Two upcoming poetry Sangha events aim to engage participants in mindfulness meditation and spiritually-grounded personal and shared experiences.
Frenchtown, New Jersey’s Cross River Meditation Center and the Doylestown Community Zen will host a joint project to bring poets together to explore their craft through spirituality for two events.
“Poetry presents itself as an experience. Reading a poem, I feel, can be like a sudden experience of someone else’s world, which becomes an insight, which crosses with my own and which becomes something new for me,” said Peter J. Ryan, event co-organizer and a licensed professional counselor at Doylestown-area Counseling Confidence.
Matthew M. Branham of Healing Path Acupuncture is co-leading the event.
The Frenchtown event will be held at 6 p.m., April 25, at Cross River Meditation Center located at 207 Harrison Street in Frenchtown. The event is free and parking is available. Good will donations welcome.
The Doylestown event will be held at 6 p.m., July 25 at Community Zen located at 70 West Oakland Ave, #103, Doylestown. The event is free and parking is available behind Clinton Avenue. Good will donations welcome.
“The point of the poetry Sangha is to create a time for people to listen to each other speaking freely, directly and beautifully of their own desire to go past themselves,” Ryan said.
Buddhist tradition holding a Sangha is the practice of gathering people together to engage in mindfulness and concentration to effect or impact powerful change.
“Reading a poem, I feel, can be like a sudden experience of someone else’s world, which becomes an insight, which crosses with my own and which becomes something new for me.” Peter J. Ryan, event co-organizer
The upcoming poetry Sangha events in Frenchtown and Doylestown are meant to bring people together for gathering for reading, writing and sharing poetry to create a deeper connection; offering guided meditation and collaborative experiences for deeper personal expression.
“We will alternate periods of traditional meditation with time to compose, read aloud or otherwise share the poetry that moves you to greater compassion and connection,” the event’s press release said.
A future virtual poetry gathering is planned. For further information contact floatingpoetrysangha(at)gmail.com.
If you go to Frenchtown, New Jersey:
What: Sangha meditation and spirituality experience through poetry
Where: Cross River Meditation Center, 207 Harrison Street in Frenchtown, New Jersey.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, April 25
Cost: Free; parking available
If you to to Doylestown:
What: Sangha meditation and spirituality experience through poetry
Where: Doylestown Community Zen center located at 70 West Oakland Ave, #103, Doylestown.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25
Cost: Free; parking available behind Clinton Avenue.
