The Costs of War, Violence & Denial
A Meditation Retreat for Veterans, Their Families & Friends
October 5, 2008 - October 10, 2008
Rhinebeck Campus: Rhinebeck, NY (US)
Tuition: $350 (does not include accommodations or commuter fee)
Course: SM08-5205-420
Continuing education credits available. Limited enrollment, register
early. Special schedule.
www.eomega.org
“We who have fought in war know intimately about life and death,” says
Rev. Claude Anshin Thomas. “We who have been wounded by war—
physically, psychologically, and spiritually—need to come together in
order to support each other.”
Many of us live with the after effects of war, known as post-traumatic
stress. Symptoms include explosive anger, depression, and flashbacks.
The attempts of traditional counseling and therapy, although valuable,
often leave our spiritual wounds unaddressed. Without doing the work
of healing spiritually, we only address the symptoms, and this often
does not support a change in our hearts and minds.
In this retreat, we practice many different forms of meditation as a
path to healing. “Meditation can simply be understood as the art of
discovering what prevents us from living directly,” Rev. Thomas says.
Thomas also shares his inspiring spiritual odyssey from combat to
Buddhism as a road map for any of us who might feel trapped in
cyclical patterns of response from any type of traumatic experience.
This retreat is open to people of any religious or spiritual tradition
Scholarships are available for this retreat. Rev. Claude AnShin Thomas
does not accept payment for his teachings. As a result, Omega
Institute is donating a portion of the retreat’s proceeds to the
Zaltho Foundation. Additional voluntary donations to the foundation
may be made during the retreat.
Rev. Claude Anshin Thomas received numerous awards, including the
Purple Heart, for his service in the Vietnam War. After struggling
with re-entry into society, Thomas studied mindfulness meditation with
Thich Nhat Hanh. He is author of At Hell’s Gate and founder of Zaltho
Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes peace and
nonviolence. zaltho.org
Cameron White
IVAW -LA Outreach Coordinator
