Confidence and Compassion: Queer Dharma Community Retreat with Acharyas Eve Rosenthal & Eric Spiegel

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From the very beginnings of the gay movement there have always been spiritual aspects of the community. In fact, whenever people are slightly out of the mainstream, that sense of ‘not fitting in’ is a wonderful gateway to the dharma. Acharya Eric Spiegel


As LGBTQ practitioners, we can often feel we stand outside the norm. But all beings possess confidence and compassion, noble qualities inherent in each of us regardless of sexual orientation. In this retreat we will come together both as LGBTQ individuals and as a larger community. Through meditation, tai chi and yoga, discussion and celebration, we will reveal and explore our basic qualities, connecting to naturally wakeful minds and hearts. This program, open to all, is an opportunity for the LGBTQ community to come together and practice the dharma in a safe, supported, and spectacular environment.


Acharya Eve Rosenthal has been a member of the Shambhala community since 1973 and has been teaching Shambhala Buddhism workshops since the mid-80s. Founder of Shambhala Online, she is also a longtime practitioner and instructor of chi kung and tai-chi chuan.


Acharya Eric Spiegel teaches widely on understanding the transitions of living and dying as a part of life and practice. At the request of The Sakyong, Jamgön Mipham Rinpoche, Eric also teaches on relating with the power and energy of wealth from a sane, empowered point of view, drawing from his 22-year career on Wall Street. He has taught widely in both the gay and yoga communities in New York and has served as spiritual advisor to Diamond Metta and Queer Dharma.