Tricycle | Awake in the World

October 23, 2007

Change Your Mind Day 2007 in Orlando Florida was held at the Downtown Orlando Marks Senior Recreation Complex. We had nine different groups give presentations and over 175 people attended the festivities. It was a wonderful opportunity to make connections among teachers and practitioners from traditions such as Mindfulness, Western Vipassana, New Kadampa, Order of Interbeing, Kwan Um Zen and others; plus insight poetry, the construction of a sand mandala, Yoga, Tai Chi and Dances for Universal Peace.

The day was opened and closed in the ballroom by Bob Allen of the Fish Lake Sanga, striking the 108 bells. Peter Carlson, Orlando Insight Meditation Group, was next with a Dharma Talk and meditation on The Four Noble Truths and The Noble Eightfold Path. Ricc Bishop, Vajrapani Buddhist Center, had the audience participate in a traditional Liberating Prayer, then gave Dharma Talk & Meditation on Wishing Love. Claudia Schippert, Orlando Zen Circle, lead the group in another Dharma Talk and a Zen Meditation. Next , Bob Allen, Fish Lake Sanga, got us out of our chairs and off our cushions for in an active meditation entitled Touching the Earth. Ross Payne of the Thursday Night UU Meditation Group, a Theravadan group, taught us how to do Metta (Lovingkindness) Meditation.

The floor was then opened to our poets, Johanna Jordan, Bonnie Fesmire, and Jamie and Nicole Savage who read original and beautifully inspiring Insight Poetry. The final presentation before the closing bells in the ballroom was a question and answer panel discussion with all the teachers led by Dr. Jane Compson of the Department of Philosophy at the local University of Central Florida.

Simultaneously in the Oak room of the Senior Center, Tai Ji Chi Gung classes were led by Eric Raboy, Dancing Dragon Kung Fu. Yoga for meditators classes were led by Candice Mitchell, Shine on Yoga, and Dances of Universal Peace were led by Steve Hawkins and Talia Wright

Continuing all day. on the patio, the Shine on Meditation Group constructed a beautiful and colorful Sand Manadala which was disassembled at the close of the festivities to illustrate the transitory nature of reality, and the sacred sand was distributed to all to take home.

There is a lot of Mind-Changing Stuff going on in Orlando this year!!!

- Judy Douglas


Please check back on tricycle.com for information on Change Your Mind Day 2008.