With mudita (appreciative joy), enthusiastically welcome our new operations managers, Cynthia Billings and Kristin Burnett, to their roles at the Durango Dharma Center! Both Cynthia and Kristin are longtime members of our sangha and will be job-sharing this position. They are currently learning the ropes from our beloved former “OM” (operations manager) Stephanie Herbst as well as the Dharma Council and Board of Directors. Expect to see their faces at Monday night meditations, retreats and daylongs.
Here are brief interviews with Cynthia and Kristin about their practices and what inspires them to serve the Dharma Center in this integral way.
A Q&A With Cynthia Billings:
When did you first become interested in meditation?
After a major surgery in 2004, I started practicing gentle yoga because it was the only movement I was able to do. This led to meditation. That’s when I first learned that listening to my body and slowing down was not just a luxury, but a requirement for optimizing physical and mental health.
Is there anything you would be willing to share about your practice and what brings you to practice or inspires you?
I live alone and spend a lot of time alone. I often find that I do things in silence—no TV or music to distract me. I’m just fully immersed in what I’m doing and feeling. I use all my senses to take in what’s happening right in front of me. My practice is very somatic-based. It’s taken awhile to learn to really use my physical sensations as a guide or clue into what’s really going on mentally and/or emotionally. As they say, “the body doesn’t lie.” I just need to pay attention to what it’s telling me!
What would you be comfortable with us sharing about your past volunteer service for DDC?
I remember hearing that volunteering for the dharma center would “really deepen your practice.” It’s true. I began volunteering for the gratitude committee, then small roles at retreats. I organized the DDC picnics, and I’m a facilitator in one of the kalyana mitta groups. Volunteering allows me to collaborate and create with others within our sangha. It has given me a deeper sense of ownership and connectedness within this community. When you perform tasks under the umbrella of the dharma, there’s a higher level of awareness of how you do things. More thought and refinement. It’s different from when you’re at work. But ideally, you bring that same style to other forms of work in your life.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Like so many of us in Durango, I love getting outside and mountain biking, hiking, or skiing. During Covid, my new winter activity has been fat biking in the snow. I recently added a truck-camper rig to my toy box and this has really allowed me to be out in nature throughout the four seasons.
Former occupation?
I’m a retired physical therapist. Throughout the majority of my career, I worked in rehab and the acute-care hospital setting. During the three years prior to my retirement, I was a breast cancer and lymphedema specialist. I also taught yoga to cancer survivors and their families.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I think the awareness the pandemic brought gives us an opportunity to reconstruct ourselves and lifestyles. Make choices with the realization that life shouldn’t be taken for granted. I think there’s a Buddhist practice that says you should think about death often…which helps me focus on living life more fully and with more love in my heart. Being aware of my intention.
A Q&A With Kristin Burnett:
When did you first become interested in meditation?
My history with meditation began at the DDC shortly after I moved to Durango in 2005 when I attended Erin Treat’s beginner meditation class. I was drawn in right from the start, and began sitting retreats, regularly attending DDC sits and classes, and going on to sit on the Board for a short time.
Is there anything you would be willing to share about your practice and what brings you to practice or inspires you?
I was first drawn to this practice as a means to cultivate peace in my heart and a sense of belonging. To me the Dharma Center felt like coming home, and in a way I both lost my self and found myself within its loving community. This path continues to be a practice of beginning again, of letting go, of showing up.
Is there anything you’d like us to share about your home life, family, kids, etc.? Or other identities/roles you hold?
I live in Durango with my husband and three children, ages 3, 5 and 7. At first I wasn’t sure how I could be a mother and be on this path, and now I wonder what I would do without my practice.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love reading, as well as trail running, mountain biking and camping.
Former occupation?
I spent many years working various roles for Zuke’s Dog and Cat treats, where my love of the Dharma was encouraged and supported.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I’m looking forward to reconnecting with the Sangha here and offering support however I can.
