Awakening the Heart of Love: Choosing a Life of Kindness & Courage

An online meditation evening in the Insight Meditation and Buddhist traditions, Awakening the Heart of Love: Choosing a Life of Kindness & Courage is a free session hosted by Drala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. It is led by meditation teacher Heidi Bourne and is open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Drawing on Lovingkindness (Metta) and Appreciative Joy (Mudita), it is an evening for the refuge, rest, and renewal of the heart.

What to Expect

The session runs from 6:00 to 7:30 pm Mountain Time on a Tuesday evening and takes place live on Zoom. It is part of the Drala Mountain Online Practice Series, a collection of tuition-free offerings held on select Tuesdays.

The evening has three parts. A lightly guided meditation introduces the practice of Lovingkindness and Appreciative Joy. A dharma talk follows, on choosing a life of kindness and courage. The rest of the time is given to conversation, with plenty of room to talk with one another and reflect on what the practice brings up. The organizers describe awakening the heart of love as necessary medicine for an ailing world, and the evening is shaped around that idea: a quiet place to rest, and to practice turning toward kindness.

About Heidi Bourne

Heidi Bourne is a meditation teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition and the founder and guiding teacher of Pacific Mindfulness. She has been teaching since 2005, offering classes, series courses, nature retreats, and trauma-informed, trauma-sensitive, and resiliency-focused professional programs. She is especially interested in bringing the common-sense, accessible, and timeless teachings of awareness into everyday life.

The Setting

Drala Mountain Center is in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, but this session is held entirely online, so you can join from wherever you are. Nothing about travel or lodging is needed.

Before You Go

The program is offered in English and suits all levels. No prior meditation experience is required, and the teaching emphasizes accessibility and common-sense wisdom.

Registration is free. In the Buddhist tradition, dāna is a selfless act of generosity that expresses appreciation, supports the teachings, and comes from the heart. At registration you can make a tax-deductible donation of any amount, though giving is entirely optional.

Included are the guided meditation practice, the dharma talk, group dialogue, and a Zoom link sent by email within 24 hours before the program begins. The session is recorded and can be viewed for up to two weeks afterward, which helps if you cannot attend the full evening live. Meals, accommodation, and printed materials are not part of this online program.