Bearing Witness PDX

Bearing Witness PDX is a mindfulness-based walking tour of our city, where we show up and open our hearts and minds to the sights and sounds of Portland. It's an opportunity to witness the sentient beings that call our city home through walking meditation. The point of this walk is not to turn our gaze away from the unpleasant but to acknowledge it with an open mind and hold space for it in our hearts. At the same time, with openness and curiosity, we can notice the joyful or beautiful scenes we'd generally ignore if we were going from point A to point B.
Influenced by Zen teacher Bernie Glassman's multifaith retreats with the Zen Peacemakers to honor and mourn those who died at Auschwitz-Birkenau, we will begin our time together with a short meditation to get settled in our bodies. Then, we will walk through downtown Portland silently for about an hour, with time dedicated to reflecting upon the experience. We can create a safe container to grieve and celebrate simultaneously; it's a chance to hold space in our hearts with contradictory thoughts and feelings. We may lean more toward one side, and that's okay. In these fragmented times, we need to foster togetherness as a community, where we can share our sorrows and joys and feel seen and heard.

I hope to offer this as a regular event. We need more safe spaces in society to grieve and celebrate as a whole communally.

We will meet around the benches in the little park area across from Union Station proper at 6:30 p.m. Please be on time. We will only wait 5 minutes for latecomers. If you are running late, please text me, Ryan, at 971-454-6069, and we can accommodate you. We will walk for about an hour and return to where we started. This is where we can share our experiences individually and discuss what it all means.

-No meditation or mindfulness experience is needed. I will offer guidance before we start our walk. Walking meditation includes paying attention to the sensations in our bodies while noticing.

Expectations: 1) Come with an open mind and open heart. The point is to put down your opinions and judgments, even if it is only for this event. 2) Try to maintain silence during the walk. If you do need to talk to someone, please do it in a way that will not disturb others. Consider it a traditional sitting meditation retreat, except we are walking. Pay attention to all the thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, and impulses that come up, but try not to attach to them. 3)After the walk, we will have the opportunity to share our experiences. We are attempting to create a container that allows everyone to feel safe, open up, and be vulnerable. What is shared is confidential and needs to stay within the group. Please don't share personal details with others after leaving the container.

Eventbrite has locked me at the event at $15, but I am offering it on a sliding scale ($10-25, pay what you can afford) for those who don't RSVP through Eventbrite.

You can also Paypal me money @[email protected] or Venmo @Ryan_Berkebile

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Union Station, 800 Northwest 6th Avenue, Portland, United States