Letting the Ancestors Hold You
BIPOC Practice Series with Lama Rod Owens
Practice Sessions:
Sunday, August 4th & Saturday, August 10th from 11:00am - 2:00pm ET
Homecoming Circle Session with Lama Rod & Guest Speakers Wambui Njuguna and Angel Vats:
Sunday, August 11th from 11:00am - 2:00pm ET
What would it look and feel like to surrender to the care of ancestors? To trust how deeply we are held by them always?Â
Our ancestors are intricately tied to our well-being and safety in the material world. Ancestor acknowledgment and practice lie at the heart of liberation work, especially for those of us who hold ancestral trauma from carceral systems. As truths are being revealed about the realities of the world we live in, ancestors provide the strength and grounding that we need to hold space for the transition of the apocalypse.
Our longing for our ancestors is a sign of our desire for decolonization and reconnection to our indigenous ways of being. In this virtual series, we will practice spiritual abolition by exploring ways to deepen our connection to the unseen world. This work will invite us towards healing traumas in our lineages and werking our grief through joy, celebration, and activating the gifts that our lived experience in BIPOC bodies offer us. Â
Whether you have an existing ancestor practice, are new to it, or do not know who your ancestors are, this series will offer tools and practices to explore your relationship with the unseen world.Â
Join Lama Rod at the intersection of multiple traditions, including Tantric Buddhism and indigenous shamanic ritual, which can support your protection, heart-opening, and grief work as you surrender to the care of the ancestors.
*You can register for the whole practice series, which includes all 3 sessions, or register for only the Homecoming Circle Session.
Homecoming Circle Guest Teachers
Yoga teacher, facilitator and healer Wambui Njuguna (she/her) and fluid ecologist, artist, healer, warrior Angel Vats  (they/themme) will be joining us for a rich conversation on connecting with our ancestors on August 11th.
Â
This Practice Series is for:
The Practice Series supports you in:
Registration Options
(select the offering below that best matches your ability to pay)
FAQs:
Who can participate in this practice series?
This practice series is open to anyone who identifies as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and/or of the Global Majority.Â
Â
When are the live sessions?
There are three live sessions, 2 which are Practice Sessions and 1 which is the Homecoming Circle session.
Practice Sessions: Sundays, August 4th & Saturday, August 10th from 11:00am - 2:00pm ET
Homecoming Circle Session*: Sunday, August 11th from 11:00am - 2:00pm ET
What if I can't attend the live session?
The live sessions will be recorded and posted on the course platform for you to watch later.
Is there a refund policy?
Refunds for the Practice Series are available prior to July 28th, 2024, less a $29 admin fee. Refunds for the Homecoming Circle (if you registered for that only) is August 4th, 2024, less a $29 admin fee.
Â
Is there financial assistance available?
Through the support of those who give at the Pay it Forward level, we have a limited amount of scholarships available. Email [email protected] if you are in need of financial assistance. If you are able to contribute to our ability to offer scholarships, your generosity by choosing the Pay it Forward supports our ability to offer more financial support.
What does the registration fee support?
Registration fees support Lama Rod and his team for the extensive labor, seen and unseen, and spiritual devotion that allows his work to remain accessible and sustainable. These resources help cover ongoing operational costs, such as the online platforms and services that are used to offer digital programs, team compensation, and the legal and accounting requirements of the United States, as well as physical spaces, materials, and nourishment for events when applicable.
As Lama Rod writes in The New Saints, he seeks to make the tradition of the Buddha relevant to our experiences in the present moment. This means inviting offerings and exchanges that honor the material needs of his energetic presence and livelihood — not in a conditional nor transactional way, but reflecting a tradition of reciprocity and universal balance similar to how you might leave food upon an altar for an ancestor. Giving and receiving are practices that embody the ethic of care that grounds Lama Rod’s work.
Therefore, your registration fees are one of the ways that Lama Rod is sustained so that he can continue his free and by-donation offerings such as Free Radicals, Medicine Buddha, and partnerships with organizations and schools to support their efforts. These offerings reflect our team’s commitment that no one be excluded from the teachings based upon their financial means. Those who register at the Pay-It-Forward price further increase accessibility by making financial assistance possible for those who need scholarships. Barter offerings and work exchanges are also welcome in some instances. Lama Rod believes that we can be well resourced while practicing an anti-capitalist ethic and is deeply grateful to be in a reciprocal relationship with you.
Having trouble with your registration?Â
Email [email protected] and we're happy to help.Â
How long will the recordings be available once I register?
The recordings will be available indefinitely.
Â
Registration Options
(select the offering below that best matches your ability to pay)
About the Teacher
Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School. Author of The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors, Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care.
A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod activates the intersections of his identity to create a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Applauded for his mastery in balancing weighty topics with a sense of lightness, the Queen has been featured by various national and international news outlets.Â
Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself.
