Ozarks Dharma Community

We are continuing to reach out to our friends in the community with less than we have, and our opportunities to help have changed. The Free Store at Grace UMC is no longer open, but if you have clothing and food donations, there is definitely still a need! National Avenue Christian Church is collecting clothing and food donations for Rare Breed and The Connecting Grounds, and you can drop those donations off at NACC in the bin outside the gallery door on Tuesday and Thursdays from 10AM to 3 PM or Sundays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

ODC is partnering again with NACC, the University Heights and Phelps Grove neighborhoods to help the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO) in a blood drive on Thursday, October 22, from 1-6pm at National Avenue Christian Church (1515 S National) in the Gallery Room.  We are excited about doing this, particularly now with the additional challenges CBCO has had in getting donations. We are supporting the efforts in 2 ways: Volunteering to help at the actual event – sign up to help here By donating blood - You are encouraged to sign up online at the CBCO website  here . You can also sign up by calling 417-227-5006. Walk-ins are also taken, but CBCO highly recommends signing up, as that really helps in their planning and keeping everyone safe (i.e. the potential for having many people in the space is minimized). The benefits of donating blood are many and are particularly important during these challenging times, as donations are quite low. As Buddhists, we can certainly appreciate t

As part of our  ongoing community outreach , ODC is partnering with National Avenue Christian Church to collect items for the Grace Free Store which supports the unsheltered and food insecure. Items from the Free Store are available Mondays and Wednesdays with the meal service. Please help stock the Free Store in October with: Men's small and medium boxer briefs Knit beanies and gloves Bulk snacks/bars Donations gratefully accepted 3 ways: Bring to Grace United Methodist Church on Tuesdays 11am-1pm. Please ring the doorbell on the east side of the church under the blue awning. Ship directly to Grace at 600 S Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806.  Email outreach@ozarksdharma.org to arrange for local contactless pickup.

As part of our  ongoing community outreach , ODC is partnering with National Avenue Christian Church to collect items for the Grace Free Store which supports the unsheltered and food insecure. Items from the Free Store are available Mondays and Wednesdays with the meal service. Help stock the Free Store in September with: Sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets: size L and XL Men's denim jeans: 30, 32, 34 waist Women's denim jeans: all sizes NEW! Donations gratefully accepted 3 ways: Bring to Grace United Methodist Church on Tuesdays 11am-1pm. Please ring the doorbell on the east side of the church under the blue awning. Ship directly to Grace at 600 S Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806.  Email outreach@ozarksdharma.org to arrange for local contactless pickup.   

Philip Moffit, a senior teacher at Spirit Rock, remarked that a half-day retreat can help the mind get still and stabilized. So let's turn our stay-at-home lives into a chance to cultivate stability. We invite you to join our online half-day retreats in September, October & November, hosted by various ODC facilitators. ODC Online Half-Day Retreats Dates : (1) Sunday, September 6; (2) Sunday, October 4; and (3) Sunday, November 8. Each is a stand-alone retreat. Feel free to attend any or all events. Time : 8:00am - 12:00pm. Who Can Attend : Open to beginning and seasoned meditators. Cost : There is no fee to attend. But if you wish to make a donation to ODC, you can via Paypal here . How : These half-day retreats will be held in the ODC main Zoom room. Use the Zoom link below. https://zoom.us/j/2258180988 Meeting ID: 225 818 0988 One tap mobile: +12532158782,,2258180988# US Dial by your location: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Format : These retreats will involve both

As part of our ongoing community outreach , ODC is partnering with National Avenue Christian Church to collect items for the Grace Free Store which supports the unsheltered and food insecure. Items from the Free Store are available Mondays and Wednesdays with the meal service. Help stock the Free Store in August with: Men's long nylon basketball type shorts Mens' boxer briefs (sizes small to XL) Women's cotton undies (sizes 5-8) Donations gratefully accepted Tuesdays 11am-1pm at Grace United Methodist Church, 600 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO. Please ring the doorbell on the east side of the church under the blue awning. For questions, contact Michele Sparks at outreach@ozarksdharma.org. Thank you!

Last updated 1/19/22 Due to omicron, all of our events have been shifted to online only events ; please join us on Zoom .  Here is a handy table of our Zoom offerings for your reference. If you have questions, please contact hello@ozarksdharma.org . Room Saturday Meeting ID Zoom Link Saturday Sit room Saturday Sit, 9 AM 225 818 0988 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2258180988

Please join Ozarks Dharma Community in partnership with National Avenue Christian Church in a blood drive for Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO). CBCO is the exclusive provider of blood to ALL your area hospitals.  When : Monday July 27, 2020 1pm-6pm Where : National Avenue Christian Church, The Gallery Room. 1515 S National, Springfield. To donate blood : Appointments are strongly recommended. Schedule your time by calling CBCO at 417-227-5006 or go to www.cbco.org/donate-blood. To help volunteer as a staffer for the event: Sign up here . All donors receive a CBCO Throwback T-shirt and a $5 gift card.  NACC will donate $5 per blood donor to AIDS Project of the Ozarks. Masks are required for donors and staff. If you don't have a mask, one will be provided. Photo identification required. Please eat well and drink plenty of fluids prior to the blood drive. Why is it so important to give blood? ODC Board Member, Linden Mueller, shares her reasons for donating:  "When I w

As part of our  ongoing community outreach , ODC is partnering with the National Avenue Christian Church to provide items for the Grace Free Store to help the unsheltered and food insecure. The store is open Mondays and Wednesdays during the serving of meals. Help stock the Free Store with:  Men's long nylon basketball type shorts Mens' boxer briefs (please no tidy whities) Bottled water, as public drinking fountains remained closed to prevent viral spread Donations gratefully accepted Tuesdays 11am-1pm at Grace United Methodist Church, 600 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO. Use the door on the east side of the church under the blue awning. Ring the doorbell.  Questions? Contact Michele Sparks at outreach@ozarksdharma.org.

Dear Ozarks Dharma Community members, Our online 9am Saturday Meditation Sits now have an outdoor social distancing option.  You are welcome to Zoom in from Phelps Grove Park or from the comfort of your home.   What : Social Distance Sit option When : Saturdays beginning July 4th, 2020.  Please arrive by 8:50am to set up your chair/cushion. Where : Phelps Grove Park. There is a shaded concrete area just north of the tennis courts.  Connect via Zoom:  With your phone, connect to the 9am meditation via our main Zoom room link:  https://zoom.us/j/2258180988 Meeting ID: 225 818 0988 What to bring: your own cushion or chair  cell phone (if you'd like to log into our usual zoom link) your own snack/food. After meditation ends, we'll hang-out and chat. ODC will not provide food for the group in order to maintain safety precautions.  The yoga/breathwork class  offered by Steve will continue to be at 8:30am via our ancillary Zoom room link: https://zoom.us/j/5104740209 Meeting ID: 510

“If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you recognize that your liberation and mine are bound up together, we can walk together.” – Lila Watson   Each of us was born into a unique situation and then raised in ways that imprinted our hearts with feelings and impressions that we in no way chose. In this way, we are all products of our family, culture, and society, and so bring unique and diverse experiences to our interactions with each other and the lens through which we view events happening in our world. These events impact each of us differently, of course, but many of our sangha are suffering right now. Suffering for want of human connection. Suffering because of loss caused by COVID-19. Suffering because systemic racial injustice has once again reminded those of us cozy in our safe whiteness that others suffer every day in myriad ways we can only imagine.   As the "Statement on Racism from Buddhist Teachers & Leaders in the United States" you

As part of our  ongoing community outreach , ODC is partnering with the National Avenue Christian Church to provide items for the Grace Free Store to help the unsheltered and food insecure. The store is open Mondays and Wednesdays during the serving of meals. Help stock the Free Store with:  Women's bras Men's sneakers and XL boxer briefs Dollar Store rain ponchos Bottled water (as public fountains remain turned off to preent viral spread) Donations gratefully accepted Tuesdays 11am-1pm at Grace United Methodist Church, 600 S. Jefferson, Springfield, MO. Use the door on the east side of the church under the blue awning. Ring the doorbell.  Questions? Contact Michele Sparks at outreach@ozarksdharma.org.

Philip Moffit, a senior teacher at Spirit Rock, remarked that a half-day retreat can help the mind get still and stabilized. So let's turn our stay-at-home lives into a chance to cultivate stability. We invite you to join our online half-day retreats in May and June, hosted by ODC facilitators Rowena Raborar and John Ruff. ODC Online Half-Day Retreats Dates : Sunday, May 24th and Sunday, June 28th. Each is a stand-alone retreat. Feel free to attend one or both events. Time : 8am-12pm Who Can Attend : Open to beginning and seasoned meditators. Cost : There is no fee to attend. But if you wish to make a donation to ODC, you can via Paypal here . How : These half-day retreats will be held in the ODC Ancillary Room. Use the Zoom link below. https://zoom.us/j/5104740209 Meeting ID: 510 474 0209 One tap mobile: +13126266799,,5104740209# US (Chicago) Dial by location: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Retreat Format 7:45am - Zoom room opens (say hello, troubleshoot technology issues) 8:00am -

At today's Saturday meditation, Janet shared Jack Kornfield's " The Bodhisattva Response to the Coronavirus ." Jack is the founding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California.  Join us every Saturday for meditation at 9am online. Zoom meeting info is here . All are welcome to join.

**Effective June 10, 2020, we are cancelling Thursday Night Open Sits Online. Please consider our other great opportunities for connection and practice: Monday night Grace Free Store service, Tuesday night Recovery Dharma or Saturday morning Meditation.** We hope you are managing ok and staying well during these challenging times! In an effort to help a bit, we are bringing back our Thursday night Open Sit Meditations. The face-to-face sits were originally on the first and third Thursdays, but starting April 16th, we are going to hold these sits  online every Thursday to provide another opportunity to sit together and connect. Instead of sitting for the entire hour, we will reserve time to visit with each other before and after a 30-minute sit. We will open the session at 7 pm and have 15 minutes to visit and connect. The 30-minute sit will follow, and we will finish up with another 15 minutes to visit again. There will be no formal facilitating or Buddhist teaching, but jus

**Please note: As of May 30th, 2020, ODC is reducing the frequency of our Sunday online Mettā meditations to once a month, on the first Sunday of each month, at 4:00 pm. The next  Mettā  meditation will be June 7, 2020. (There will be no  Mettā  meditation on May 31).** Mettā - Loving Kindness. Bhāvanā - Cultivation. In times of stress and anxiety Mettā meditation practice teaches us to look at our deepest emotions with compassion and acceptance and radiate that compassion and acceptance back into the world. Rhett Roberson, who is a member of ODC and whom many of us know, is currently participating in Buddhist teacher training. Rhett has offered to lead a short online Mettā meditation practice each week. In building on what we know as “mindfulness,” Mettā creates a familiarity with our own basic kindness. As of May 30th, 2020, online Mettā meditation practice will be the first Sundayy of the month, starting at 4:00 pm. In these sessions, we’ll open with basic meditation ins

Many of us are experiencing stress and anxiety right now. Steve Eiffert, who is a member of Ozarks Dharma Community (ODC) and whom many of us know, is also a certified yoga instructor. Steve has offered to lead a short yoga & breath practice online each week, immediately prior to our regular Saturday ODC meditation & discussion. The movements taught will be accessible to all, regardless of experience or ability, and are designed to help people use their physical body and breath to settle before sitting down to meditate. Mats will not be required for the first session, but might be needed after that. This online yoga & breath practice will be each Saturday, from 8:30 am to 8:55 am, starting March 28, 2020. To participate in this online yoga & breath practice, you will join a meeting in ODC’s “ancillary” Zoom room using the following URL/Link (or to join by phone, use the other link or number below): https://zoom.us/j/5104740209 Meeting ID: 510 474 0209 On

The Grace Free Store is temporarily suspending services due to COVID-19 community transmission concerns. Donation requests will resume at a future date, and we deeply appreciate your continued support.

Dear Ozarks Dharma Community, As you know, the novel coronavirus situation continues to evolve rapidly. Our healthcare leaders have advised that reduced in-person interaction can help slow transmission of this virus. We live in an interdependent world, and can work together to reduce the potential for harm to ourselves and others. It is in this light that Ozarks Dharma Community has decided to suspend our regular in-person sessions on Saturday mornings and Thursday evenings until further notice. That said, we will continue to connect with one another, and to meditate together on Saturday mornings in a virtual setting, online using Zoom. We will begin to meet online starting Saturday, March 21st. Below is the URL/link that you can click on to join a “zoom meeting” to participate in our Saturday morning online sessions, as well as links and numbers you may need if joining by phone: URL/ link to Join our Zoom Meeting (updated 3/27/20): https://zoom.us/j/22581809

Image from  https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/the-mindfulness-of-the-buddha/ Ozarks Dharma Community (ODC) is pleased to announce a new online Saturday Study will begin on September 19, 2020. Led by ODC facilitators and other ODC members, Saturday Study will explore the Eightfold Path. What is the Eightfold Path? The Buddha taught about suffering, the causes and ending of suffering, and a path we can cultivate to end suffering. This Eightfold Path entails practices by which we can learn to pay attention to and become skillful in eight inter-related domains of our behavior, in order that we might reduce and even end our suffering and that of others. These eight inter-related domains are: Views, Intentions, Speech, Conduct, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration. (Also, these eight domains are sometimes grouped into three larger categories: wisdom, ethics, and mental discipline.) How does Saturday Study work? In Saturday Study, Ozarks Dharma Community will explore the Ei

As part of our ongoing community outreach, Ozarks Dharma Community and National Avenue Christian Church are partnering to collect Free Store (at Grace United Methodist) donations which support the unsheltered and food insecure. The store is open on Mondays and Wednesdays during the serving of dinner to this fragile community. In March, help stock the Free Store with: Men’s belts Men's and women's sweatpants and leggings Bulk toilet paper Donations may be left at the collection bin in NACC’s west foyer. Questions? Contact Michele at  shelsparks@yahoo.com .

As part of our ongoing community outreach , ODC is partnering with the Grace United Methodist Free Store to provide warm and waterproof items for our friends in need. In February, help stock the Free Store with:  Men’s small jeans (waist sizes 30, 32, and 34 please) Men’s winter hats and gloves Bottled water Donations may be left at the collection bin in NACC’s west foyer. Questions? Contact Michele at shelsparks@yahoo.com .

As part of our  ongoing community outreach , ODC is partnering with the Grace United Methodist Free Store to provide warm and waterproof items for our friends in need. In January, help stock the Free Store with:  Handwarmers (like HotHands) Water-resistant gear for adults (new or used gloves, shoes/boots, coats) AAA batteries Throughout January, you can drop off your items at National Avenue Christian Church in the west foyer. Questions? Contact Michele Sparks at shelsparks@yahoo.com.