Highlights from a 16 Guidelines Level 1 Course at Atisha Centre
Earlier this year a successful 16 Guidelines Level 1 course was offered at a Retreat Centre called Atisha Centre in South Australia near Bendigo. Course leaders, Jane Lewis, Carmela Quimbo and Martin Ström (FDCW Board member) shared their experience of leading the course together and how participants responded.
Reflecting on the 16 Guidelines Level 1 Course: Jane’s Perspective
In this successful gathering at Atisha Centre, Jane recounts the rich experience of co-leading the 16 Guidelines Level 1 course. She shares highlights from the weekend and how creative exercises opened doors to meaningful, heartfelt connections.
A gazillion thanks for all your work creating the 16G Level 1 course materials – these offered a marvellous smorgasbord of content and tools from which we crafted a very full but delicious weekend. What a joy it was; a remarkable experience!
The weather was divine, and Atisha Centre’s surroundings and facilities were ideal, which made it so easy. Most participants stayed on the property, in comfy rooms or camping. Food was vegan; everyone loved it.
We confess we boldly re-ordered the Wisdom Themes, putting Generosity and How we ACT first on Friday night with a fun yet vivid listening exercise, to create group warmth and connections straight away. About half the group joined Carmela for enriching early morning yoga, then marvellous meditation led by Martin. Saturday morning saw the rest of “How we Act”, and Saturday afternoon was “How we Relate to Others”. Sunday morning covered “How we Think”, and the final afternoon was “How we Find Meaning”.
AntiRacism was a recurring sub-theme, particularly important and uncomfortable after the 2023 NO vote across Australia to proposed Indigenous recognition in the constitution. Still-Very-White Australia is the only Commonwealth country without a treaty with First Peoples or a federal Bill of Rights.
We hired a big screen so the slideshow and videos were powerful. We used keypad interactive technology to get input and feedback along the way. It was fast-moving and kept people’s attention – everyone had “Conversations that Matter” with everyone else, in pairs and fours. We shared tears and laughter and insights.
A few of us gathered on Saturday night to create 16G-themed songs with AI and dance!
Here is the link to the dance song we created together.
And here is the other 16G song Martin created prior (this one has a catchier chorus )Highlights of the feedback were:
Q. How would you describe your experience of the Level 1 course?
– Fulfilling, at times confronting, healing, thought-provoking, stimulating
– Awakening
– Engaging & it got me out of my comfort zone
– Enriching
– Informative, helpful
– I enjoyed it all very much. I feel inspired and reassured by the depth of teaching
– Excellent
– Very relaxed, good discussions and presentationsQ. What did you experience that you didn’t expect?
– It moved my heart and experienced so many aha moments and insights that I hadn’t expected
– First connections and warmth in the room
– Inclusivity & acceptance
– More mindful practices than I anticipated (gratefully)
– To face the need to change
– Interactive in a very good way
– I felt very content
– Very frank discussions
– Very emotional, e.g. videos and others’ stories and experiences
– That the monks & nuns were so very normal & super easy to be around. I loved them all—Jane, co-facilitator of the 16 Guidelines level 1 course
Carmela on Creativity, Openness, and Transformation
Co-facilitating the course, Carmela describes the beauty of the group’s shared openness and compassion. Her reflections capture the power of the 16 Guidelines to support participants in exploring and transforming their inner lives.
It was a wonderful experience to be part of the 16 Guidelines Level 1 course at the Atisha Centre in Bendigo. Throughout the weekend, we gathered to reflect on the joys and challenges of living a human life and discovered how the practices of mindfulness along with exploring, contemplating, discussing, and observing even just one Guideline could be so impactful and transformative.
I loved how we could be creative, authentic and playful in presenting the Guidelines. Most of all I loved how open-hearted and kind the group participants were even while sharing difficult experiences, challenging emotions and sometimes differing points of view.
It was a beautiful weekend where each of us had the space to put the 16 Guidelines into action and I sincerely wish that the effects ripples out to benefit all beings.
—Carmela, co-facilitator of the 16 Guidelines level 1 course
A Harmonious Collaboration: Martin’s Reflections
Martin shares his joy in co-facilitating the course, highlighting the synergy created by their complementary styles and the deep engagement from participants. He reflects on how the 16 Guidelines fostered spirited discussions and deeper understanding throughout the weekend.
Co-facilitating the retreat with Jane and Carmela was an absolute delight! Our unique styles and perspectives on the subject matter complemented each other beautifully, creating a seamless and engaging experience for the participants. Jane’s meticulous planning and organization of the program, including assigning sections to each of us, laid a great foundation. Despite the limited preparation time we had together, our delivery felt natural and well-rehearsed, as if we had been collaborating for years.
I received feedback from several ordained Sangha members who attended the retreat, expressing their appreciation for the depth of the teachings and discussions, especially considering it was a secular course.
I wholeheartedly agree with their observations, as the participants demonstrated remarkable receptiveness to the profound aspects of the topics, which can sometimes be challenging to grasp. Their enthusiasm for the discussions was palpable throughout the retreat.
Typically, when facilitating group discussions, the conversations tend to dwindle after a certain point, signalling the appropriate time to move on to the next activity. However, during this retreat, the discussions never lost their momentum. In fact, when we had to intervene and bring the discussions to a close, the participants expressed a genuine sense of disappointment, as they were eager to continue exploring the topics further.
Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to do more of these in the future together.
—Martin, co-facilitator of the 16 Guidelines level 1 course
Begin Your Journey with the 16 Guidelines
The 16 Guidelines offer transformative tools for self-reflection, compassion, and mindful living. Whether new to these principles or seeking to deepen your understanding, the 16 Guidelines provide a framework for positive personal growth and enriching relationships with others. Discover how these teachings can bring greater meaning and joy to your life by starting your journey with us today.
Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW)
At FDCW we are committed to a more compassionate, wiser world. We provide resources, courses and training to develop qualities such as kindness, patience and honesty – qualities which are essential for meeting the challenges of the world we all share.
The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) was established as a global charity based in London in 2005. Since then we have provided secular training, programmes and resources across many sectors of society – schools, universities, hospices, workplaces, healthcare, youth groups and community centres. Our courses have reached thousands of people across the world through our dedicated and growing network of facilitators in more than 20 countries.
Support our Work
As a non-profit organization, FDCW relies on donations like yours to continue producing valuable resources and hosting events. You can support us by sharing our newsletter, following us on social media, and making a donation. Every contribution, big or small, helps us in our efforts and we truly appreciate it.
