Teens
For Teens 7-12th grade
Sundays, April 14 - May 5, 11 am - 12:30 pm
with Keika Karin San Juan and Jake Nagasawa
The Teen Group is a combination of basic Buddhist teachings, fun activities, and social time. We practice inclusivity, self-awareness, and basic values such as honesty, patience, and compassion, as they relate to teen life. Participants will have a chance to practice various meditation techniques including some mindful movement practicing. Although we will practice some Zen forms, you need not consider yourself a Buddhist to attend.
All teachers and volunteers are vaccinated.
Weekly themes
Each session consists of a theme that our leaders, Jake and Keika, explore with your teen. What does it mean to be kind in this world? How do we deal with social media, transphobia, and…zits?
Strategies for Coping with Stress
Being a teen is hard. We’ve got your back! Deep breaths, a bit of low-key meditation, and real talk.
Community
Hanging out, talking about the stuff that matters, and being in a safe space is what we’re all about.
Your Fearless Leaders
Keika Karin San Juan (she/her) is a Zen priest-in-training, professor at Macalester, and owns at least one bonsai tree. She lives with her wife in St. Paul, where they kick up all kinds of trouble.
Jake Nagasawa (he/him) likes ice-cream, obviously.
He’s currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of American Studies at Macalester College. He teaches courses in the fields of Asian American studies and religious studies. He has a PhD in Buddhist Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
He’s a member of Clouds in Water’s Ethics and Reconciliation (EAR) committee.
Give them
space to breathe
Going to a teen group on a Sunday might not initially sound awesome, but this is a special community that your teen is sure to find some kindred spirits in. We keep it real and there is ALWAYS ICE-CREAM. #bonus
Contribution
Clouds in Water relies on a Gift Economics Model of resource transparency, suggested sliding scale tiers and no set fees in order to balance financial sustainability, the Buddhist practice of generosity, justice and equity. Clouds in Water is a community supported temple, relying primarily on the donations and class fees that our sangha offers.
All are welcome. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Sliding Scale
Level 1: $500 (covers teacher payments, and Clouds admin/staffing, and makes it possible for more people to attend who cannot afford the full amount)
Level 2: $150 (covers teacher payments and Clouds admin/staffing)
Level 3: $75 (covers Clouds admin/staffing)
Your Level: You choose the amount. No one is turned away due to inability to pay.
“We know in our hearts that there is a different way to be, a different way to live. Our generosity with one another is indeed resistance to the greed and fear that oppresses us. We provide for one another out of love for each other and love for ourselves. When we give, we acknowledge that all beings want to be happy.”
-Jacoby Ballard