Sandra Gonzalez
Toni Packer nombró a Sandra González como una de las personas que continuaran este trabajo en el Centro en el verano de 2003.
Sandra comenzó a trabajar con Toni en 1988. Acerca de este trabajo Sandra escribió:
“El llamado a hacer este trabajo ha estado conmigo todo estos años. El trabajar con amigos, viendo y cuestionando juntos, de una forma simple sin autoridad, en una atmósfera de igualdad y afecto, en contacto juntos con todo aquello que acontece momento a momento, es un profundo gozo y un gran reto a la mente en su tradicional forma de funcionar. También el compartir silencio juntos es la otra cara de la moneda de este trabajo, ofreciéndole a uno la posibilidad de que pensamientos, emociones, sensaciones, canto de pájaros, el zumbar de los insectos, el aire tocando la piel así como todas las maravillas de la naturaleza pueden hacerse transparentes, presentes, todo simultáneamente en este instante. Así también puede suceder en un instante maravilloso, sin saber cómo, las identificaciones simplemente cedieron, disolviéndose en la nada, dándose el vacío de la mente, en donde la presencia de todo se manifiesta. Revelando así lo que realmente somos: amor, compasión y paz”.
Sandra Gonzalez has led retreats in both English and Spanish for several years. She began working with Toni in 1988. Previously, she studied for seven years at Zen centers in New York and California.
Sandra spends much of the year in Springwater. She also leads or participates in several retreats away from Springwater each year.
Sandra was born and raised in Nicaragua but has lived in the United States since 1979. She has three children and nine grandchildren that she visits regularly.
In a newsletter article by Sandra entitled “Awareness invites Awareness: A Meditative Way of Being Together,” she wrote:
Presence invites presence when there is no resistance, no ownership of ideas, experiences or things, no worrying, no hurrying, no judging, no defending–just the ease of life when we meet without wanting things to be otherwise. Certainly we all can participate; presence is free and available to all of us. There is a true beauty in this.
Looking deeply right now into the question, “What is it that truly touches us?” The truth of it all is that I don’t know. Presence/tenderness/love cannot be known but can be felt and touched very palpably. Whatever I have named or described, is not it. One can describe what took place the best one can, but the description is not the actual thing. Words cannot reach it, nor define it. Definitions and descriptions are merely attempts by the mind to describe the indescribable just for the sake of sharing. So be it.
Sandra Gonzalez
Toni Packer nombró a Sandra González como una de las personas que continuaran este trabajo en el Centro en el verano de 2003.
Sandra comenzó a trabajar con Toni en 1988. Acerca de este trabajo Sandra escribió:
“El llamado a hacer este trabajo ha estado conmigo todo estos años. El trabajar con amigos, viendo y cuestionando juntos, de una forma simple sin autoridad, en una atmósfera de igualdad y afecto, en contacto juntos con todo aquello que acontece momento a momento, es un profundo gozo y un gran reto a la mente en su tradicional forma de funcionar. También el compartir silencio juntos es la otra cara de la moneda de este trabajo, ofreciéndole a uno la posibilidad de que pensamientos, emociones, sensaciones, canto de pájaros, el zumbar de los insectos, el aire tocando la piel así como todas las maravillas de la naturaleza pueden hacerse transparentes, presentes, todo simultáneamente en este instante. Así también puede suceder en un instante maravilloso, sin saber cómo, las identificaciones simplemente cedieron, disolviéndose en la nada, dándose el vacío de la mente, en donde la presencia de todo se manifiesta. Revelando así lo que realmente somos: amor, compasión y paz”.
Sandra Gonzalez has led retreats in both English and Spanish for several years. She began working with Toni in 1988. Previously, she studied at other meditation centers.
Sandra spends much of the year in Springwater. She also leads or participates in several retreats away from Springwater each year.
Sandra was born and raised in Nicaragua. She has three children and seven grandchildren that she visits regularly.
In an article by Sandra in our Summer 2007 Newsletter entitled “Awareness invites Awareness: A Meditative Way of Being Together,” she wrote:
Presence invites presence when there is no resistance, no ownership of ideas, experiences or things, no worrying, no hurrying, no judging, no defending–just the ease of life when we meet without wanting things to be otherwise. Certainly we all can participate; presence is free and available to all of us. There is a true beauty in this.
Looking deeply right now into the question, “What is it that truly touches us?” The truth of it all is that I don’t know. Presence/tenderness/love cannot be known but can be felt and touched very palpably. Whatever I have named or described, is not it. One can describe what took place the best one can, but the description is not the actual thing. Words cannot reach it, nor define it. Definitions and descriptions are merely attempts by the mind to describe the indescribable just for the sake of sharing. So be it.
Upcoming Retreats with Sandra
7-Day Retreat w/Wayne Coger and Sandra Gonzalez (in-person and online)
May 11 @ 7:30 pm - May 18 @ 4:30 pm4-Day Retreat with Sandra Gonzalez (in-person and online)
August 30 @ 7:30 pm - September 3 @ 4:30 pm7-Day Retreat with Sandra Gonzalez (in-person and online)
November 2 @ 7:30 pm - November 9 @ 4:30 pm