Awakening Joy – the 10 steps to happiness
“The purpose of life is to be happy”
Dalai Lama
The Awakening Joy course is based on the book “Awakening Joy – 10 steps to happiness”. The ten different themes incline the mind towards specific wholesome qualities. It explores proven practices to learn new ways of thinking and strategies to change behaviour.
Participant’s state “Awakening Joy is a very enjoyable course with tangible ways to practice well-being, happiness and compassion. These integrated easily into my daily life activities and have become second nature even when things are challenging.”
James Baraz, an insight teacher in California and co-creator of Awakening Joy (AWJ), comments related to this course. “I believe our task these days is to develop consciousness, love and caring in ourselves and help remind others of all the good inside and around them. I believe this motivates and empowers people to make this a better world. That is my vision and motivation for teaching this course”.
Di Robertson and Lois Cowan will be the facilitators for the Awakening Joy course in Christchurch in 2023. They have both completed the AWJ teacher training with James Baraz and taught this course several times.
Di has 30 years’ experience in insight meditation. She has taught beginners’ courses since 2000, and retreats over the last decade. Living in Christchurch, Di works as an ecologist and a therapist and is a co-founder and trustee of Southern Insight Meditation. Di is looking forward to teaching this course again after several years, and in particular how to support our deeper well-being whilst opening and responding to the challenges of this time.
Lois has worked as a nurse in Mental health and Addiction and supervisor. She is an experienced educator and group leader. She is passionate about mindfulness practice. Her ongoing involved with mindfulness training, practice and Awakening Joy has supported her orientation towards gratitude, and a deeper compassion for herself and others.
The Awakening Joy Course 2023 commences in Christchurch on May 9th.
When: fortnightly meetings Tuesdays 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. 10 sessions
Where: Manuka Cottage in Addington
Cost: $250. If cost is a barrier to attending please email Lois to discuss
“I have noticed how much more joy is available to me, and how I am more connected with my own body and heart, as well as with other people and nature. This now happens in easeful and more tricky times, and also notably and perhaps surprisingly in facing up to personal and societal challenges and crises” (previous course participants)
The trainers provided their own understanding, experience and examples, that made key messages from each chapter of the book so much more relatable and lasting in practice than simply reading the book. They were very inclusive and very safe in providing a supportive group container.
For further information and registration please email loismcowan@gmail.com (for more general information about the international course see https://www.awakeningjoy.info/)