"Gratitude and Joy with MorningSun"

A Summer Opening and Community Building Experience:
August 5th - 14th 2011

The days are growing longer. The frogs sing out in the evening. The owls hoot through the night forest. And MorningSun enters a new period of growth, as we turn toward the summer sun together. With gratitude for one season passing into another. With gratitude for all the living beings who share in our daily lives.

This year we will be offering a different kind of summer experience than we have in the past, a summer opening for friends and families, with a strong spirit of togetherness. It will also be a time of community development for those interested in becoming residential members of MorningSun.

Practicing Together

During our summer opening we will share daily practice together. We will be diligent in our practice commitment without making our practice heavy. Every day we will share sitting meditation in the morning and late afternoon. And we will also have a period of walking meditation at midday. In addition to this basic practice schedule which we will all enjoy together, there will be other Dharma activities layered through our ten days together; Dharma talks, sharing on particular practice themes (reverence, compassion, gratitude, joy, non-self, engaged practice etc.), touching the earth, qi gong stick exercises etc.

Part of our practice will be a simple working rotation enabling all of us to support and participate in the basic organizing, cooking, and cleaning of the community.

Most of our activities will be held all together, families and children alike, with special children's activities scheduled from time to time.

The meditation hall as well as the beautiful outdoor environment will be the setting for our activities.

Special Moments of the Summer Opening include:

• Small building projects on the land
• Long hikes and cool wilderness swimming ponds
• Sunday August 7th Five Mindfulness Trainings Transmission Ceremony
• Wednesday August 10th Bonfire with Songs and Story Telling
• Saturday August 13th Full Moon Festival of Compassion

There is a particular kind of remarkable, transformative and healing energy that flows naturally from dwelling deeply in practice together. From cultivating our inner stillness, where we can hear more clearly - both what is real and true inside of us and what is real and true all around us. We will carry our intention to generate this kind of energy through every day together, perhaps speaking less than usual, walking more slowly than usual, eating less than usual; drawing on practice tools to help us and our families touch the energy of the practice and feel its power.

In being together this way we offer ourselves and our families a different kind of experience, one that can nourish us and strengthen us for our lives at home, at school and at work.

While we will bring our clear, diligent and loving intention to cultivating inner stillness we will also enjoy lightness and celebration. We will look for a balance in this precious time together, deep stillness and presence folded seamlessly around summer light and laughter.

Community Building Experience

There is steady and growing interest from people across the country in residential community life here at MorningSun. We are now offering two opportunities per year for people interested in living at MorningSun to come and visit and spend time together in the practice, learning about one another and learning about life at MorningSun.
Since a primary focus of our community building is on living joyfully together - as residents and as members of the larger community - we will hold the first such gathering in conjunction with this year's Summer Opening.
If you are interested in residential life in MorningSun please consider joining us from August 5 to August 14 this summer.

Living in Harmony

As a spiritual community, it is important for us to generate and share the energy of spiritual practice. We ask that all those who come to practice with us observe the Five Mindfulness Trainings while here. By not just sharing time together but by sharing a way of being in the world we will create a special quality of harmony. We would further like to ask that all those who come refrain from using computers or computer games unless computer use is critical for reasons of work.

We would also ask that cell phones remain off for the majority of every day together, with agreed times of day to check in (briefly) with our various responsibilities. Finally, as we do when we are in more formal retreat settings, we will practice noble silence every day together at different times (it is often a "whispering silence" for families with children). By observing outer silence we make it easier for all to dwell deeply in a place of inner stillness.

Practical Things

Accommodations:
All those coming to practice during the Summer Opening are invited to camp on the MorningSun land; 240 acres of beautiful rolling hills, granite boulders and three lovely ponds to enjoy. We will have basic camping facilities established - tentsites, outdoor cooking area, outhouses and water station. Showers in the resident houses will be available for bathing. Please bring your own tent and sleeping bags, or notify us if you need help with these things.

For those who wish to come and practice with us but who prefer not to camp, there are a number of affordable accommodation options very close by and we will help to connect all those interested with the various houses and neighbors who can host you.

Costs:

Per Day Costs
• $40 Total cost per adult per day
• $20 Additional adult
• $10 Each Child

For example: A family of 2 adults and 2 children will cost $80/day

Costs for 7-10 Days
• $280 Total cost per adult per 7-10 days (8th, 9th and 10th are free!)
• $140 Additional adult
• $70 Each Child

For example: A family of 2 adults and 2 children will cost $560 for 7-10 days stay

Note: These prices are for camping on the land at MorningSun. If you will be staying in a room nearby, you may deduct $5 /day from the above price. Room costs in nearby homes vary from $25-$35/day.

Registration:
Follow these steps to register:

• 1) Register by sending us an email at SummerOpening@morningsuncommunity.org containing: your name, (and the names and ages of any family members coming with you); your phone number; your arrival date; your departure date; and any special concerns you have (diet, accommodations, etc)
  -OR-
  Call Candace at (603) 313-2025


• 2) Make a deposit ($40) to reserve your space using the PayPal link below (you do not need to have a PayPal account to do so, simply click on the "Pay Now" button then you may select to pay with a credit card on the following page)
  
  
  
  
  -OR-
  Send a deposit check ($40) made out to "MorningSun Community" to MorningSun, 655 Gilsum Mine Rd, Alstead, NH 03602.
  
  (We will collect the balance of the cost for your stay on arrival)