www.herspiral.com got grabbed by "phishermen" and is currently being checked out.
Shucks. And it just got going!

So in the meantime, check my blog at www.insidespace.blogspot.com for updates - newsletter out soon. Sorry for all the misdirection!

Our first collaboration (by means of redirection):

It's www.herspiral.com.

Me, Dylan and our Macs finally made it happen!

A lovely way to keep abreast of schedules, recent reads and samples to show your friends. Please let me know how you do or do not like it! And there are subscription options on many pages, so you can know when I update them.

Thank you for all your support!
From now on I will not be updating this blog - please check the website for the kinds of things you've seen here - and better-looking ones, too!

Miriam

www.herspiral.com

CONTEMPLATIVE WRITING ANNOUNCEMENTS

We have started a new session. For those of you on waiting lists, I will keep you posted as the holidays end and we head into January. First week of classes will be January 5th, and the price per 8 week session will be 125$ as of January 1, 2009. Financial aid, as always, will be available.

Now for some related announcements...

1. January weekend retreat in Black Earth (Save the date: Jan 10-11)
2. Miksang show (until 10/31)
3. Nanowrimo - National Novel Writing Month (all of November)
4. Level 1 - Art of Being Human meditation program Nov 7-8
5. Restorative Yoga Nov 16
6. Amy Tan link


1. January weekend retreat in Black Earth
I have reserved the Aldo Leopold Center in Black Earth WI for a weekend winter writing retreat (let's pray for good driving weather). I am very excited about this space and for us to be able to get away and snuggle in together over the winter. The dates are Saturday and Sunday, January 10-11. There will be about 15 spots and price will be in the 100-150$ range (I need to work out the specifics but there will be financial aid, too). This serves as a "save the date" - please let me know if you would think you'd like to come and I can add you to a list. More info soon.

2. Miksang show
Still up until the end of the month at Mildred's Sandwich Shop (good soups, too!) - E. Johnson and N. Paterson St.

3. Nanowrimo
November is National Novel Writing Month. Join my student, Steph Durnford (stephdurnford@yahoo.com) and thousands across the nation (www.nanowrimo) in writing a 50,000 word novel in one month!

4. Level 1 - Art of Being Human
The Shambhala Center, where I teach most of my classes, is having a really good introductory meditation class in a couple of weeks. Check out this page for more info or to register
http://www.madison.shambhala.org/program_details.php?id=16883&cid=226

SHAMBHALA TRAINING Level I The Art of Being Human
November 7 / 6:30 PM - November 8 / 6:00 PM
Price: $50
Friday, November 7, 6:30 pm register; 7-9 pm program; Saturday, November 8, 9 am - 6 pm) Level I is a meditation workshop that focuses on discovering basic goodness in the world and in ourselves, and is the first contemplative workshop in the Shambhala Training series. It is suited for beginning and experienced meditators. The workshop includes meditation instruction, discussions, talks, and meditation practice. This secular path of mindfulness and awareness meditation can benefit people of any spiritual tradition and way of life. It shows how to take the challenges of daily life in our modern societies as opportunities for both contemplative practice and social action. Suggested Donation: * $50 if pre-registered by November 2; $60 fee after pre-registration deadline; $25 if repeating the class. Please pre-register by November 2, 2008, by calling the Center at 441-8868 or emailing madisonshambhala@gmail.com

5. Restorative Yoga
Ali Dwyer and Amala Heeter offer these fantastic Restorative Yoga (read: relaxing practically effortless and fun movement and non-movement) classes once a month. Next one is November 16th, from 12-2pm. Want in? Eamil Ali: alidwyer@gmail.com

6. Amy Tan link
Just a great talk on creativity from the author of the Kitchen God's Wife. Amazing website for talks, too:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/amy_tan_on_creativity.html


Enjoy!
Miriam
miriam hall (herspiral) madison wi usa
herspiral@yahoo.com
www.flickr.com/photos/herspiral
read of the week: buddha by karen armstrong

Wow

Amy Tan on Creativity and "making something out of nothing."

Full worth the 20 minutes.

(sorry link didn't work before)

Great site for talks, btw.

Updates

CONTEMPLATIVE WRITING
I am starting a new series of Contemplative Writing classes the week of 10/27 - if you wanted to sign up but haven't, now's the time to contact me!

Sessions run 8 weeks this time around and are 100$. Financial aid is always available.

Only openings are in a Monday 4:30 class - runs until 6:30pm.

Other time slots, which don't have openings now, but have open waiting lists:
Tuesdays 1-3pm and 6:30-8:30pm
Wednesdays 9-11am and 7:30-9:30pm

As always, nighttime classes fill faster.

MIKSANG CONTEMPLATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY
Show up right now until 10/31 at Mildred's Sandwich Shop on E. Johnson, with my work and the work of 4 other Miksangers - though, as we'd like to say, the Universe is who REALLY took the pictures!

Reviews will happen monthly over winter and we'll begin classes again in the spring.

OTHER
I plan on having a website soon! My lovely partner and I are putting it together.
Address will be: www.herspiral.com

Please keep checking here - once that goes up I'll move all this to there.

Miriam

Dear Contemplative Art Folk,

I am writing with some updates before I take off some time for the summer. Here are the contents of this email in order:
1. Contemplative Writing Compilation and Orton Park Writing Booth
2. Two Miksang Level 1 offerings this summer
3. August Contemplative Writing class openings
4. How to keep up-to-date with me while I am "gone"

1. As I did last year, I'll be making a small chapbook of writings from retreats and classes. If you did or didn't participate last year, or just have one writing from one retreat you want to share, please do! Work should be typed up and sent in Word to me, no matter what format. Edit as little as possible so the stream of consciousness flow is apparent. Please make it clear whether or not you want your name with the piece.
I will gather the pieces in July (so please send to me by end of June) and put them together in a booklet. Every submittor will get one, then I will sell the remainder at classes and at the Orton Park Festival Spontaneous Writing Booth. Proceeds pay for students who cannot afford retreats or classes at full costs.

2. Miksang contemplative photography will be offered twice this summer in Level 1 form. Ann Hall will be teaching June 28-29, and I will be teaching August 16-17. Full explanations of Miksang can be found on the international site:
www.miksang.org and registration for the local classes can be made on the Shambhala site: www.madison.shambhala.org. Otherwise, feel free to email me for more information.

3. I am taking off all of July and the first half of August, but as of the week of 8/17, I will be back teaching 5 classes a week. While the current students may not be certain as to whether they are staying until August, I highly recommend emailing or calling me now to reserve a spot, just in case! Class times are:
Monday 4:30
Tuesday 1pm and 6:30pm
Wednesday 9am and 7:30pm
Classes are two hours long, run in 8-9 week sessions and are 100$/session.
Please spread the word if you can't make it or are currently a student - your word of mouth recommendation is the best way I keep the classes going!

4. Finally, I had hemmed and hawed about letting folks know about my blog, as I include quite a few personal details in it. But the fact is, you all share things with me every week, and I *do* after all, put my stuff out there in public anyway, so I'd rather have *you* reading it than any random stranger. I keep two blogs, one with teaching info (where this kind of post goes), and one personal (essays and my own writing responses to the exercises, which some of you have asked about). Then, as you may have noticed at the bottom of my emails, I keep a "photo blog" on Flickr.

www.herspiral.blogspot.com (teaching schedule and details)
www.insidespace.blogspot.com (personal blog)
www.flickr.com/photos/herspiral (miksang and photos)

As I will be teaching summer school and on vacation from June 26-August 17, this is the best way to keep up to date on where I am.

Hope to see/hear/hug you soon in a contemplative context!
Miriam

Not much to report right now - I have extended the March-May classes into June, then will be taking a break in July/August. I will post when August schedule is set.
That's for writing. We also have a yoga/writing retreat on June 7th, which is full.

Miksang: In Madison, WI, there will be an introductory class with my co-teacher, Ann Hall, June 28-29. Please visit www.madison.shambhala.org to register. Please keep checking for other intro classses in the fall, and I will be doing Level 2 in Chicago and Madison in the fall. Finally, we hope to host our senior teacher, John McQuade, to do Level 3 and Absolute Eye this fall.

SPRING CONTEMPLATIVE WRITING SESSION
(sorry for the delay!)

First week of classes is 3/24, last week is last week in May
The session will run over the span of 10 weeks (last
class is May 28) but 4/9, 4/14 or 4/15 will be off (no class that
day), so total number of classes is 9. The cost is
100$, payable up front, week-to-week, or half and
half.

Class times are:
Monday 4:30
Tuesday 1pm
Tuesday 6:30
Wednesday 9am
Wednesday 7:30pm

Each class is two hours long, and has seven folks in
it. All you need to ever bring to class is something
to write with and something to write on. Even if you
forget that, I always have spares!

Class takes place at the Madison Shambhala Center, 408
S. Baldwin St, side entrance. It's just off
Williamson. If you haven't been before, I recommend
planning on arriving 15 minutes early the first time,
just to get yourself situated. We sit on meditation
cushions and there are spare tables and extra cushions
for comfort, but please let me know if you need
anything else for your back or other body parts!

Please email herspiral@yahoo.com or call 608-217-2132 to register. Spaces are limited!