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We are located in Denver, Colorado, USA. We have been continuously sitting together, in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, since 2001.

OUR CALENDAR

1. Every Thursday evening, 7:00 – 9:00 pm at University Park United Methodist Church, 2180 S. University Blvd., Denver.
Sit with us in person. Practices include sitting and walking meditation, tea meditation, dharma readings and discussion.  A greeter will welcome you and answer any questions.

2. Every Sunday morning, 10:00 am to 11:00 am, online. Sit with us virtually for guided and silent meditation, dharma readings and discussion.

3. Our WAKE UP DENVER group, for people in their 20s and 30s, meets in person at University Park UMC, on 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings, 6:30 – 8:00 pm.

4. Our Queer Affinity Sangha, by and for the LGBTQIA+ community, meets in person at the University Park UMC, on the 4th Wednesday evenings, 6:30 – 8:00 pm.

There are occasional deviations from this calendar (we typically do not meet on Thanksgiving), and from time to time we will have a special event (such as a “day of mindfulness”). For notifications of these and other events, email us at eoc.ctc@gmail.com and request to have your email added to the sangha email list, the Wake Up Denver list, or both. We hope to sit with you soon!

Second Wake Up Denver Retreat!

Dear Friends on the Path,

This message comes to you from the Retreat Planning Committee of Wake Up Denver. We are excited to officially open up registration for our second Wake Up Denver retreat!

When: Thursday, October 8th, 3pm to Monday, October 12th, 12pm
Where: Compassionate Dharma Cloud Monastery
Theme: Nowhere To Go, Nothing To Do: Aimlessness, Creativity, and Healing

Our teachers and leaders will bring together themes of aimlessness, trauma-informed mindfulness, creativity, and healing.

Register for the 2026 Denver Wake Up Retreat @ CDC Monastery

Teachers: We are pleased to share that we will have the support of two beloved Plum Village Dharma Teachers: Viviane Ephraimson-Abt and Nomi Green. We have attached a PDF with bio information for each of these teachers. The retreat will also be supported by several senior Order of Interbeing members.

If you feel called to attend, we encourage you to register soon to reserve your place!

This is a 5 day (4 night) residential meditation retreat, including dormitory-style lodging, vegan meals, extensive access to the monastery grounds and meditation hall, a variety of programming, guided practices, talks from our teachers, and transmission of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings. No retreat experience is required to attend.

Cost: The retreat is offered at three tiers:

– Tier 3: $400 (Supporter, contributing to scholarships for other attendees)
– Tier 2: $300 (At Cost)
– Tier 1: Scholarship requested

It is our sincere aspiration that no one be unable to attend because of financial circumstances. If tiers 2 and 3 are beyond your means, please fill out the scholarship form which is linked in the registration form. We will do our best to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent anyone from practicing with the sangha. We will notify you if/when your scholarship has been accepted and your registration confirmed.If you have any questions at all, please email denverwakeupretreats@gmail.com.

Bowing with gratitude,

Wake Up Denver Retreat Planning Committee

 

Sit and Walk Where It All Began

EoC at the First Universalist Church (c. 2002 – 2004)

Help celebrate the Eyes of Compassion’s 25th anniversary!

The Eyes of Compassion Sangha began in Kate & Keith’s living room in the fall of 2001, and continued meeting there twice monthly for about a year before a larger space was needed. Part of our 25th anniversary celebration is to gather there for a short sit, dharma reading from the same book of Thay’s that was read at the first meeting, and a walk in our backyard community garden, followed by enjoying plant-based snacks together as we reminisce about our connection to the sangha through the years.

SEE ATTACHED FLYER

When: Sunday, Sept. 13, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Where: South Denver near Yale and University.
Email to obtain the address to kateandkeith@CompassionateSpirit.com
What to bring: a chair or cushion to sit in/on if you have one and, if you like, a plant-based snack to share (this is optional)
About the garden:
Our 24 raised-bed garden (which we didn’t have in 2001) is administered by Grow Local Colorado, which oversees about 20 gardens in the metro area. Their mission is to bring kids in to learn gardening, and to supply food pantries, after sharing the veggies with volunteers and the homeowners who offer their yards. Last year Grow Local harvested, from our garden alone, over 450 pounds of produce!

We hope to see you there!

Bowing and smiling,
Kate and Keith

Colorado Plum Village Retreat: “The Sun My Heart”

Photo credit: Deer Park Monastery

You and your family are warmly invited to join us for “The Sun My Heart” Retreat, held August 9–15, 2026 at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado.

Register here.

During this retreat, mindfulness communities and friends from across North America gather to practice the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism and build a beloved community. Hosted by monastics of the Plum Village tradition, this precious retreat offers us a chance to restore our connection to nature and cultivate transformational healing in ourselves, in our relationships, and in the world.

Continue reading “Colorado Plum Village Retreat: “The Sun My Heart””

Mahasangha walk in Belmar Park

Dear Beloved Community,

You are warmly invited to this inter-sangha and international event! See details below, and feel free to bring friends and loved ones.

Who: All are welcome! We will be joining people from more than 100 towns in 22 countries around the world.

When: Saturday, November 29, gather at 10:45am
10:45am Gather with introduction and songs
11:00am Start walk (we will walk the approximately 1 mile long concrete path that circles the lake)
12:00pm Finish walk with a dedication of the merit and a commitment to take a small action in the next week

Where: Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO–park on West Virginia Avenue near corner of West Virginia and South Carr Street (see map ) and meet at gazebo near the Belmar Park sign

Bowing Deeply,
Dana Mooney, Lisa Pettit, and Elaine Sparrow

 

Sangha walk Oct. 12

Mindful Walk Coming Up! October 12th at 12pm

Dear Sangha Friends,
This is a loving reminder that our Mindful Walk is coming up next Sunday October 12th at 12pm at Bible Park. We will begin with some singing and brief Laughter Yoga, followed by a mindful walk in the park. Afterwards, all are invited to Andrea’s house for tea and snacks.
Bring:
If you are joining at Andrea’s house afterwards, please bring a vegetarian or vegan dish/snack to share. Please also bring your own tea mug and an instrument if you’d like to play music. There will be space for conversation, connection and making music together.
 
Locations:
Bible Park: Please gather at the parking lot for Bible Park at 6802 E Yale Avenue. Denver, CO 80237
Andrea’s House: 1365 S. Ivy Way, Denver, CO 80224

Bowing Deeply,

Dana and Andrea

Sangha Annual meeting and Picnic!

You’re invited – Join us for Eyes of Compassion Sangha’s Annual Meeting and Picnic!
When: Sunday, Sept. 14, noon – 4 pm
Where: The pavilion at Eisenhower Park, 4300 E. Dartmouth Ave.  Park in the rec center parking lot or on the street.  The pavilion is behind (east of) the rec center, near the playground.
What to bring: a vegetarian sack lunch and water bottle, and any ideas you may have about our sangha’s present and future.

Here are a few of us at a previous sangha picnic.

Enjoy time to socialize and eat with fellow sangha members. We will also hold our annual meeting, when we will solicit ideas and discussion about how to further the sangha’s purpose. We will also ask for the sangha’s approval of any new Care Taking Council (CTC) members.

We are seeking additional members for our Care-Taking Council (CTC).  In order for leadership to rotate, council members are asked not to serve longer than two 3-year terms.  Currently, four of our council members will soon reach the end of a six-year period of service.

Serving on the CTC entails attendance at a monthly online meeting and a willingness to serve our sangha in a variety of ways.

No need to register for this event, just come and enjoy a time to socialize with our beloved sangha community.

We hope to see you there!

“Our Dreams for the World” retreat has filled up

The “Our Dreams for the World” retreat, to be held in Crestone, Colorado, July 30 to August 3, has filled up. It filled up quickly, before yours truly had posted it on this web site. However, further registrations will be put on a waitlist. For your information, here is the original announcement. See flyer below.

The “Our Dreams for the World” retreat planning team invites you to join us for a nourishing residential retreat in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Come as you are.  Leave renewed, with clarity and a dream for the world you wish to create.

Our retreat will be held at the beautiful Blazing Mountain Retreat Center in Crestone, CO from Wednesday July 30th  to Sunday August 3rd  with Dharma Teachers Peggy Rowe Ward and Viviane Ephraimson-Abt.

 This retreat is open to adults of all identities and backgrounds.  Newcomers to mindfulness and experienced practioners are welcome.
Registration fees include lodging and delicious food throughout the retreat.
Donations for our dharma teachers will be gratefully accepted on-site.
Lower cost registration options are available—and we encourage those in financial need to apply for support.

For more details about the retreat, teachers, location, and to register, click here.
 
For questions, contact the retreat planning team at:
We look forward to welcoming you in Crestone, Colorado!

Day of Mindfulness — May 10 in Morrison, Colorado

Dear Thay, Dear Sangha,

Registration for the May 10th Building Beloved Community Day of Mindfulness (DoM) sponsored by Eyes of Compassion Sangha for all CO/Wyoming Front Range Sanghas is now open. See the PDF below for more information including location, what to bring and how to register.
We look forward to sitting with you!
Bowing,
Eyes of Compassion (EoC)
Day of Mindfulness (DoM) Committee
Flyer:

 

New Queer Affinity Sangha

We’re happy to announce the new LGBTQIA+ meditation group organized by our sangha members Linds Roberts and Willow Hutchins! Queer Meditation Practice meets every 4th Wednesday in the same space at the UPark church where Eyes of Compassion and Wake Up are currently meeting, from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. Questions? Email linds@gatherthewild.love.

[Updated July  6, 2025]

More information on “International Walking Meditation”

Dear friends: Here is a communication from Christiane Hütte explaining the origins of the international walking meditation that we are doing on Nov. 30. We’re not just walking by ourselves in Denver; it’s all over the world!

Touching Simplicity: International Walking Meditation
Saturday, November 30, 2024

International Walking Meditation Inspired by Zen-Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay)

Please Spread the Word and Consider Organizing and Joining the 2024 Walk

Dear friends, I hope you are taking good care of yourself today, at the end of this election cycle. Breathing in, breathing out.

On a happy note, we know Thay offered countless public walking meditations throughout his life. With great joy, I’m writing to share an opportunity to continue his vision. Continue reading “More information on “International Walking Meditation””