Courses

THE WRIGHT TAVERN CENTER

AT THE FIRST PARISH IN CONCORD

An Oasis in Our Busy Lives

 

Spring Classes 2010

Registration for all these classes are open.

Please contact Cassy Bosworth in the church office.

On-line registration is open.

 

I. GROWING YOUR SPIRIT

 

Kundalini Yoga 

Kundalini yoga is yoga for the mind, body, and spirit. It uses breath, yogic postures and meditation to help you to build and maintain a healthy body, increase your vitality, train your mind to be strong and flexible, and to facilitate change emotionally and spiritually. At its heart Kundalini Yoga is about developing awareness; an awareness of self and others that allows you to live your life with compassion, and act with excellence.  Each class can help one become aware of much more than just the strength of the body.

Class sessions are ongoing and open to all levels of experience and abilities.

Dharm Singh is a KRI Certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher with thirteen years of teaching experience and a professional level instructor for KRI Teacher Training Courses. In addition to his classes here, he is teaching at the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Wellness Center, Cambridge School of Weston and various other venues in the Boston Area. For more information, please contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Tuesday Mornings from 9:30-11am 

Spring Class Schedule (10 classes): 3/23-5/25.

Fee:  $150 per 10 week session 


Tibetan Buddhism 

Starting September 9, the Buddhist group will be meeting in the First Parish Chapel Wednesdays from 9:30-11 AM and Thursdays from 7:30-9 PM.  These weekly sessions are open to all who are interested in transforming love, compassion, and wisdom into action.  You are welcome to share the spirit of community at these gatherings regardless of your familiarity with Tibetan Buddhism.  Donations are gratefully accepted.  The Venerable Lobsang will return in early spring.   Contact Bill Seaver at 978-369-7318 if you have any questions

 

 

T’ai Ji 

Being in touch with our own energy  creates endless possibilities within ourselves  By combining music with qigong and the simple movement of t’ai ji  we can release blocked energy, create wellness  and bring our lives into balance  This class is geared to people of all ages.  It offers gentle low-impact exercise to reduce stress, enhance optimal health and to simply create a sense of joy in our lives.

 

Mae Pagan has studied t’ai ji and qigong for 22 years.  She follows the teachings of Chungliang Al Huang and his nontraditional style of teaching t’ai ji movement as a joyful approach to life as well as a path to wellness.  With a background in Tibetan Qigong and Reiki she provides a gentle mix of t’ai ji movement with the healing aspects of qigong.   She also holds degrees in philosophy, psychology and education.

 

Fridays: 3/12, 4/9, 5/7, 6/11. 12:30-2:00 p.m. $ 25/class

 

 

Tai chi                                                   Sue Wood   

Tai chi is often called meditation in motion. In this class, we will learn the Hwa Yu form of tai chi. The benefits of tai chi are many:  relaxation, improved immune response, better balance and stability, and lower blood pressure. The evening session includes some standing meditation, and practice with the hwa yu tai chi form. This is an ongoing class which includes new and returning students.

Sue Wood has studied and practiced tai chi for over 20 years. She welcomes new and returning students who have an interest in exploring this gentle internal martial art.

Mondays: 3/29, 4/5, 4/26, 5/3, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 6/7          6:30-8p.m.                           $120/8 classes or $20/drop in

 

Concord   Area Humanist events:


Monday, April 5, 7:15 p.m. social, 7:30 p.m. program. In Emerson room.  DVD "View from the Center of the Universe", illustrating our early Humanist Genesis story, by Primak and Adams, supplements their book with same title.  Has awe-inspiring video from NASA telescopes, of developing Universe, from Big Bang to now.  Followed by discussion.

Future Potlucks.  Please sign up to host one!  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
                                

Mountains and Rivers Without End: Gary Snyder and the nature of nature - Presented by Will Kemeza

Gary Snyder has been called the "elder statesman of the natural world and the tribal unions of poetry". One reviewer puts it this way: "Gary Snyder has been a major cultural force in America for five decades - prize-winning poet, environmental activist, Zen Buddhist, earth-householder, and reluctant counterculture guru"

With the world trying to envision a "green" future, it's a great time to listen to this poet, scholar and teacher - who has been addressing the "greening" of the human mind and the planet for several decades. Snyder's view of the natural world  -  nourished by sources as (seemingly) divergent as transcendentalism, Chinese landscape painting and poetry, and Native American myth - will present a point of departure for us to investigate our own ideas about the human place in the web of existence. This is a chance to read wonderful literature - and to become conversant with a deep religious (and ethical) thinker.
 

We will read short pieces of Snyder's prose outside of class, and we will read, together in class, his climactic work: the poetry collection Mountains And Rivers Without End, a book conceived as a journey through Snyder's work and the Big Watershed of which we're all part.

Will Kemeza is Program Manager for The Trustees of Reservations. He has a Master's of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School, and he is a former English Teacher.

Wednesdays: 5/5-5/26   7:00-9:00 p.m.   Fee: $40

 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) 

Cultivating mindfulness, or awareness of the present moment, creates the framework for this popular course modeled after the internationally-recognized program established by Jon Kabat-Zinn at UMass Medical School. Research continues to suggest positive benefits from the practice of mindfulness-based stress reduction to the immune system, chronic illness, hypertension, chronic pain, as well as to the daily stresses of our busy lives. This interactive course consists of eight weekly 2-hour group classes where participants will be introduced to and practice guided mindfulness meditation, relaxation techniques, gentle yoga stretches, and self-inquiry exercises. Participants commonly report a reduction of stress-related symptoms, increased awareness and concentration, and improvement of positive coping skills at home and in the workplace. Choose either Thursday evenings (7-9 pm) 4/8-6/3 or Friday mornings (9:30-11:30 am) 4/9-6/4.  Enrollment is limited to 15.

 

COST: Tuition is $290, plus an additional $75 materials fee (including text, CDs, and manual) Continuing Education for nurses and other health professionals available. Discount for Blue Cross Blue Shield members

 

INSTRUCTOR: Pamela Katz Ressler, RN, BSN, HN-BC, is a board-certified holistic nurse and stress management specialist. Pam is the founder and president of Stress Resources, LLC in Concord, and provides stress management programming and consulting nationally. Additionally, she serves on the board of directors for the non-profit organization, the Integrative Medicine Alliance. Pam and her family are active members of First Parish in Concord.  For more information about the MBSR program, visit www.stressresources.com.


 

 

Hatha Vinyasa Yoga 

This adult class is a flowing mixture of Hatha, Iyengar, Somatics, and Vinyasa yoga.  It focuses on alignment and movement with breath.    You will leave with your body stretched and strengthened, your mind relaxed and focused, your intellect sparked with new concepts to consider, and your inner being attended to.

Instructor:  Ori Kilner-Munson has studied yoga since she was a young child, studying and teaching in many places including Canada, India and New York City.  She has been trained in Tibetan yoga, lyengar yoga and Hatha yoga as well as meditation and other Eastern philosophical traditions.

Thursdays: 4/15-6/10         9:15 -10:30 a.m.   8 sessions for $128 or $18/drop-in

 

Child and Teen Yoga  

Playful and serious at the same time, this class will help children and teens practice yoga Asanas that follow the traditions of Hatha and lyengar yoga.  Each class is different with stories, animal poses.

Instructor:  Ori Kilner-Munson has studied yoga since she was a young child, studying and teaching in many places including Canada, India and New York City.  She has been trained in Tibetan yoga, lyengar yoga and Hatha yoga as well as meditation and other Eastern philosophical traditions.

Best for kids ages 7-15.   Class capacity 12.  

Wednesdays:  3/17-5/12 (no class 4/21)  4:15-5:15 p.m.           $96/8 sessions or $15/ class drop in

 

 

Yoga for Women in Midlife 

This Yoga for Women in Mid-life series is designed to help develop stability, strength, flexibility and a sense of well-being that are particularly important at this stage of life.

The class is a moving meditation with the intention that each woman set her own pace and honor her body’s ability.  It integrates breath, movement and postures for hormone balance, a healthy heart, strong bones, core strength and stress reduction.

It also provides a nurturing environment for the spirit so that inner strength and higher awareness may flourish.

 

Lee Courtemanche began her personal yoga and meditation practice while attending Boston College in the 1970s.  She received her Women’s Health certification with Ann Cowlin at Yale University and became a certified direct-entry midwife through the Massachusetts Midwives’ Alliance.  Lee has taught private and group yoga for pregnancy, mom & baby, partners and mid-life in the Boston area since 2000.

Participants will need to bring their own mat.  A cushion and blanket is also highly recommended.  Please contact Lee at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further information.

This course will be a series of nine classes to begin on Wednesdays: 4/14-6/9 Choose either,  5:00-6:15 p.m. or 6:45-8:00 p.m.

Fee: $144     Class capacity:15 students

 


Covenant Groups (ongoing)

If you are interested in exploring topics such as: acceptance, friendship, letting go, evil, death, etc. in an intimate group, consider joining a Covenant Group.  Groups fewer than ten people meet at least once per month for 1.5 hours of confidential sharing of spiritual ideas and experiences.  These groups are for the members or friends of First Parish in Concord.  The following groups currently have openings:

  • Sundays, 4- 5:30 PM, contact Bill Seaver, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 978-369-7318
  • First and third Sunday of month, 7- 8:30 PM, contact Mark Richards This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 978.771.9823
  • First and Third Tuesday of the month, 2- 3:30 PM, contact Don Miller, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 781-646-4965.
  • Tuesdays, 7-8:30 PM, contact David Downing, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 978-263-8454
  • Every other Thursday starting Sept. 10 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, contact Fred Van Deusen at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 978-369-0435

 


 

 

II. CREATIVITY AS A SPIRITUAL PATH

 

 Sandwiches and Short Story

This informal group meets with Gary Smith once a month to explore a story’s meaning.  Bring a sandwich and beverage and join us once a month on Wednesday at 12:15 p.m.  The story for September is “Missionaries” by Bradford Tice, found in Best American Short Stories 2008, Salmon Rushdie, editor, pb $14.00, a collection to be used throughout the year.

April 14: Daniyal Mueenuddin, “Nawabdin Electrician”

May 19:  Karen Russell, “Vampires in the Lemon Grove”

 

Rise Up Singing 

This informal monthly musical gathering of adults and children provides participants with an opportunity to sing and share traditional and contemporary folk songs, spirituals, hymns, rounds and chants in fellowship. Singers of all ages and experience are welcome. Bring a copy of Rise Up Singing if you own one. Individuals are encouraged to bring instruments if they wish.  Led by Beth Norton and others. 

 

Beth Norton has been Music Director at First Parish since 1994. Beth believes in the power of music to express what is beyond words, to deepen our spiritual experience and to build community. As a singer, conductor, violinist and folk musician, Beth enjoys making music in a wide variety of styles with people of all ages and abilities.

Fridays: 1/22,2/26,3/26,4/23,5/21         7:30 pm                                                                 Free

No Registration required

 

Women’s AM/PM Book Group 

Meeting monthly on a Monday evening 7:30 to 9, and on Tuesday morning 9:30-11.  Come to either session, drop-ins welcome.   Contact Darien Smith at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details or questions

April:  The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery and Alison Anderson (Translator)

May:  My Life in France, by Julia Child, with Alex Prud’Homme

June:  Potluck and suggestions for next year

Mondays:   4/26, 5/24    7:30-9:00 p.m.

Tuesdays:   4/27, 5/25    9:30-11:00 a.m.

 

 


Tea and Poetry

After the summer break, Tea and Poetry resumes on the second Tuesday of the month, starting in October. Join us for afternoon tea while sharing your favorite poems and listening to others share theirs (no poetic talent required).  This informal monthly gathering is for you if you enjoy poetry or always thought you would if you knew where to start. Bring a poem (or two or three) to read aloud. Relaxed and inspired, we will recall poems we may have loved years ago, discover new ones, and explore the power of poetry to move us to tears or laughter.

 

Second Tuesday of the month:                                            Lorraine Loviglio

                                                                Rev. Margie King Saphier

April 13, May 11

Time:  3:00 to 4:30 PM

 

 

 

 

Making Art From Life I

 Plumb your life experiences and tell your stories through fabric collages!  No previous art or sewing experience necessary.  Merill Comeau will lead a four-week course exploring the intersection of craft and art, where the personal story comes alive.  Together we will create a safe environment in which to share our stories and to translate life events into color, pattern and shape.  Sessions will include instruction in techniques of painting and printing on fabric, instruction in methods of brainstorming and creating symbolic imagery as well as opportunites to share and discuss ideas.  Participants will create a piece of artwork each week.

Merill Comeau is the creator of some of the beautiful fabric art that adorns the First Parish pulpit. She draws heavily from the history of women patching together bits of fabric to make quilts, teaching the joys of taking the old and disparate and manipulating them into something new and beautiful.

 

Thursday: 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/29                    7:00-9:00 p.m.

First Parish members $125.00 (includes $25.00 materials fee.) Non-members: $150.

  

REST OF YOUR LIFE AND BEYOND                         Rev. Margie King Saphier                                                   FIVE WISHES 

Five Wishes is a document that walks us through the decisions we need to make NOW so in the event  we are not able to articulate our wishes  at end of life our designated person (Power of Attorney) who can do so and honor our wishes.  We will then go through the document answering your questions as you fill it out.  For many of us it is difficult to approach our parents about end of life plans (theirs and ours); for others, it is difficult to engage our children in these discussions.  This part of the session is an opportunity to share what questions and concerns you have, what participants have tried, what worked and what did not.  Must have 10 people signed up by 4/19 for the class to be held.                                                                                                                                                                  Tuesday: 4/27    2:30-4:00 p.m.     Fee: $15                            

 

“THE UNDERTAKING” by PBS as seen on Frontline                         Rev. Margie King Saphier                                         

In this moving and powerful film, Frontline enters the world of Thomas Lynch, a poet and undertaker whose family has cared for the dead in a small Michigan town for three generations.  Through the intimate stories of families coming to terms with grief, mortality, and funeral’s rituals, the film illuminates the heartbreak and beauty taken between the living and the dead.  The film will be followed by discussion with funeral director Charlie Dee of Dee Funeral Home.    Sign up by 5/4 Must have a minimum of 10 for class to be held                                     Tuesday:  5/4        2:00-4:00 p.m.    Fee: $15

 

III. SOURCES OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM

 

 

Cakes for the Queen of Heaven 

The newly updated 'Cakes’ curriculum employs history, myth, metaphor and images of the Divine as female to better understand women's spirituality and spiritual connections.  Part I, “In Ancient Times,” examines the transitions from pre-Christian and pre-Judaic cultures to today's world. It provides a context for discussion and perspective on how attitudes based in religious beliefs affect self-image, relationships, family structure, and culture. Participants will explore women's experience of the Sacred - ancient and modern - in a uniquely interactive format that is informative, inspirational and fun!  Led by Margaret Stewart and Donna Davis.

This class will run in the Spring session.  Watch for updates.