Sunday, Monthly: Beyond the Mask: An Insight Dialogue-based Deconstruction of Dominant Masculinity
With Brent Beresford and Alex Castanheira
Open Dates
This practice group is open to all who identify within the male spectrum, including but not limited to transgender and cisgender men, as well as non-binary and gender nonconforming individuals. While meditation experience is highly recommended, Insight Dialogue experience is not necessary, as we will introduce this practice and (re)visit its bases together. Please join us in discovering how this practice might allow us to see more clearly together.
Like us, you may have noticed how our gender conditioning can cause harmful consequences, how inhabiting masculinity in different ways brings discomfort, and how there is freedom that is available in a masculinity unhinged from its dominant characteristics. These, and many other shared experiences of our masculine conditioning, will be the base for our shared intention to explore masculinity. With curiosity and the support of Insight Dialogue, the unwholesome (hurtful, self-centered) aspects of hegemonic masculinity will be deconstructed, while turning towards the wholesome (caring, open) and liberating aspects that masculinity can embody.
We are aware that it might seem intimidating or shameful to look at masculinity in these ways. This is why we will lean on the support of the teachings of Dhamma to disentangle from our harmful gender conditioning and explore other masculinities that are warm, caring, intimate, open to vulnerability, courageous and that liberate us from the burden of patriarchal hegemonic masculinity.
One field that may have been left deserted within our male conditioning is that tender and mutually-caring space between male friends. In our own experiences, the truth of this has brought us to explore the power of relationality and why the Buddha taught that spiritual friendship is at the heart of the Buddhist path. As such, we hope to explore how masculinity has coloured our capacity to truly integrate spiritual friendship, and how this kind of friendship can truly become the whole path.
Several dates will be offered for these meetings throughout the year so that we may make this space a regular practice group. Next dates: October 12 and November 23, 20225
Leaders
Brent Beresford’s (they/them) greatest teachers are their children, showing them how unreasonable their expectations are, and encouraging the practice of relationship and community. Their work has been in engaging the power of relationship, accompanying individuals and groups since 2002. They have endeavoured to transmit teachings of Dhamma in various forms since 2013, through mindfulness-based approaches and the practice of Insight Dialogue. Brent aspires to lean into the darker places, finding “how the dark too blooms and sings.” A person of mixed racial heritage, they also identify as gender nonconforming. Brent is inspired to explore the living Dhamma with folks. Taking…
Learn more about Brent Beresford
Alex Castanheira (they/them) began meditation’s practice as a teenager through Taisen Deshimaru’s books. In 2011, after engaging in an 8-week course in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, they decided to train as a Mindfulness-Based Intervention teacher. Since then, they have practiced meditation with different teachers in Europe (e.g., Martin Aylward) and Insight Dialogue mainly with Anne Michel, Phyllis Hicks and Florence Meleo-Meyer. Currently, Alex teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, since 2014, and Interpersonal Mindfulness, since 2015. They also facilitate Insight Dialogue group practice in French, one monthly with Sandrine Rauter and a weekly drop-in practice. Deeply committed about supporting people in finding…
Learn more about Alex Castanheira