Yes, the mornings are cold and foggy, very little rain has actually fallen but the earth soaks up every drop and it's often warm sunshine by early afternoon.
EAGLES NEST The gathering site for Natural Perspectives at Origins continues to develop, we have a water tank ready to install and a woodshed to construct.
ECO DHARMA Ian from Tigle House teaches Eco Dharma as a vehicle for our times, it is a vital perspective on practice. www.tiglehouse.org
TRAVELLING ANTHROPOLOGISTS Our dear friends Saskia and Shultz have long commented on the relationship of Buddhist teaching and the natural environment. Saskia has written some interesting articles that refer to Origins - see the link below.https://www.globalbuddhism.org/
KINDY There are new families attending at Kindy, sometimes older home schoolers come along to play when the little ones do kindy. Responsible adults are always there to take care of the home schoolers while Anne and Chim do Kindy. Potluck lunch is always a joy. To enquire contact [email protected] Next Kindy is 26th June but there will be no kindy during July, resuming on Wednesday 14th August.
JULY The Centre is closed for staff break and maintenance during July. Anyone wanting to come along and help should contact [email protected] Kip is away all July and Chim is away from 28th June to 15th July.
ADAM IN RESIDENCE Adam will be resident at Coorain during July helping with work and program development. A feature of his visit will be social gatherings so everyone can become more familiar with each other. We really look forward to his whole family being resident here, they will be a great asset.
YOUNG ADULT WORKERS We are gradually developing a program for young adults with paid and supervised work as a core activity. This allows the young access to more experienced people and gives them a chance to become more familiar with work tools and practices here at Origins. If you would like to inquire contact [email protected] On that note one of our young friends, Akira, has recently been taken on by a large station up north and he is loving it.
ROAD WORK Our access road is vulnerable to scouring and potholes, but we do our best to keep it in good shape. The road up to the Rotunda is particularly touchy, so we will only allow access for special occasions.
SAUNA Joshua will keep the Wednesday saunas available during July. Sessions start at 5:30pm. Please contact Josh to let him know you are coming or for more info: [email protected]
MINDFULNESS SESSIONS There will be no morning mindfulness sessions during July - they will recommence on 7th August at 7am.
NUNS OF THE KARMAPA Our support for the Nuns continues. They are a wonderful therapeutic community devoted to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture. 100% of all donations support the nuns welfare.
TRIP TO RUMTEK Chime plans on visiting the Nuns of the Karmapa in Rumtek during late March, early April, 2025. If you are interested in being informed about this trip please contact [email protected] we are designing and developing the itinerary.
DANA Dana is a thoughtful, ethical, approach to mutual support and exchange. In this spirit we often offer services and events on a donation basis. It's all about consideration and care. A community of dana embraces care and consideration, a core principle for inclusive community. Origins has been developed and maintained with dana.
NEEDS - Old water tank for firewood storage. - High quality metal grass rakes.
THANKS - Anne Marie for many limes! - Amber for helping with Kindy during August. - Lachlan from Cyrenian House for volunteering to work. - Toby for roof plumbing, - Deb for archive backup. - Wendy for helping Anne with World Peace Pagoda Day. - Tobias for new Coorain decking, all in Jarrah. - Jasper and Emily for starting work at Origins.
Upcoming Events at Origins
Story Weekend with Jaya - 21st - 23rd June Join poet and story-welcomer Jaya Penelope over two fire-lit evenings to hear an old folktale told with reverence and wonder. During the day we will explore doorways into the story and how old tales can speak to our own lives through journaling, poetry writing, dream-tending, altar building, storytelling, time alone in nature and time with others in community. Please note: this retreat begins on Friday evening, if you plan to attend, it is essential that you arrive by 7pm on Friday, please do not book a place unless you can commit to this arrival time. For more information and to register, please contact: [email protected]
Centre Yourself, Ground Yourself with Chris and Bevie - 29th & 30th June Embark on a restorative journey filled with relaxed and friendly vibes. Step into a weekend escape dedicated to nurturing your mind and body through slow, mindful movement that focuses on organizing and activating your whole body from the ground up focusing on the powerhouse of our body, our centre. Led by the experienced duo, Bevie Barker and Chris Newell, this unique workshop invites you to explore the profound connection between your feet and your centre. Throughout the weekend, we'll employ a range of movement modalities, including Slow Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Qi Gong, to gently unite the foot-to-core connection, extending it further to ultimately experiencing a sense of whole-body harmony. For more information and registration details: https://www.circlework.training/events/foot-to-core-connection
July - closed for winter!
Mindfulness Weekend with Chim - 10th & 11th August Mindfulness practice is in harmony with all others dedicated to developing an engaged and helpful way of living. The exercise at the core of Chim's mindfulness weekends is a brief meditative exercise for inner calm, awareness and transformation. Sessions are Saturday 9:30am and 3pm and Sunday 9:30am (three 90-minute sessions). To book accommodation, or for more information contact: [email protected]
Mindful Walking Weekend at The Origins Centre, Balingup, 16th - 18th August. Mindful walking is a dynamic practice that reveals many aspects of how we approach and navigate our daily lives, a true discovery of the interconnected relationships of the body-mind. Through an Ecodharma lens, mindful walking methods guide us to move across Country with greater attentiveness, respect, and care. These practices expand our natural abilities to observe and interact mindfully with our personal inner ecology and the broader body of life and nature. Participants can stay at the Centre or join the daily sessions while staying offsite. For more information, see Mindful walking weekend retreat August 2024 at the Origins Centre | Tig-Le House (tiglehouse.org), or contact [email protected]
*A gentle reminder - please care for others and yourself, and do not attend Origins if you are feeling unwell, especially with cold or flu symptoms. Thankyou!
Weekend Retreats & Dana Deposit to Confirm Booking A wonderful balance of health, art, nature and mindfulness with these weekend retreats. Appreciation to everyone for contributing to such a vibrant centre full of good energy and creativity. We will be asking people planning on attending retreats to make a $60 - $100 non refundable contribution to your dana for accommodation to confirm your booking ($100 for the May and September retreats).
Regular Programand Services Mindfulness Sessions on fb streaming Live practice stream including commentary. Venue: Coorain – Balingup, and Facebook Time: Tuesdays from 8am to 9am with Chime and Fridays from 7:30 to 8:30am with Anne.
Daily Mindfulness in the Rotunda Mondays - Fridays, 7am - 7:30am, Josh and Kip do a mindfulness session in the Rotunda. You are welcome to join them, and stay for a cuppa afterwards.
Donations: We are a charitable organization and your donations make the difference! If you would like to support us financially, our bank details are: Origins Centre BSB 066504 Account Number: 10017993 PayPal account http://www.originscentre.org/support-origins.html
Origins Centre Coorain Account BSB 066504 Account Number: 10056415
GOVERNANCE The Origins Committee of Management has full responsibility for all administration, management, landcare, finance, maintenance, media and teaching at OC and Coorain. The responsibility is represented on-site by committee members or on-site duty managers. Many friends help. OC is a registered, charitable not-for-profit NGO that offers its services, land and infrastructure on a donation basis. Origins is run and used by volunteers and supported by core paid work.