Be a Love Beam

In this new year, amidst this world of rage and grief, I asked the higher powers of the universe where to best direct my energies. The message I received is: Be a Love Beam

What does that mean? Regardless of the conditions of the world, when you are a love beam, you have the capacity to move from:

Less judging, more joy
Less misery, more care
Less lonely, more laughter
Less frustrated, more ease
Less pain, more pleasure
Less suffering, more freedom

Do you want to be a love beam?

Your heart may sing “YES! I am ready! I want to be a love beam.”

And yet you also feel how difficult that can be, in challenging contexts where you are filled with fear, anger, and shame. Which is a lot of contexts!

• Your endless news scroll leaves you overwhelmed by the state of the world

• A conversation with your parent is triggering AF

• Your friend groups and social networks feel fizzled

• There’s so much to do, yet most of it feels like you are just going through the motions

• The gremlins in your brain keep steering you away from a new direction that you know is most important

In this workshop series, you’ll apply mindful awareness skills to discern what it feels like to move from love versus other feelings like fear, anger, and shame. You feel distracted. Anxious. Furious. Isolated. Embarrassed. Betrayed. Confused. You feel in your tight forehead or shoulders. Your queasy stomach. Your blankness. Your fire. You can feel this as real, and yet also know it just one way of feeling. Know it can change.

From that awareness, you’ll practice shifting your thoughts, orienting you to take steps from love. You notice a habitual thought and take a breath. And another. You are grateful for the ways this way of thinking has kept you alive and resourced. You remember you have choice here, and you cross the threshold toward a new love-oriented way of thinking. It feels awkward, but it feels real. From love, you feel relieved to see a new set of steps you can take. You choose. You act. You beam love.

Your Teacher:
Dawn Haney

Dawn (they/she) is a Buddhist teacher who shares these ancient teachings through their own practice experiences as a white, fat, queer, nonbinary femme.

Dawn has been exploring this multidimensional Buddhist love — from co-teaching a popular class on Finding Liberation in Relationship at the East Bay Meditation Center, to centering love in political action serving as a co-director of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, to practicing a politicized self-love with queer and fat mindfulness communities.

“Dawn’s spirit of clarity, kindness, open-mindedness and light-heartedness is a balm for our times. People feel seen and deeply welcomed in Dawn’s presence.”

- Kate Siber, Durango Dharma Center

Come Practice & Be a Love Beam

Join me in my first offering, exploring what it means to Be a Love Beam and practice together how we can beam love well.

We’ll meet live online on Thursdays at 5pm PT | 8pm ET for 60 minutes to talk and practice together. You’ll have practices and reflection questions to optionally explore in between. If you miss a session, a recording will be shared.

February 12th: Love Others
Tune in to your love for others, and expand those skills to beam love to people who aren’t so easy to love.

February 19th: Love Yourself
Cut through BS social and family conditioning that taught you to question your self-worth, and ready yourself to receive your own love beam.

February 26th: Love the World
Radiate your growing love, transmitting fierce care in energy and action in all directions.