Category Archives: Retreats and Events

Contemplative Photography and Meditation Workshop

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Cultivating Clarity, Receptivity and Joy With a Camera

Saturday, October 5, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Penuel Ridge Retreat Center

Led by Lisa Ernst

bluewaterPlease join us for a day of mindfulness as we combine meditation and the practice of contemplative photography. We will use our cameras as a means to reflect our mindful awareness of this moment in its myriad, ever changing forms. This contemplative approach to photography often yields unexpected and remarkable results that differ from conventional shots. There’s no need for expensive equipment or technical knowledge, just a willingness to meet the moment with your camera in an open and receptive state. A simple, yet profound joy often arises in this alliance of mind and heart, camera and surroundings.

Led by meditation teacher and artist Lisa Ernst, the workshop is suitable to beginning and experienced meditators. In addition to morning and afternoon photography sessions, the workshop will include meditation, silence and group interaction. The beautiful retreat site at Penuel Ridge includes many acres of wooded hills, open fields and a lovely, secluded lake.

The retreat fee is offered on a sliding scale from $75 – $100. Two reduced fee spots are available for those who need financial assistance.

A $50 deposit reserves your space and is due by 9/27 (or pay the full amount if you prefer). Paypal is available here. If paying by check, please make it out to One Dharma Nashville and send to One Dharma Nashville, c/o 12 South Dharma Center, 2301 12th Avenue South, Suite 202, Nashville, TN 37204. Be sure to include your email address. Additional details and directions will be provided in advance of the retreat. For more information or to reserve your spot email onedharmaretreat@gmail.com.

The Joy of Mindful Photography

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I originally posted this article last July and decided to re-post it now as I have another photography and meditation workshop coming up on October 5 at Penuel Ridge Retreat Center. If you’re in the Middle Tennessee area, I hope you can join me. Info is here.

As a visual artist, painting was my primary form of expression for many years. It still plays a large role in my creative retinue, but over the last several years I have discovered and fallen in love with mindful photography. This type of shooting, also known as contemplative photography,  is accessible to anyone who cultivates mindfulness in their lives – no special equipment or technical skills are needed.

Many people think of photography as an activity that creates separation from present moment experience because the photographer is always seeking that perfect shot.  From this perspective, the great shot is always in another moment, something to strive and search for. But every good photographer knows the value of training the mind to be completely present and aware in each moment, where great shots often reveal themselves, no seeking required.

When I use my camera in a receptive and open state, my shots reflect how the moment presents itself in its myriad, ever changing forms. I’ve found that this approach yields unexpected results that often differ from conventional shots. Advanced camera equipment isn’t important; being present and open is.  A simple, yet profound joy arises as my sense of “I’” as the photographer dissolves into the alliance of mind and heart, camera and surroundings. When the shoot is complete, I am always deeply relaxed and refreshed.

One of my favorite places for contemplative photography is Reelfoot Lake, in West Tennessee. In mid to late summer the lake is covered, even clogged, with huge yellow lotus flowers. Often the park rangers have to thin the plants out a bit. The endless vista of lotus flowers across the lake is truly an amazing sight. Locally my favorite place is Radnor Lake, just a block from my home. I can go any time of year and enjoy the ever changing weather conditions and seasonal transitions. To me, they are all beautiful although I have a special affinity for foggy mornings and icy winter afternoons.

Although I use my photographs as the basis for many of my paintings, I do most shoots simply to experience the joy of the moment, immersed in my surroundings with a camera. Occasionally  an image stands out that I want to paint, such as this one, “Lotus Lake” from a shoot at Reelfoot Lake a few years ago:

Lotus Lake, Acrylic on Canvas, 48″ x 36,” private collection

If you’ve never experienced mindful photography before, I hope you’ll give it a try. All you need is a camera and an hour or two to shoot.  In September I plan on offering a meditation workshop where we will practice the art of mindful photography in a rural setting. The day will include meditation, photography and group interaction. No special photography skills are needed; any camera will do. I’ll post more details soon.

Reelfoot Lake at Dusk

Reelfoot Lake at Dusk

Daylong Meditation Retreat in Nashville, September 14

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The Joy of Refuge in This Moment

September 14, 2013, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Led by Lisa Ernst

IMG_0551Please join us at a beautiful and secluded West Nashville location for a day of sitting and walking meditation. We will cultivate appreciation and joy through taking refuge in this moment.

Led by meditation teacher Lisa Ernst, this silent retreat will focus on developing a quality of compassionate presence that embraces our experience with an open heart. Through this practice, we begin to find true refuge in the way things are.

This retreat is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators; it will include sitting and walking meditation, practice instructions, and a dharma talk.

Cost: $50, plus dana (donation) to the teacher. A deposit of $50 reserves your spot and is due no later than September 9. Paypal is available here.  You can also bring your deposit to one of our Monday meditations or send a check made out to One Dharma Nashville to: 12 South Dharma Center, c/o One Dharma Nashville, 2301 12th Avenue South, Suite 202, Nashville, TN 37204. Be sure and include your email address. Directions and additional information will be emailed prior to the retreat.

Please contact onedharmaretreat@gmail.com with any questions.

How To Meditate and Yoga Workshop in Huntsville

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For those of you convenient to Huntsville, or anyone who wants to learn how to combine yoga and meditation, please join us on August 24.

with Meditation Teacher Lisa Ernst from One Dharma Nashville
and Suzanne Newton, asana & pranayama instruction
Saturday, August 24th
Early Bird Registration Discount due by August 17
Morning Session 9 – 12noon 
Yoga Postures & Breathing Practices for Seated Meditation with Suzanne & Lisa
Mixed Levels Class, beginners welcome

Afternoon Session 1 – 4PM  
Sitting and Walking Meditation Instruction with Lisa
Q & A session included
Mixed Levels Class, beginners welcome

Yoga Center of Huntsville
500 East Pratt Avenue

Register with Suzanne Newton via email : suzanne.m.newton@gmail.com
Pre-payment by check or cash is due by 8/17/13  (sent to Suzanne)

Morning Class Fee : $40
Afternoon Class Fee : $50
Both Classes Fee : $75, pre-registered or $90 ‘drop in’ if space is available

Daylong Summer Meditation Retreat

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The Joy of Interconnection

Saturday, August 3, 2013, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Led by Lisa Ernst

shylotuscropPlease join us in Nashville for a day of sitting and walking meditation. According to the Buddha, the greatest suffering arises from a sense of separation. Through the practice of sitting and walking meditation we begin to access insight, which allows us to pierce the illusion of separateness and taste the joy of interconnectedness to all things.

Led by meditation teacher Lisa Ernst, this silent retreat is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators; it will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, practice instructions, optional private interview and a dharma talk. Please bring a sack lunch. Refreshments will be provided at the end of the retreat.

Cost: $50, plus dana (donation) to the teacher. A deposit of $50 will reserve your space.. Paypal is available at this link. Please email onedharmaretreat@gmail.com with any questions or to confirm your spot.

Mostly Smooth Sailing

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Every retreat has its own flavor for its participants, both individually and collectively. Our Spring Renewal retreat was mostly smooth sailing with a dedicated and focused group of practitioners. After Thursday’s hard afternoon rains most participants were able to arrive in time for our 7 p.m. meditation.  For the rest of the retreat we enjoyed sunny, although somewhat chilly spring weather.

At our previous retreat, the site still needed cleaning when we arrived and a few of us pitched in to insure the facilities were ready. This time, to our great appreciation, the camp manager spared no effort in assuring we arrived to spotless facilities. At this retreat people really wanted to sit — usually most everyone was in place a good five minutes before each session’s start time. I had the feeling that some would have happily stayed on for additional practice days, schedule permitting.

Self-compassion is vital during the early hours and days of meditation retreats, when participants are adjusting to the silence and intentional lack of external distraction. Often people feel that they are alone in their struggles, possibly doing it wrong, even imagining that others are swimming through the hours with joy and ease. “Comparing mind” rears up and leads to self-criticism and even self-loathing for some. At this vital point, learning to extend compassion to all parts of ourselves, especially the broken, pained and imperfect, can soften the heart and mind enough to accommodate our immediate experience. Then the resistance begins to ease, just as Buddha taught. This allows us to settle into the practice, to truly appreciate this moment just as it is.

Some people struggled a bit with the walking mediation, which is pretty normal at Vipassana style retreats. Walking slowly yet going nowhere for 30+ minutes at a time feels awkward and counterintuitive to some, especially at first.  Without a target, a specific destination, people have to let go and rest their attention only on their immediate surroundings along with the movement of their bodies, one foot and one breath at a time. It is a deep and profound practice once the restlessness and resistance is gone. Concentrated walking meditation can reveal deep glimpses into interconnectedness and no-self. Some people are more naturally attuned to sitting and it may take patience and time for them to appreciate the walking practice. For those who prefer Zen style line walking, we always include one session of this practice in the evenings.

Meditation retreats may challenge us in ways we have never imagined; yet they can also open us to extended periods of joy and ease. Retreats can reveal glimpses and even deep insights into the unlimited and boundless nature of true mind that is our birthright, that is always here and ready for us to receive whenever our minds and hearts are fully present.

Altar Flowers by Frankie Fachilla

Altar Buddha by Frankie Fachilla

Walking Path at Bethany Hills by Frankie Fachilla

Walking Path at Bethany Hills by Frankie Fachilla

Early morning light at Bethany Hills by Lisa Ernst

Early morning light at Bethany Hills by Lisa Ernst

Reflection by Lisa Ernst

Reflect 2 by Lisa Ernst

June 1 Meditation Retreat

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A Day of Mindfulness Meditation Retreat

Awakening Compassion and Insight

Saturday, June 1, First Church Unity Barn, Nashville

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Led by Lisa Ernst IMG_0551

Please join us at a lovely location in Nashville with plenty of room for sitting and walking meditation. In Buddhism, a balanced practice includes cultivating both compassion and insight. In this silent daylong retreat, we will practice extending compassion and lovingkindness toward ourselves and others, opening our hearts to the the truth of interconnectedness. As we deeply experience this moment, just as it is, we naturally begin to awaken to the freedom and insight that resides in us all.

Led by meditation teacher Lisa Ernst, this retreat is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators; it will include sitting and walking meditation, practice instructions, and a dharma talk. Please bring a sack lunch. Refreshments will be provided at the end of the retreat.

Cost: $50, plus dana (donation) to the teacher. The $50 fee is due in advance of the retreat and you can use Paypal, available at this link. Directions and additional information will be emailed prior to the retreat.

Please contact onedharmaretreat@gmail.com with any questions.

Three Day Lovingkindness and Brahma-Vihara Retreat

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For those who would like to do a weekend retreat but can’t make my three day April Spring Renewal Retreat here in Nashville, I will be leading a weekend retreat in the North Georgia Mountains. The lodge is right next to a National Forest, about 4 1/2 hours from Nashville.

Red Clay Sangha and Insight Meditation Community of Georgia Present

Three Day Residential Retreat with Lisa Ernst

Lovingkindness and the Four Immeasurables

Thursday Evening May 2 – Sunday Noon May 5, 2013

Sautee Lodge, Sautee Georgia

sauteelodge  Please join us in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains for a weekend of sitting and walking meditation. During this silent retreat, we will cultivate what the Buddha called “the immeasurable states of heart and mind” – the Brahma Viharas or Divine Abodes. These are the qualities of love, compassion, joy and equanimity that reside in us all. Our innate lovingkindness will be strengthened and enhanced by sitting and walking practice, discussions and dharma talks. As our hearts awaken, we can discover a deeper sense of openness and interconnection with all of life.

This residential 4-day/3-night retreat is recommended for both beginning and experienced meditators. Sautee Lodge is located in the north Georgia Mountains, surrounded by a national forest. The retreat will begin Thursday evening and close at noon on Sunday. Cost is $150 plus dana (donation) to the teacher.

Lisa Ernst is the founder and guiding teacher at One Dharma Nashville. She began meditation practice in the late ’80’s in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Lisa has also studied and practiced in the Theravada tradition since the late 90’s. She has been teaching since 2005 and was given full dharma transmission from Trudy Goodman in 2010 in the lineage of the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah.

For more information or to register, go to here.

One Dharma Nashville Volunteer Day

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One Dharma Outreach Day
Saturday, March 30, 1- 4 p.m.
Waterway Restoration- Tree Planting

Be a part of the countywide effort to restore creeks, streams, and rivers to pre-flood conditions or better. We’re partnering with Hands On Nashville for this project. Volunteers will address the critical needs of a watershed riparian zone. Riparian zones are important natural spaces often referred to as “ribbons of life” and are located where the water meets the land. These habitat rich stream banks extend several dozen feet inland. Flooding greatly damaged Davidson County riparian areas. During this project, we will re-plant the land with native trees. Natural barriers will also be established to discourage mowing and future clear-cutting. The location is 361 Wimpole Drive, which is Hands on Nashville’s Urban Farm.

· NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! All work is supervised by a Project Leader, and all equipment and materials are provided!

· Volunteers will work together to plant trees in the riparian zone. Expect to be walking through tall grass and bushes.

· Volunteers should wear work clothes that can get dirty. Please dress appropriately for the weather.

· Closed-toed shoes are required. Work boots, hiking boots, or old sneakers are great. No flip flops or sandals.

· Be prepared to have fun and learn about watersheds in Davidson County!

Please join us, it should be a fun afternoon. Please email raleighwillson@comcast.net to confirm your participation.

Spring Renewal Residential Meditation Retreat

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The Path of Awakening

Bethany Hills Retreat Center, Kingston Springs TN

Thursday Evening, April 11 – Sunday Noon April 14

Early registration discount due by March 11

Led by Lisa Ernst

 bethanyhall

Each spring the earth awakens from its winter slumber. Surrounded by the fresh green of newly leafed trees and longer, warmer days, we will renew our minds and hearts in the simple yet profound practice of sitting and walking meditation.  Gradually this practice will penetrate all realms of our being as we awaken to this moment with deep gratitude and joy.

The retreat will be held at Bethany Hills Retreat Center, Kingston Springs, TN. Retreat cost  the cost is  $215. A reduced fee sliding scale spot is available if you need financial assistance. Please inquire for rates. Participation for all three days is required. There will be a separate opportunity at the retreat to make a *dana offering (donation) to the teacher. Two sliding scale spots are available for those who need financial assistance. Make your retreat payment to One Dharma Nashville and send to: One Dharma Nashville c/o 12 South Dharma Center, 2301 12th Avenue South, Suite 202, Nashville, TN 37204. Please include your email address. Paypal is also available here. Use the first “donate” button.

Lisa Ernst is the founder and guiding teacher at One Dharma Nashville. She began meditation practice in the late ’80’s in the Zen Buddhist tradition, studying closely with two Rinzai Zen  Masters and attending numerous mediation retreats. Lisa has also studied and practiced in the Theravada tradition since the late 90’s. She has been teaching since 2005 and was given full dharma transmission from Trudy Goodman in 2010 in the lineage of the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah.

*Dana: According to the Buddha, generosity, or sharing what we have, is one of the central pillars of a spiritual life. In the act of giving we develop our ability to let go, cultivate a spirit of caring, and acknowledge the inter-connectedness that we all share.

Please contact  onedharmaretreat@gmail.com for questions or to reserve your spot.