Foundations Of Happiness:
A Practical Look at Struggle and Living Well
Thursdays 7.00-8.15 pm MDT Nov 19, 26, Dec 3, 10
In Person in Cranbrook and Online via Zoom
We all want to be happy, but somehow find ourselves constantly in struggle. We were also sold a dream of being able to do anything we wanted, to “follow our bliss”, but the future we see unfolding around us feels increasingly turbulent and limited. The world promises so much, and we may feel we end up with so little.
When we step back, what really is happiness? How do we find it? Maintain it? How do we find steady joy and freedom in a troubled world?
In this four-week series we look at how we get into struggle and tension, and what lies beneath it. We see that there is an alternative: a full, rich and flourishing life that does not depend entirely on outer circumstances. And we explore the foundations for building and sustaining it. The Buddha’s four noble truths are our guide, woven together with modern learning from psychology and neuroscience and grounded in day-to-day experience.
What We’ll Explore
The classes follow the arc of the four noble truths: what struggle is and what causes it, the possibility of freedom from it, and the path that leads there.
Class 1, November 19: How come we get stuck in struggle and tension?
We look at the ordinary dissatisfaction that can fill our lives: the gap between how things are and how we want them to be. Sometimes there are situations that cause us intense pain. Other times there is just a low-grade tension or emptiness. When we look deeply below the surface, what drives this?
Class 2, November 26: The unexpected source of happiness
We generally look for happiness in the wrong place: in people and objects that, when we look closely, cannot bring us lasting happiness on their own. Yet we all have moments of ease, of enough, of generosity. These tend to burst through when we forget for a while our quest for “happiness”. We explore how to get out of our own way, and allow a natural, spontaneous happiness to surface.
Class 3, December 3: A practical map for a full life
The eightfold path the Buddha taught is a practical map of a full and free life: wisdom (how we see and what we intend), ethics (speech, action and livelihood) and training the mind (effort, mindfulness and concentration). We explore each element and how to apply them in grounded ways in our daily lives.
Class 4, December 10: What sustains happiness
We look at the foundations that support ongoing happiness, and how to build a supportive container in our lives for growth.
Who it is for
Anyone curious about why life can feel difficult and what a good life might involve, whether you are new to all of this or have practiced for years. Come as you are.
Details
Time: Thursdays, 7:00–8:15pm MDT
Dates: November 19, 26, December 3, 10
In Person: Mountain View Therapeutics, 14A 13 Ave S #204, Cranbrook, BC V1C 2V3
Online option: join via Zoom; recordings available
Cost: Pay-from-the-heart (Dāna). Suggested range $20–50 per class. You are welcome regardless of what you are able to offer.
What to Expect
Each session includes:
- Guided meditation and embodiment practices
- Teaching grounded in Buddhist wisdom and 35+ years of practice
- Reflection and group dialogue
- Tools designed to carry into daily life
No background in Buddhism or meditation is needed, and you do not have to hold any beliefs.
The atmosphere is warm and welcoming—come as you are.
Your Guide
Duncan Cryle has practiced meditation and Buddhist Dharma for over 35 years in the Namgyal lineage with Qapel and Catherine Sensei. He was a founding member of Clear Sky in 2004 and a resident since 2018. Duncan has been teaching for over 20 years—with Awaken in Toronto, Despertando no Brasil (“Awakening in Brazil”), and through Clear Sky’s Integrating Mindfulness program. Through the intense work of living in intentional community—navigating conflict, collaboration, and collective decision-making—he’s learned firsthand what it takes to heal and to stay whole in fragmented times. He also spent many years in senior business roles pioneering workplace mindfulness, and now consults with nonprofits and mission-driven organisations on building mindfulness, resilience, and trust.
