Meet BCC Tucson

Update: December 2024

For the first time, two groups in Tucson, Arizona USA, sponsored the annual Touching Simplicity International Walking Meditation on 30 November 2024 at 11am: Singing Bird Sangha (in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh) and Beloved Community Circles (Martin Luther King Jr. and Thich Nhat Hanh).
We met and walked in Himmel Park in central Tucson.  In addition to almost 30 people participating in person, many people in Tucson and around the U.S. walked with us "in spirit" from their locations. Local walkers included people from these additional Tucson mindfulness groups:  Upaya, Desert Rain Zen, Insight Meditation, Global Chant, Dances of Universal Peace, Tara Dances, Community Meditation Center, Little Chapel of All Nations, Kadampa Center.
In the opening circle, people were invited to say their name and what was alive for them in the moment. There was a reading from Thich Nhat Hanh's book The Long Road turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation. It was a warm day, so we were thankful for the shade of tall trees in the park while we walked.
In the closing circle, in addition to singing, there were 2 more reading's from The Long Road Turns to Joy.  People were invited to say one word to represent what they were experiencing after the Walk. Among a multitude of Gratitude and Thank you, there was Joy, Love, Hopeful, Peace, and Community.
Walking Meditation Himmel Park Tucson, Arizona, USA
In the opening and closing circles we sang songs from the Plum Village tradition
1. In, out Deep, slow Calm, ease Smile, release Present moment, wonderful moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym7vmzVPzE8
2. Standing like a tree With my roots dug down My branches wide and open Come down the rainCome down the sun Come down the fruits To a heart that is open to be (repeat)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CbNIsTn0OM


3. Breathing in, breathing out Breathing in, breathing out I am blooming as a flower I am fresh as the dew
I am solid as a mountain I am firm as the earth I am free.
Breathing in, breathing out Breathing in, breathing out I am water reflecting What is real, what is true
And I feel there is space Deep inside of me I am free, I am free, I am free.
https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/breathing-in-breathing-out
Sponsoring groups for the Tucson Walking Meditation on 30 Nov 2024
Singing Bird Sangha is  a group of relaxed folks who mindfully cultivate peace and joy in every  moment. We meet weekly, on Zoom or in person, for meditation -  including sitting, walking, and singing - and for discussion of  teachings in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. We welcome newcomers. https://www.singingbirdsangha.org
Beloved Community Circles:  At times, our lives and our world, with the challenges we face, seem  fragile. One way to respond is in the philosophical and practical  aspects of Beloved Community. First described around 1913 by Josiah  Royce, the concept was expanded by Dr Martin Luther King.
After  Dr King's assassination, his devastated friend, Thich Nhat Hanh, vowed  to continue Dr. King's work to establish Beloved Communities,  understanding that all beings and things are truly connected. Today,  Beloved Community Circles encompass pressing needs: to be just and  create a just society, to heal our planet, and to live harmoniously. https://belovedcommunitycircles.org/      Tucson contact: Jan yeats98@yahoo.com

International Walking Meditation Touching Simplicity 2024  https://achtsame-wirtschaft.de/international-walking-meditation-2024.html
Two of us from Singing Bird Sangha in Tucson, Arizona, USA participated in the Summer 2024 Beloved Community Circle cohort training.  Singing Bird Sangha, in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, was formed in 1997 after several people from Tucson attended Thay's retreat in Santa Barbara, California.

Singing Bird Sangha met weekly in person before COVID, but now meets in person once a month and 3 times a month on Zoom.  https://www.singingbirdsangha.org/

Our intention is to form a Beloved Community Circle as part of Tucson's Singing Bird Sangha.  We are at the total-beginner stage.  The 2 of us are meeting to plan how we ask other sangha members if they want to participate in BCC. The sangha likes to read books together, so we might start with John Bell's "Unbroken Wholeness: 6 Pathways to Beloved Community."

More will be revealed.  Wish us luck.  Thanks, Jan and Wanda