We had an excellent weekend at Berkeley Shambhala Center, with sixteen participants going deep into the theme of “Confidence Beyond Concept.” Led by teacher Greg Heffron, this retreat examined how our focus on “conditional confidence” leaves us feeling poverty stricken and anxious. Together, we worked to exercise our ability to rest in the “unconditional confidence” of basic experience — going “beyond hesitation” and “making a gesture” which eradicates the artificial barrier between “self” and “world.” Resting in the confidence that doesn’t need a basis, we learned to bring together the masculine (mindfulness) and the feminine (awareness) in every moment.