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!

SPRING CONTEMPLATIVE WRITING RETREATS


Dear Current Contemplative Writers
(and those who are interested in beginning),

Our one-day retreat on December 29th went so well that
I've decided to do another. The theme for this one-day
retreat will be "Let's Play!" and involve both writing
and visualization journal (collage) exercises. The
limit is 15 participants. Details follow, along with
registration.

I also wanted to give you a "Save the Date" for the
annual April retreat in Arena, WI. This retreat will
be residential (overnight) and will happen the last
week in April, April 26-27. Please save the date. I
will send out an email closer to the date for
registration.
I hope to see you in a class or at a retreat soon.

Finally, so many thanks to Dana Slowiak, who's
wonderful article on Contemplative Writing and
Miksang, Contemplative Photography, is featured in
this week's Isthmus! Read it if you haven't already:
http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=20622

Miriam

-------------------------------------------------
CONTEMPLATIVE WRITING DAY RETREAT, FEBRUARY 23, 2008
THEME: "LET'S PLAY!"
10-5pm
At Madison Shambhala Center
408 S. Baldwin St (side entrance)
50$ per person (financial aid available),
lunch included

Current students and new students will meet together
for a day at the warm and inviting Shambhala Center to
mix writing, sitting meditation and collaging for a
creative day of warm, soupy play. New folks are
invited to join us, as well as "veteran writers".
Together, as a large group, we will explore various
ways of approaching play in creativity, and talk about
issues with our inner children.  No previous
experience is necessary.

If you wish to register, please send the following
form back with a 25$ deposit by Friday, February 8. I
highly suggest registering ASAP, as the last retreat
filled up quickly.

This retreat is ESPECIALLY recommended for anyone who
is interested in a one-day sampler of how I teach (so
new students who aren't sure yet whether or not they
want to register for a 9-week class). Please spread
the word!


---------------------------------
Contemplative Writing: PLAY! Day Retreat
2/23/08

Name:
Address:
Email:
Phone:
Food Allergies:
Environmental Allergies:
Accessibility Needs:
Payment (full/in need of scholarship*):

Please email back registration, or mail registration
with payment to:
Miriam Hall
20 N. Baldwin St.
Madison WI 53703
by 2/8/08

For questions, call my cell - 217-2132, or email me
back at herspiral@yahoo.com

*Please contact me personally if you are in need of
financial aid.

Beginning of 2008 Schedule
Contemplative Writing with Miriam Hall

I am shifting to a longer session format, and two of my regular class times are changing due to a major change in my auxilliary teaching schedule. So please note the changes below.

1. This session will be 9 weeks, 100$ (some financial aid always available, and payment is welcome in increments, including week-to-week)

and 2. Classes that were at 4:30 and 7:30 on Thursday night are now 4:30 on Mondays and 6:30 on Wednesdays, respectively. Classes all remain 7 students, two hours long.

Please call my cell 608-217-2132 or email herspiral@yahoo.com to inquire/make a reservation. Sign up early - my classes all have waiting lists!

January-March 2008
Begins week of January 7th (second week in January) and runs through March 5th (first week in March)
Class times:
Monday 4:30pm
Tuesday 6:30pm
Wednesdays 9am
Wednesdays 6:30pm

All classes are located on Madison's East Side, just off Williamson ("Willy") St, at the Madison Shambhala Center, 408 S. Baldwin, except for the Wednesday evening class, which is located at the AHA Center just two blocks away, at 214 S. Baldwin.

Winter Writing classes and day retreat

I am teaching ongoing Contemplative Writing classes (including a day retreat in at the Shambhala Center in East Madison, on December 29th, from 10am-5pm ) at the Madison Shambhala Center. Contemplative Writing - inspired by the teachings of Natalie Goldberg which combine Zen Buddhism and writing in a single practice - is a highly personal practice, done in small groups, encouraging writers and "non-writers" alike to work more directly with the creative process and find it less intimidating and more inspiring.

Registration fills up quickly, but class times I hold are:
Tuesday 6:30, Wednesday 9am, Thursday 4:30 and Thursday 7:30. If you are interested, please contact me and we'll see what class we can get you into next. The next session begins November 6th.


More than just a "spiritual journaling class", Contemplative Writing is a formal practice which can be useful for writers of any ilk. For further information or to register, please contact Miriam over phone or email: 608-217-2132, herspiral@yahoo.com.

Fall Writing and Photography Classes

I am teaching ongoing Contemplative Writing classes (including a September weekend retreat in southwestern WI for current students only) at the Madison Shambhala Center. Contemplative Writing - inspired by the teachings of Natalie Goldberg which combine Zen Buddhism and writing in a single practice - is a highly personal practice, done in small groups, encouraging writers and "non-writers" alike to work more directly with the creative process and find it less intimidating and more inspiring.

Registration fills up quickly, but class times I hold are:
Tuesday 6:30, Wednesday 9am, Thursday 4:30 and Thursday 7:30. If you are interested, please contact me and we'll see what class we can get you into next.



More than just a "spiritual journaling class", Contemplative Writing is a formal practice which can be useful for writers of any ilk. For further information or to register, please contact Miriam over phone or email: 608-217-2132, herspiral@yahoo.com.


Also, I will be teaching a short program on Introductory Miksang (Contemplative Photography) the weekend of Sept 14-15 (7-9 on Friday, 9-5 on Saturday). The cost is 50$, 40$ for Shambhala members. Location TBA. For more information on Miksang, please visit www.miksang.org. For more information on this or other Miksang classes, please contact Miriam Hall.

For those who are interested, I am sending along both
news (lots of good news on a few fronts) and also a
schedule for summer classes.

-Miriam Hall, herspiral@yahoo.com

1. News!
2. Schedule for Contemplative Writing
3. Schedule for Miksang/Contemplative Photography

As the classes increase in popularity, and I continue
to keep a small class size, pre-registration is
required, and as soon as you can, you should let me
know if you are even interested (even if you cannot
commit yet) in a class time. I am elated about the
growing desire/need/interest, but I would hate for you
to miss out because you put off getting back to me!

1. News!
Miksang spent a day on the front cover of the Chicag
Tribune's religion section this last Friday!
Interviews with yours truly, plus the Chicago teacher
David Schreier (my first instructor) and our senior
teacher John McQuade, accompany kids doing the first
ever kids class of Miksang!
Link: (Look for May 25, Friday, Miksang)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/religion/

In other news, I went to Tallahassee,FL this spring
and set seeds for a Miksang group there, which is now
very active on Flickr, and also did a writing retreat
both there and just outside of Spring Green, WI. The
retreats were all very intense and lots of fun - we'll
aim to do two a year here in WI, and I hope you can
join us next time, if you are interested.

Now on to classes...

2. Schedule for Contemplative Writing:

Contemplative Writing is a practice through which
writers can further deepen their relationship with
their process, and "non-writers" can further develop
their relationship with themselves. The classes are
limited to six students, and are intimate, fun and
heartfelt. Openings in these classes are somewhat
rare, as those who attend tend to stay for a long
time! So enter now if you can. Openings are now
available in the following time slots...

Wednesdays 9-11am (six weeks: June 13, 20, 27; July
11, 18, 25 - July 4th off)
Thursdays 4:30-6:30pm (six weeks: June 14, 21, 28;
July 12, 19, 26 - week of July 4th off)
Thursdays 7:30-9:30pm (six weeks: June 14, 21, 28;
July 12, 19, 26 - week of July 4th off)
Cost: 10$/class, or 60$ for whole session. Sliding
scale available for those in need - please let me know
ahead of time so I can adapt according to your needs.

3. Schedule for Miksang, Contemplative Photography:

Miksang is, as one recent participant called it "A Vat
of Happiness, Kindergarten all over again". Through
the camera, we study how our perceptions function at a
very basic, non-judgmental level. For more information
on the philosophy of Miksang, please visit
www.miksang.org.

Five-week course, covering Levels one and two of
Miksang, located at the Madison Shambhala Center, 408
S. Baldwin.
Five Saturdays in June, July - note two weeks "off)
during the class: June 16, 30 (no June 23) and July
14, 21, 28 (no July 7). Class runs from 10-12 in the
morning, and in addition to class, one should aim to
be shooting on their own outside of the class for an
hour each week.

Cost: 80$ for the class, 60$ for Shambhala members and
50$ for those repeating the class.

CONTEMPLATIVE ARTS CLASSES, SPRING 2007

1. Miksang (contemplative photography) classes in
Milwaukee and Madison
2. Contemplative Writing classes in Madison
3. Shambhala Arts Day 3/18, Madison

Please read on for further information and enjoyment!

Thanks for your continued support,
and please spread the word!

Miriam Hall

-------------------------------------------
1. Miksang

I have transformed Miksang, contemplative photography,
into a weekly class.
The following are dates and locations:

Madison: four Wednesdays in April (4/4, 4/11, 4/18 and
4/25), plus one extra date TBA. Class will run from
6-9pm, and is in a new location: the Aha Center, 214A
S. Baldwin St (just north of Willy St).

Milwaukee: five Wednesdays in May (5/2, 5/9, 5/16,
5/23, 5/30), also 6-9pm, at the Milwaukee Shambhala
Center, 2344 N. Oakland Ave.

There will also be classes this summer offered at
different times/days of week. Please let me know now
if you have a preferred time and we'll see what we can
schedule!

The levels covered will be Levels 1-2. If you are a
new student and not a member of Shambhala, the cost is
80$ for the entire course. It is 60$ if you are a
Shambhala member, and 40$ if you are repeating the
class. As always, sliding scale is respected and
available. Please ask instructor.

Miksang is a delightful course, with our focus of
contemplation on our visual perception(s) and the
results are clear, crisp and often glorious
manifestations of our phenomenal world.
For further information, please see:
www.miksang.org
www.miksang.net
and the instructor's Miksang set at
www.flickr.com/photos/herspiral.

-----------------------------------------
2. Contemplative Writing

I don't have any openings until April in Contemplative
Writing, but I wanted to let you know what the
different time offerings are. Classes fill quickly -
pre-registration is required and the sooner you can
commit, the stronger your chances are of getting in. I
now offer 4 class times, 4-week classes each:
6:30-8:30pm Tuesdays (4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24)
9-11am Wednesdays (4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25)
4:30-6:30pm Thursdays (4/5, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26)
7:30-9:30pm Thursdays (4/5, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26)

Openings depend on current class registration and
timing. Please contact me if you are interested.
Cost is 40$ for a four-week course, 5-10$ for a sample
class (varying dates).

Classes at same times will continue in May; please let
me know if you would be interested in them, as well or
instead of April.

--------------------------------------------

3. Shambhala Arts Day

Shambhala Arts Day is an annual celebration of all
arts, located at the Madison Shambhala Center, 408 S.
Baldwin St. It will take place this year on March
18th, a Sunday. The celebration's schedule includes:

-Sitting meditation from 9-10am
-Ikebana (contemplative flower arranging)
demonstration (and a chance to try your own hand at
it!) from 10-11
-Miksang slide show and piano performance by a center
member, 11-12.
-"Artful food" potluck, noon!
-Available for viewing will be contemplative writing
students' writings
-ART AUCTION of center members' works, on sale to
support the center!

Last year's celebration was a delight! Please come,
bring art and/or food (or just yourself) and come
celebrate with us!

MIKSANG SPRING 07 SCHEDULE

Hello current, former and future Miksang students,

This spring we are going to try something new: a
weekly class, for five weeks (this is how they do it
in Toronto, with the core group), to give you all a
chance to practice in between classes a bit more. If
you have taken it before, but would like a more
in-depth visit to Miksang land, please consider
re-taking, and we'll cut you a discount. If the time
of the class doesn't work, tell me, so I can schedule
a different time over the summer.

1. Reviews
2. Class in Madison and Milwaukee
3. Summer class/retreat

1. Firstly, we have been doing monthly reviews in
Madison, and we'll continue with those. Milwaukee folk
are welcome to come! The reviews aren't a particular
assignment - you can go out and shoot what you have
already learned, then bring in your pictures and have
a review with me. I ask for a 5-10$ donation (sliding
scale) for the reviews. In Madison, they are held at
the Aha! Center, 217 S. Baldwin (just one block down
from the Shambhala Center, on the same street).
Dates for the next reviews:
2/21, Wed, 6-8pm
3/14, Wed, 6-8pm
PLEASE RSVP FOR THE REVIEWS, as even though they
aren't classes, persay, it helps to know how many
folks to expect.

I also hope to get reviews going in Milwaukee over the
summer. If anyone from Milwaukee has feedback on a
good night to do it, please let me know.

2. The weekly class will be offered in both Madison
and Milwaukee. The following are the dates. If you are
new to Miksang and not a member of a Shambhala Center,
the cost is 80$. For those repeating, it's 40$. For
those who are members it's 60$. If cost is an issue
for anyone, please let me know. We don't turn away
folks just because they cannot pay.
PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

Madison: Wed 3/21, then skip a week, then 4/4, 4/11,
4/18 and 4/25 (all four Wed in April), 6-9pm.

Milwaukee: all 5 Wed in May: 5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23,
5/30.

3. Finally, I will be gone the month of June, but I am
looking to do a summer class both in Madison and
Milwaukee. If folks have different night preferences,
or days for that matter, please let me know. The
classes will be in July and/or August. Also, for early
fall, I am hoping to do a Level 2 retreat at our
Midwest Retreat Center (Windhorse), so we can all get
out and enjoy space in nature. I will keep you posted
on this. Those who have taken 1 and 2 before can go on
the retreat.

I am opening these classes first to students who have
expressed previous interest. Please get back to me on
whether you'd like to take the classes, and in a week
or so I will open registration to the "general
public". Also, if friends or family are potentially
interested, please let them know to ask questions or
register now.

When registering, please specify if you are
registering for Madison or Milwaukee.

Yours in the Miksang Dharma,
Miriam Hall

WINTER 2006-7 CONTEMPLATIVE ARTS SCHEDULE

I have established the schedule for this winter for Contemplative Arts, and I wanted to give you all the first chance to sign up. All of my classes are growing rapidly, and I am very grateful for all of your interest, curiousity and commitment! In this email, I will cover contemplative writing and photography (Miksang).

1. Contemplative Writing
I have added a new daytime class, and the three regular classes (early and late evenings) still have a couple of openings each. Register early!
The classes available for January are:
Wednesday 9-11am (all 5 Wednesdays in January)
Thursday 4:30-6:30 (beginning mid-January, TBA) and
Thursday 7:30-9:30 (all 4 Thursdays in January, plus first Thursday in February).

Cost, as usual, is 45$ for five weeks. This can be paid in increments. I also allow for a certain number of students on financial restriction in each class to pay less; please contact me ahead of time if this is the case. Pre-registration is REQUIRED for these classes.

2. Miksang: Contemplative Photography (REVIEWS)
There will be two reviews for current students (people who have already taken level one or two with me) in December and January: 12/20, Wednesday, from 6-8pm and 1/17 6-8pm. All reviews will be at the Aha! Center, 214A S. Baldwin (one block north of the Shambhala Center), in the Capital Printing building. You are invited to shoot Light, Color, Surface or Space/Dot-in-Space, and bring a flash card with 12 of your images for a review.

Miksang: Contemlative Photography (CLASS)
In the spring, beginning in March (TBA) I will be teaching Miksang as a 5-week Wednesday night course. Students and I both agreed this year that the "weekend crash courses" were a bit too much and too little at the same time. The 5-week course is how they do it at "home-base" in Toronto, so we will be adopting that here. I will keep you posted about the schedule a little closer to March.

Please let me know, as always, if you are interested in any courses. Also, make sure and let me know if you are interested but cannot make the posted times. I am always open to considering new times, and would hate for you not to come if we can make a time for a new class. Thank you for your support in this first year of my full-time teaching. It's been a serious pleasure!

Warmly,
Miriam Hall

Two fantastic art shows in early October

What follows is information on two shows that are
coming up that not only have my photography in them,
but many other Madison area artists. The first is the
Madison Area Open Art Studios, which is by far
Madison's biggest art event of the year. You get a map
and for free you can tour over 100 artists' studios
(usually their homes)! The second is a group women
show at the Hue. The main openings for both are the
same weekend ("Gallery Night") - it should be an
amazing weekend.

Please come out and support the arts if you can, even
if just with your warm, breathing body and a friend,
and not your pocketbook.

Many thanks!
Miriam

1. Madison Area Open Art Studios has made the big
time. The Overture Center is now hosting this annual
event. MAOAS begins with an opening reception at
the Overture Center in downtown Madison on Oct.7th,
between 5-9pm. The opening coincides with Madison's
Gallery Night, presented by the Madison Museum of
Contemporary Art.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Fri, Oct 6 th, 5-9pm:
Opening reception at the Overture Center.

Sat and Sun, Oct 7&8th, 11am-5pm:
Artists open their studios to the public.
The community galleries at the Overture will be open,
making it possible for the public to take a look at
the art and pickup the map and Artist Directory, at
their convenience.


WHAT IS MADISON AREA OPEN ART STUDIOS ?
MAOAS is an annual free event, in it's 4th year,
where Dane County artists open their studios to the
public. In most cases an artist's studio is a portion
of his or her home. Other times it's an actual
studio, sometimes shared with other artists.

The public can visit the artists' studios and
experience how these creative individuals use their
personal space to make art. It is an opportunity to
talk with artists, asking about various techniques,
art supplies they use, and how they got into art in
the first place. Also, this is a great way to get
ideas on how to get more involved with art.

Much of the art in the studios will be for sale. Since
the artists do not pay a commission, the art will be
affordable.. There is nothing like original art in
your environment....



STEP BY STEP ON HOW TO ENJOY THE WEEKEND
Start at the Overture Center Friday, Saturday, or
Sunday.

At the Overture Center, the 126 participating artists
will have a work of art displayed in one of the three
Overture Center community galleries, giving the public
an opportunity to view the art and making it easier to
decide which art studios to visit on the week end.

Free maps, with the participating art studios clearly
marked, will be available at the Overture Center and
other venues. These give directions to the studios,
making it easy for the public to find their locations.
There will also be Madison-area Artist Annual
Manuals available and free to the public during the
week end. In the Artist Annual Manual, each
participating artist will have a photo of his or her
artwork, a brief bio, email and web site information,
and a list of art medium(s) used. The manual is open
to all artists in Dane County. Even if an artist isn't
participating in MAOAS, he or she can be in the
manual. This year there are 161 artists are showcased
in MAAM.

The public is welcome to attend the OPENING RECEPTION.
This is a wonderful way to to party with the artists
and meet other art enthusiasts.

The Overture Center will also be open Saturday and
Sunday, Oct. 7th and 8th. This way the public can view
the art more privately, make selections, plan a
route, with help of the map, and begin the tour.


2. HUE GALLERY WOMEN'S SHOW
Opening reception, 10/6, 6-8pm - watch as Erika and
Miriam appear in two different locations at once!
Poetry and live music will be featured, as well as
photography, paintings and scrap metal sculpture. Keep
checking the Hue's webpage for more info, and
directions:
www.hueartgallery.com

OCTOBER SCHEDULE FOR WRITING

I am finalizing the schedule for October, and I wanted to get ahold of
students who are already registered or I think are looking to take
classes this fall, to make sure everyone knows where they are. I wanted to try
and make a daytime class, but the registration wasn't happening, so if you
were one of the folks looking for a daytime class, please look at these
other times and let me know if one could work.

Tuesdays in October 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31
(5 week class), 6:30-8:30

Thursdays in October 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26 4-6pm, OR 7:30-9:30pm

If you are already in a class, and would like to continue at the same
time, there is no need to contact me. Consider this your confirmation.

If not, please take a moment to email me back and confirm, or, let me
know if none of these times work and there is another key time - if I can
get enough daytime students, I will still consider doing a daytime class.

So many thanks for all of your attendances and support and curiousity!

FALL 2006 CONTEMPLATIVE ART CLASSES

Dear students, friends, and supporters,

I am back after a wonderful summer sabbatical of retreat and study. Time with Natalie Goldberg was extra-ordinary and time at the Shambhala Mountain Center was awe-inspiring. I am coming back full and ready to teach. Below I have outlined what I will be teaching and when. Because I am going to be teaching closer to full-time, I am very flexible in scheduling, so this time around I'd like *you* to let *me* know what works for you, especially if the schedule so far has kept you from coming. Get back to me as soon as you can and let me know when you can come.

I will be gone from 8/22-8/26, so if you can, get back to me over the weekend. Otherwise I will get back to you as soon as I get back, to firm up classes for Tuesday.

1. Drop-in Contemplative Writing will continue on Thursday evenings (this day of week may change, please check Isthmus and your email and my blog for day of week change if necessary in a couple of weeks). Regular meditation is from 7-7:30, then we usually take a break until around 7:45, and begin then.
This will begin 8/31 (two weeks from yesterday) and for now continue through October, excepting 9/28, when I know I will be in Toronto for further Miksang training.
(Cost is 5-10$ sliding scale)

2. Commmitted Contemplative Writing: I will offer one to two 4-week classes and 5-week classes. I'd like to use Tuesday evenings again, although if I hear back from a number of students that another evening is better, that can change. Please email back if you are interested, even if Tuesdays don't work. Also, a second class can happen again on Tuesdays - either morning, afternoon, or, like last season, early evening. Please let me know your availability if you are interested in attending any of these.
Committed Writing (tentative schedule)
One daytime class, one evening class:
4 weeks in September: 8/29, 9/5, 9/12, 9/19
5 weeks in October: 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31
(Cost is 35$ for 4 weeks, 45$ for 5 weeks.)

And more Miksang!
3. I would like to schedule a review for those who have taken Level 1 already. 9/23 is a tentative date - again, if this does or doesn't work, please email me, regardless. We would get together in the late morning, review color concepts in a short talk, do a shoot, have lunch, then do a review. This would be free, and just a chance to build community together. At the end of the day, I can give a light assignment to give you all more to work with until the next review. In the end it would be good to do these monthly.
(Cost is free, bring a lunch or we will go out)

4. Miksang Levels I+II, take two: I am going to be teaching Level I again (for those who missed it the first time) and then Level II, for those who have either just taken Level I or took it with me last spring. This will likely be in late October/early November, before it gets "too cold".
(Cost tba - likely 40-50$)

No one is ever turned away from my classes because of trouble paying the full price. Please email me or call if you want to discuss financial issues - I would rather have you in the class and paying less than not in the class at all.

Thank you so much to all of you, for supporting me and the teachings in the last year. This is a very exciting time for me and my classes, and I look forward to playing with you all and learning from you all.

Sincerely,
Miriam Hall

Sabbatical

I am on meditation retreats for summer of 2006. I will be back mid-August, and ready to teach. Please check back then for schedule (I will be teaching at least three private classes) and also email me at herspiral@yahoo.com if you have any questions. I won't be able to check email until late August, but if you have a question you'd like me to respond to as soon as I end my retreat, that is the best way.

Well wishes for your summer!

I want to give you an update on happenings, as we are
rushing into Spring. A couple of weeks ago I taught the first
Miksang in Madison, and it was lovely! There will be
more of that, and as always, more contemplative
writing. Details follow.

I also want to let you know I have accepted to go away
for a large chunk of the summer (mid-June to
mid-August) with some wonderful teachers (Natalie
Goldberg and Arawana Hayashi). I will be returning and
teaching even more classes in August and beyond, but
if you were waiting to take a class with me until now,
now's the time to start!

1. Miksang:
Miksang, contemplative photography, will be taught
twice at the end of this month, beginning next month.

CANCELLED AS OF 4/24/06
April 28th 7-9pm and 29th 9-5pm, at the Madison
Shambhala Center (408 S. Baldwin, just off Willy St)
is the first class. CANCELLED AS OF 4/24/06

May 5th 7-9pm and 6th in Milwaukee at their Shambhala
Center, same hours.

You can check out the official Miksang sites:
www.miksang.org or www.miksang.net, or check out my
flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/herspiral to get a
sense of Miksang if you don't have one already. The
class includes instruction, a shoot, and a slide
review. Digital camera - borrowed or your own - is
required. Cost is 50$ for Shambhala members, 65$ for
non-members. Please contact me if you need consideration for paying a lower fee.

2. Contemplative Writing:
Continues on Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:30 at the
Madison Shambhala Center (see address above) on a
drop-in basis. For now the only night not happening is
4/20. Check www.herspiral.blogspot.com regularly, or
the Isthmus www.dailypage.com under words for updates
each week. Drop-ins are donation-based, 5-10$.

There is a committed class, the last one before I
leave, also still with a couple of openings -
in May, day and time to be determined. Let
me know if you are interested. Cost is 45$. 5 classes.

---------------------------------------------

When I get back late summer, I will be teaching as
well in the mornings (committed contemplative writing)
and likely a second night class, besides drop-in.
Please put your vote in now, if you are interested in
different days of the week or times than what I
currently offer, for what times I should offer classes
in the fall.

Eventually, the goal with Miksang is to get a bunch of
people trained on Level I, then have my teacher come
in the fall to do Level II. So take it now in order
to move forward with us, if you are interested!

Thank you for all your support as I move forward in my
teaching. Naropa University has accepted me into their
contemplative education masters program (long-distance
- I won't be leaving Madison), and there is much to be
learned from my end, too. All of my current students
have been great teachers for me.

In art,
Miriam

Miksang (please see earlier post for full description) has already filled up for April 1! If you are still interested in taking it, please email me at herspiral@yahoo.com. The next date available is 4/29/2006. I recommend signing up now, as the first class filled quite quickly. We celebrated Miksang on 3/19 as part of Shambhala Arts Day at the Shambhala Center, and it was quite exciting. Thank you all for your continued interest and support. If we get enough students, we can have a regular Miksang group - we can shoot together and review pictures once a month.

Miriam Hall at Poetry Reading as part of Africa Diaspora Conference, 3/24



I am going to be doing one of those still-pretty-rare-for Miriam-Hall readings this Friday, 3/24, at the MCCCA (Madison Center for Creative and Cultural Arts, 310 W. Dayton, behind the White Horse Inn), 8-10pm, as part of a larger group.

Some of the other featured poets included Daniel Kunene, Mukoma Wa Ngugi and Ray Hsu. There will be a dozen excellent poets, present and reading for our pleasure. Do come if you have the chance; the reading is a part of a larger conference about Africa and its Diaspora occuring on the UW campus this next weekend.

For a link to the conference, please see:
http://africa.wisc.edu/diaspora/symposium-2006/program.htm
and a link to the MCCCA, http://www.mccca.net/events.htm
And to my blog, where I keep track of such things and my classes:
www.herspiral.blogspot.com

Many thanks for all those who showed up to the last reading, and for all your continued support, whether over email, in person, or in brain waves.

Here are my offerings for spring Contemplative Arts! Please note all classes take place at the Madison Shambhala Center, 408 S. Baldwin St, side door entrance.

1. Contemplative Writing - Committed Class (pre-registration required).
We will be meeting Tuesdays, 7-9pm, in two different sets this spring. You can do one or both. If you sign up, please plan to pay for and attend all 5 classes, though if conflicts come up, we can try and work around them. The two committed sets are:
5 Tuesdays March-early April:
3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28 and 4/4

5 Tuesdays in May:
5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30.

Cost for all 5 of either is 45$. Please email or call me (441-0203) in order to register.

2. Contemplative Writing, Drop-in (no registration required).
For those who can't commit to the 5 week sessions, or who'd rather do it on a drop-in basis, contemplative writing is available on Thursdays through April, 7:30-9:30. It happens every week, save (usually once a month) the occasional break. Listings appear in the Isthmus under words, and updated listings are always on my blog: www.herspiral.blogspot.com. There is no need to pre-register. We ask for a 5-10$ sliding scale donation for the class.

3. Miksang: Miksang is a form of contemplative photography, and I will be teaching it for the first time in both Madison and Milwaukee this spring! Please visit www.miksang.net for full information on the background of Miksang and its view. If you are already interested and have yet to sign up, now is the time!

There are six spots left for the first class, and the second is wide open - so far (not yet announced in Milwaukee). As schedule allows, we will be making a second class in Madison, as well, sometime late spring/early summer. If you cannot make the first Madison date or the Milwaukee date, let me know if you are interested and Saturdays which may work for you in that timeframe.

Cost is 50$ for Shambhala Center members, 65$ for non-members.

Dates:
Free presentation as part of Shambhala Arts Day!
3/19/2006, Morning.

Class 1 - 6 spots left - Madison
Presentation/talk 7-9pm 3/31
Lesson/Shoot/Discussion 9-5 4/1 (lunch not included)

Class 2 - open - Milwaukee
Presentation/talk 7-9pm 5/5
Lesson/Shoot/Discussion 9-5 5/6

Class 3 - open - Madison
Same Friday evening/Saturday situation. Date TBA.

That's it for this season's offerings!
I hope to see you here or there, experiencing art in the moment.

February 9th: No Drop-in Class

Just a warning that there will be no drop-in class on February 9th. I have a teacher training out of town. Otherwise, the rest of February Thursdays are drop-in.

Thanks!

Thursday Drop-in Schedule for January/February

As for drop-ins over the next couple of months, please note I will be holding them every Thursday, 7:30-9:30, NOT including 1/5 (sorry about the confusion). Please feel free to drop in - no previous experience or attendance required!