Integrating Spiritual Practices and Compassionate Listening with Cathy Merchant

Integrating Spiritual Practices and Compassionate Listening

Facilitated by Cathy Merchant

May 5th - July 7th, 2022  

5:00pm-7:00pm PDT 

Over the course of this 10-week series, we will draw on spiritual practices from 10 different religious traditions to deepen into our ability to open our hearts towards one another as we learn and practice Compassionate Listening. This is an introductory course that is open to all. Participants don't need to belong to any faith tradition or have any particular spiritual practice in order to take part. No prior experience with Compassionate Listening is necessary.

The schedule will be as follows: 

Week 1. Indigenous -->Being with the Self in Presence 

Week 2. Judaism --> Working with Triggers 

Week 3. Buddhism --> From Drama to the Empowerment Triangle 

Week 4. Christianity --> Three-Part Listening 

Week 5. Sikhism --> Deepening Inquiry 

Week 6. Hinduism --> The Truth Box 

Week 7. Wicca --> Bridges That Connect 

Week 8. Baha'i Faith --> Widening Circles 

Week 9. Humanism --> The Science of Compassion 

Week 10. Islam --> From Debate to Speaking from the Heart  

Compassionate Listening is a practice that reaches deep into the heart of discord or disconnection, teaching us to listen with a different "ear" to those around us. Its powerful tools help transform the energy of conflict into opportunities for understanding, intimacy at home, healthy relationships, productive teamwork, and positive action. It is a practice that provides a roadmap to what sages from all ages and cultures have taught: cultivating the wisdom of the heart is the key to real peace "from the inside out."

Cost

$175 - Friend

$250 - Supporter

$300 - Champion 

$450 - Visionary

We offer a limited number of $175 tickets for accessibility. 

The cost for this workshop series is tiered according to a pay-as-you-are-able structure. This enables us to offer workshops in a financially sustainable way while creating accessibility for those without financial means to attend, as well as opportunities for generosity for those who would like to support others' attendance.

We are committed to accessibility and sincerely wish for all who wish to attend our workshops to be able to do so, regardless of financial means. If the $175 ticket price is not affordable for you, please submit a scholarship request.

Your generous donations make our scholarship program possible. If you have the means, please consider donating to our scholarship fund to enable others to attend who otherwise would not be able to do so.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made 7 days or more in advance of the event date will receive a 100% refund. Cancellations made within 7 days of the first session will receive a tuition credit which may be used towards any future Compassionate Listening course or workshop.

Please note that due to the container of trust that participants begin to build with one another early in the course, as well as the cumulative nature of the curriculum, we request that participants make every effort to attend the first session. Should unforeseen circumstances prevent this, your registration will be canceled and your funds may be applied as credit toward a future course. Please contact us before the course begins in order to receive a credit.

Event Details

This online course will be held on Zoom. It is highly experiential and requires your full presence, participation, and commitment to show up without distraction. We ask that you please attend each session since being together consistently enables us to build trust in one another and each session builds on the previous one.

In order to make the most of your experience and support others' learning and engagement, please:

• Plan to arrive in a quiet distraction-free environment, fully present and available to experience the workshop.
• Do not join the workshop while in transit (walking, driving, on the bus, etc.), or while multitasking (cooking, working, watching television, etc.).
• Connect to the event using a device that has full video and audio capability. Our hope is that everyone will be able to connect to the event using a device that has full video and audio capability because breakout rooms will be used to guide participants through our curriculum in small groups and we will be sharing screens throughout the course.

If you require any accommodations to attend, including physical limitations around viewing screens or having your video on, please contact us before the first session so that we can plan accordingly and/or match you with a workshop that meets your needs.

After registration and payment, you will receive a registration confirmation and welcome email. Please add us (staff@compassionatelistening.org) to your safe senders list to ensure that you receive all course access information.

If you have any questions, please contact us at staff@compassionatelistening.org.

Cathy is looking forward to meeting you in the circle!

Facilitator

Cathy Merchant

Cathy is the founder of the Living Interfaith Sanctuary, a spiritual community based in Vancouver, British Columbia whose members comprise a wide variety of religious traditions. She has worked as a peace activist, facilitator, and community organizer since 2008 for organizations such as the American Friends of the Parents Circle Families Forum, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and our very own Compassionate Listening Project. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Middle East Studies from the University of Washington and is working towards her Master of Divinity degree at the Vancouver School of Theology now. She hopes to receive her ordination as an Interfaith minister in 2021.