on the journey.

Zenshin Florence Caplow, who will be teaching the class, has "danced" with auto-immune illness for the last two decades, including rheumatoid arthritis. She is a Zen priest and teacher, co-editor of The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty Five Centuries of Awakened Women, and a Unitarian Universalist minister. She is currently working on a book of spiritual practices for those with chronic illness.

Optional readings will be shared during the class. To prepare, students may wish to read Turning Suffering Inside Out by Darlene Cohen and/or How to Live Well With Chronic Pain and Illness, by Toni Bernhard. Please see Zenshin Florence Caplow’s essay on "Dancing in the Dark Fields" as well as her Dharma talk at City Center on this subject.

Testimonials:

Chronic suffering is impossible to ignore, often excruciating and isolating. Florence Caplow’s Dancing in the Fields of Chronic Pain workshops, with her cheerful and enlightened guidance and the open participation of others, have consistently provided me with refuge, inspiration, and comfort. These workshops are subtle, magical, gentle, and transformative. They embody wisdom in service of compassion. It feels less like practice and more like a rally, opening our hearts. Thanks to everyone participating and to Zenshin Florence; it has been like a prayer flag of compassion touching my countenance.

—Barry E.

In this monthly online gathering, there is no 'othering.' The open and trusting atmosphere that Zenshin and the group co-create is invaluable. Sharing my experiences with chronic illness in this supportive environment brings a sense of release and companionship, without falling into self-pity. The Zoom format allows us to connect, forming a familiar, supportive group without needing to be physically present. Zenshin's integration of Buddhist teachings with the experience of illness has deepened my understanding of impermanence and dealing with suffering. There's room to feel lost and be carried, to be grateful and to complain, to share and to learn. 'There is no I, there is only a we' has profoundly impacted me, ending the isolation of chronic illness. The course is truly a gift that nourishes me and reminds me that I am never alone.

—Monika R.