Retreat

Holding Fear and Anger in Times of Social Harm: BIPOC Day of Mindfulness

February 21, 2026

9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Location
Boundless Mind Temple
326 Clinton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
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Description

In times of social harm, fear and anger can feel overwhelming or uncontainable. How do we meet these powerful emotions without being swept away by them? How do we stay rooted in our bodies and in community when the world feels unsteady?

In this day of practice for BIPOC practitioners, Dharma teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo and Jessica Angima will guide us in body-based mindfulness practices that help us tend to strong emotions with care. Through sitting and walking meditation, guided rest, InterPlay (an active and improvisational way to unlock the wisdom of the body), and group reflection, we will explore ways of grounding ourselves in the present moment and listening deeply to the body’s wisdom.

Drawing on Buddhist psychology and collective healing practices, we will learn to recognize, accept, and gently hold difficult emotions. When fear and anger are met with compassion rather than suppression or reactivity, they begin to soften. Insight emerges. Resilience grows. From this steadiness, new possibilities for personal and collective healing become available.

This gathering is open to all BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) practitioners, newer and long-time alike. It is an opportunity to nourish your practice, strengthen inner resilience, and build BIPOC sangha in a space of shared understanding and care.

Lunch will not be served. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch. There will be a one-hour lunch break. For those who bring food or wish to eat in, we will share a period of eating meditation together in silence for 20 minutes, followed by time for conversation.

Registration

Registration deadline — February 17, 11:59 PM ET
Financial assistance deadline — February 10, 11:59 PM ET

Fee (sliding scale) — $35–$125

  • See our Equitable Pricing Model here to determine your rate.
  • No one will be turned away due to financial constraints. If you’re unable to pay at the lowest rate, please use this form to apply for financial assistance by the deadline.

Questions? If you have any questions or concerns about registration, please contact us at info@brooklynzen.org.

Instructor

Kaira Jewel Lingo is a Dharma teacher with a lifelong interest in spirituality and social justice. Her work continues the Engaged Buddhism developed by Thich Nhat Hanh, and she draws inspiration from her parents’ lives of service and her dad’s work with Martin Luther King, Jr. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition, as well as in secular mindfulness, at the intersection of racial, climate and social justice with a focus on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and activists, as well as artists, educators, families, and youth. Based in New York, she offers spiritual mentoring to groups and is author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons in Moving through Change, Loss and Disruption and co-author of  Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy and Liberation. Her upcoming events and teachings can be found at www.kairajewel.com.

 

Jessica Angima is a Kenyan American organizer and social practice artist. In a constant state of process, she facilitates intimate community through the exploration of art, ecology, and contemplative practice. Her work focuses on self-formation; using writing, photography, and dharma to explore the effects of specific places, environments, and objects on personal and collective awakening. With over 400 hours of meditation facilitation training, she has taught for BRIC, Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, Dia Arts Foundation, Google, SELF Magazine, SHAPE Magazine, theSkimm and more. You can read her writing in Tricycle Magazine, Urban Omnibus, and Syllabus Project, among others. Jessica was a 2019 Create Change Fellow at The Laundromat Project and a 2023 More Art Engaging Artist Fellow. She is a member of North Star Fund’s Community Funding Committees and holds an MA in Arts Politics from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Jessica lives in Brooklyn, NY on unceded Lenape territory with her plants and her books. In her free time, you can find her enjoying neighborhood green spaces and gardens.

 


Location Details

Boundless Mind Temple is located in the Parish House of Christ Church Cobble Hill, next to 326 Clinton Street. Enter the driveway on Clinton, go past the scaffolding, and through the double doors. There are two flights of stairs leading to the center, located on the second floor. The closest subway stop is the F/G at Bergen Street.

 


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Donations

BZC relies on donations to sustain its spaces, teachers, and staff. Learn more about supporting us here.

 


Fee
$35-$125
Questions?
info@brooklynzen.org

To request a refund for this program you must notify BZC in writing at least 2 days before the beginning of the program. This supports the organizing effort involved in managing registrations and cancellations.

We are in an historical building which is not wheelchair accessible. There are two flights of stairs leading to the center, located on the second floor. Chairs, benches, and extra support cushions are available. If you have any additional questions about accessibility, please contact us at info@brooklynzen.org.
Holding Fear and Anger in Times of Social Harm: BIPOC Day of Mindfulness
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