Tina Cansler: Volunteer Profile

In January of 2014, I began my meditation practice at East Bay Meditation Center following a life-changing experience. Once I got a grasp on the foundations of mindfulness, a few teachers began to encourage me to go deeper with my practice. This meant branching out to different sanghas, learning from other teachers, and putting myself into other communities. While I had heard of Spirit Rock, I had never been there. I didn’t have a car at the time, so traveling anywhere without adequate public transit seemed impossible.

In the summer of 2014, I decided I would attend a Wednesday morning class as a birthday gift to myself. Still without a car, I posted a ride request on the Spirit Rock website associated with the regular class schedules. I guess it was meant to be, as I received an email from someone also going for the first time and offering a ride. Another couple of months went by, and I found myself at a daylong retreat in the old portable Community Meditation Hall. And soon after that I began attending daylongs more regularly,

Last spring, I happened to be volunteering at a daylong and speaking with Page, the Event Coordinator, about wanting to become more involved. I had just lost my job that winter and was looking for something to fill my time and utilize my skills. Page immediately had me fill out a volunteer application and said she was going to inform Christine in the Residential Retreats office, who coincidentally was needing to replace her former Dedicated Volunteer. A week later Christine invited me in for an interview, and we immediately hit it off. If it hadn’t had been for this volunteer opportunity, I don’t think I would have even considered the possibility of becoming an employee at Spirit Rock. And here I am working in the Facilities Department with a great crew! A little volunteering can go a long way! I completed my 100 volunteer hours as a DV and sat retreat this month.

Spirit Rock relies on the generosity of our many volunteers. We offer a range of opportunities from one-time projects to ongoing service. Check our website to find out more about out volunteer program or contact our Volunteer & Community Coordinator at Volunteering@spiritrock.org or (415) 488-0164 x224.