Cultivating Curiosity and Kindness
A DAILY LIVING RETREAT
Embark on a journey of self-love and compassion with 100 Days of Care. This self-directed, at-home meditation retreat fits seamlessly into your daily life, with just a few minutes of commitment each morning and evening.
Create a personalized mantra of lovingkindness, cultivate habits supportive of your well-being, and explore the ten ‘far-reaching’ attitudes of Theravada Buddhism over ten, ten-day periods.
With the 100 Days of Care Workbook to guide you, set daily intentions, practice gratitude, reflect, and slowly develop the small, consistent habits that will transform your daily routine into a path of mindful self-compassion.
The premise of the 100 Days of Care is that as we learn to love ourselves (and others) more deeply, we will naturally begin to make more compassionate choices — to do the things that lead to peace.
The 100 Days invites you to see yourself as an experiment in conditioning. Take actions with clear intentions, examine the results, tweak your relationship to your experience and repeat.
The 100 Days of Care is a freely offered program. You can find everything you need here on this site to start your journey. For best results, invest in the Workbook and join a Live Cohort!
Join a live cohort for 100 Days of Care:
Sept 23 — Dec 31, 2024
Transform your daily routine into a path of mindful self-compassion.
The 100 Days of Care Workbook
^ click cover to LOOK INSIDE!
Get started with the 100 Days of Care workbook, which includes:
-
- complete instructions for undertaking your daily living retreat
-
- an introduction to and commentary on the ten ‘far-reaching’ attitudes (determination, lovingkindness, truthfulness, ethical self-discipline, energy, generosity, letting be, patience, open-hearted seeing and wisdom)
-
- 100 dedicated journal pages designed to track your self-compassion journey, with space for you to write your morning intentions, evening reflections, daily gratitudes, and a checklist for customizing each day’s well-being priorities.
The above link is for the paperback version (6″x9″). A digital/e-reader version will be available soon.
Praise for 100 Days of Care
“So good! A really compelling page-turner! And many of the pages will be filled, day-by-day, for a hundred days, by your own new and liberating insights. Heather Finlayson Fenton has put together a powerful book here. With every chapter, you will get a pointing out, a transmission of an essential aspect of wisdom. Her guidance is direct, deep, clear and applicable; her instructions for your next ten days of practice will lead you away from confusion and suffering. And while you’re at it, join the 100 Days program! This will be a straight — and naturally sometimes rocky— path to inner wellbeing. This is what I call deep care.”
— Pascal Auclair, core teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in the USA and True North Insight in Canada
“100 Days of Care shines in its honesty, simplicity and straightforwardness. Heather’s gentle, skillful and open-minded approach makes this a book for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The daily journal pages contained in the workbook are beautifully set up. I found the lovingkindness phrases, personal mantras and daily well-being examples Heather shared throughout the book SO helpful, making it easy to fill out a journal page every day, or daily-ish as she likes to say! As someone who has bought many self-directed workbooks over the years with good intentions of completing them (but never doing so) I can honestly say this is the first workbook I will have completed with ease and joy. Thank you Heather for writing this book!”
— Lisa Matteo-Cutaia
The 4 Steps of 100 Days of Care
The 100 Days of Care program is designed for you to undertake one hundred days of mindful self-care using small, daily commitments of your own design. Applying gentle persistence, thoughtfulness and compassion, you will effect meaningful change.
You are an evolving process. Let yourself relax and enjoy the journey. Do not push too hard. Start small and build on your successes.
The 100 Days can be completed using your own notebook and the following 4 Steps.
(Or consider supporting the program and receiving the full instructions by purchasing the 100 Days of Care Workbook.)
Step One - Create a personal mantra
Your mantra is a loving phrase that you will recite at least once a day for the duration of the 100 Days of Care.
The basic daily commitment is to remember, recite and write down your mantra. Feel free to increase the commitment to reciting it more than once, but make the number of times easily achievable, so that you can meet the commitment.
Mantra examples:
I am attentive and care-full with myself and others.
I am peaceful and live with ease.
I am safe, relaxed and loving.
Take your time. Craft a phrase that moves your heart.
Let it be a living statement that evolves. You may find you naturally begin to tweak or change the phrase as the 100 Days progresses.
Especially if you struggle with perfectionism and procrastination, giving yourself the freedom to evolve will make a big difference!
Step Two - Commit to recite your mantra and meditate daily
Pair the daily recitation of your personal mantra with a minimum period of meditation. This can be 1, 5, 10, 25 minutes or more, but it should be short (relative to what you can manage) so that you maintain consistency and succeed!
Set a low minimum daily commitment and you can always go longer when you have the time and energy.
Use a meditation app, guided practice, or set a timer and sit silently, and observe your experience with a relaxed and curious attitude.
Step Three - Consider additional daily 'priorities + commitments'
As you feel inspired, add other small and measurable actions (‘Priorities + Commitments’) that you’d like to undertake daily that you know will be good for your well-being.
Examples: yoga, earlier bed time/wake time, acts of kindness, walking in nature, exercising, reading, journaling or creative writing, other creative arts (painting, drawing, dancing).
And you’re invite to practice abandoning habits that you know are eroding your well-being.
Examples: limiting or eliminating caffeine, tobacco, alcohol or other intoxicants, reducing social media consumption and binge watching, avoiding gossiping and complaining.
Don’t over-do it. Keep it simple so that it’s enjoyable and manageable. You can always add more as you gain momentum. There’s a danger of burnout or failure. One hundred days is a surprisingly long period and we are looking to create a consistent, gradual and lasting shift in our way of life and our being.
We want to achieve and feel the benefits of the small successes, which creates the momentum for a shift in our mindset.
Step Four - Engage daily
Write in your 100 Days of Care workboork (or a journal) each day, creating a morning and evening ritual for yourself. This is a reflective space, in which you observe the tendencies of your thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Returning to it morning and evening will reinforce your practice.
Give and receive support by joining a live 100 Days of Care cohort (see below). There are opportunities for weekly meditation and yoga sessions offered (free or by donation) in person or online through Zoom.
Make a daily social post a part of your daily commitment! Follow and tag us @100.days.of.care and use the hashtag #100daysofcare on Instagram, and join our private Facebook group.
Do the things that lead to peace.
Join a Live Cohort for 100 Days of Care
Autumn 2024
Give and receive support from others who are undertaking the 100 Days of Care journey.
You can start 100 Days at anytime and journey solo, but you can also make the journey in line with our next live cohort, which will run from Monday, Sept 23, 2024 (Day 1) to Tuesday, Dec 31, 2024 (Day 100).
Join us for one of two Launch sessions (below) in the days leading up to Day 1. And watch this space for the addition of a Celebration event on or around Day 100!
WEEKLY SUPPORTS:
Each week you can choose to join our free Wednesday Meditations. This is a great option for learning to start and/or sustain a daily meditation practice and to find out more about the ten ‘far-reaching’ attitudes (determination, lovingkindness, truthfulness, ethical self-discipline, energy, generosity, letting be, patience, open-hearted seeing and wisdom).
Or you can register for the Thursdays Yoga + Meditation series. The Thursday sessions will include all-levels gentle yoga, some breathing practices, and meditations for learning to settle your nervous system and embody the self-compassion journey.
SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORTS:
Find like-minded friends in our private Facebook group. You’re welcome to post daily or regularly as a part of your accountability. Connect with us by tagging us on Instagram @100.days.of.care and please use the hashtag #100daysofcare with all of your related social media content!
Sept 2024 Launch
An introductory session to set your course for the 100 Days of Care.
Join us for a 90-min introductory session to launch the 100 Days of Care. We’ll prepare for the adventure, enjoy a little guided meditation, inspirational talk and discussion, with an opportunity for Q&A.
The same session will be held twice. Choose to come either Sunday, September 15th at 2pm or Wednesday, September 18th at 7pm (times are Eastern Toronto/New York).
In person or online.
Offered freely (donations welcome).
Please preregister using the button below. If you are attending over Zoom, the link will be provided in a confirmation email.
Wednesday Meditations
Support your 100 Days of Care journey with our free weekly Insight Meditation sessions. Come as you can, or come every week.
Wednesdays 7pm (90 mins)
(Eastern Time | Toronto/New York)
with Heather Fenton — Start and/or maintain a regular meditation practice. Each week, guided meditations are combined with instructions for bringing mindfulness into daily living.
In these weekly sessions we will explore the journey of 100 Days of Care together, learning to care for ourselves (and others) more deeply, and navigating the path of awakening through the lens of the ten ‘far-reaching’ attitudes. There will be opportunity for discussion and Q&A.
In person or online.
Offered freely (donations welcome).
Please preregister using the button below. You will need to create an account within our booking software (‘Momoyoga’). If you are attending over Zoom, the link will be provided in a confirmation email.
Thursdays Yoga + Meditation
Go deeper into 100 Days of Care by learning to settle your nervous system and come home to your body with gentle yoga, in combination with meditation.
Thursdays 7:30pm (75 mins)
(Eastern Time | Toronto/New York)
with Heather Fenton — Cultivate physical and mental suppleness in a 75-min class blending movement and meditation.
In these weekly sessions, we will explore embodying through movement the journey of 100 Days of Care together, learning to care for ourselves (and others) more deeply, and navigating the path of awakening through the lens of the ten ‘far-reaching’ attitudes. There will be opportunity for discussion and Q&A.
The Thursday sessions include yoga movement that will be gentle and accessible for all levels.
In person or online.
CAD$108 for a 14-week pre-registered series, Sept 19 – Dec 19, 2024.
Please preregister using the button below. You will need to create an account within our booking software (‘Momoyoga’). If you are attending over Zoom, the link will be provided in a confirmation email.
Participants’ Feedback from Previous 100 Days Cohorts
“I have participated in 100 Days of Care twice. The first time I was hesitant, because I don’t really like group things, however, the dynamic of this group is fantastic, and really helpful in sticking with it. 100 days is long enough to form a habit, and while I am not as diligent when the 100 days are over, it certainly has helped me maintain and develop my practice. I’m looking forward to the next session and especially adding the workbook!”
— Skytree S.
“Sharing with others was comforting. I appreciated the reminder each day, regardless of the size of the gesture to self. This has come at a time that I need a deep reset.”
— Elaine R.
“Thank you Heather for the 100 Days of Care. At a time when I was feeling discouraged with my personal practice, the 100 Days was what I needed. It was easy to access the Paramitas teachings on Facebook and they were the right balance of self-inquiry and meditation. The monthly zoom meetings from Stream were a pleasant gift of connection and meditation with the other participants. Your voice and cadence are soothing and radiated with compassion. I am looking forward to the next 100 Days of Care this September.”
— Linda L.
“The gentle, non-perfectionistic, and personalized approach of the 100 Days of Care program made it doable and successful for me. Before starting it both times, I had thought it’d be too long for me to sustain; I hadn’t sustained considerably shorter programs previously. But Heather’s stance and encouragement to flexibly make it what uniquely works for us individually changed my whole experience. Lovingkindness turned inward as well as outward; manageable micro-steps; and with a supportive community — definitely a recipe for successful self-care building for me! This program has helped me build a more solid foundation of practicing what’s good for my heart and what I believe more of is needed in the world.”
— Tara K.
Resting in a Self-Care Mantra
In this 7-min guided meditation, we will use “I care deeply for myself and others” as a loving phrase directed toward our body and mind. You can substitute your personal mantra, words that work to relax and open your heart-mind.
EVERY MOMENT IS A NEW BEGINNING
“It is never too late to turn on the light. Your ability to break an unhealthy habit or turn off an old tape doesn’t depend on how long it has been running; a shift in perspective doesn’t depend on how long you’ve held on to the old view.
When you flip the switch in that attic, it doesn’t matter whether its been dark for ten minutes, ten years or ten decades.
The light still illuminates the room and banishes the murkiness, letting you see the things you couldn’t see before.
Its never too late to take a moment to look.”
Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation
#100daysofcare
The 100 Days of Care daily living retreat is financially supported only by the optional purchase of the Workbook and Thursday series. In the 2,500+ tradition of generosity (dana) of the Buddha, the program and teachings are offered freely.
If you find value in 100 Days and have the means to contribute, we deeply appreciate donations. Even a modest donation makes a difference, helping to cover the cost of this website and the livelihood of the teacher, who offers her time and experience freely.
Your generosity means we can continue to offer valuable programs that are free, so that many living beings can benefit. Thank you for your support!
About the Author/Facilitator
Heather Finlayson Fenton combines 25 years of Buddhist meditation training with a lifelong interest in mental and physical health. She takes joy in community practice and teaches from the heart with warmth, compassion and humour. Heather offers regular meditation sessions, workshops and retreats. Her main interests are introducing and supporting simple meditation and mindfulness practices and encouraging others — whatever their background or beliefs — to build and sustain a daily (or daily-ish) practice of stillness and inner reflection.
Heather and her husband, Michael, operate Stream Yoga + Meditation on their rural property on the east side of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, very near to the shores of Lake Erie. In 2019, they built “the Hut” at Stream (as it’s affectionately known). This unique octagonal temple/yoga studio is an expression of their wish to benefit living beings by creating a sacred space for the exploration of yogic, contemplative and human well-being practices of body and mind.
Since the onset of the pandemic of 2020, all Stream programs have been simultaneously offered live online through Zoom. The September 2024 cohort of 100 Days of Care will be the third time Stream has offered this program, and the first time with the newly published 100 Days of Care Workbook.
In addition to regular weekly sessions, workshop and retreats, Heather is available for one-on-one meditation mentoring. Please reach out with any questions at hello@gentlydownthestream.org.
100 Days of Care is a program in regular rotation at Stream Yoga + Meditation
Weekly classes, pre-registered courses, workshops and retreats.
(in person and online)
819 Weaver Road, Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, L3K 5V3
Call/Text: 905.401.YOGA (9642)
Email: hello@gentlydownthestream.org
Join our Facebook Group
Meet like-minded friends, give and get support in our private Facebook group:
Follow us on Instagram @100.days.of.care
Spread the word by tagging us @100.days.of.care and use the hashtag #100daysofcare with your social media content!