with Bill MacMillen and John McHarris

In our modern world, we have countless ways to stay busy, informed, entertained, and otherwise distracted from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. We can easily spend our entire day completely disconnected from our actual experience and unaware of what thoughts and mind-states we are cultivating throughout our busy days. If we do have a moment to stop, we may find that we feel uneasy, agitated, bored, anxious, stressed, in despair, or otherwise uncomfortable in our bodies and our minds. 

Fortunately, as so many people throughout the world are discovering, there is another way. Through what the beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh called, “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” we can learn how to be at ease in the present moment. We can learn to use our minds in a way that nourishes our well-being and helps us to feel whole again. Through cultivating mindfulness of the body, breath, and mind, we can learn to develop peace within ourselves and to enjoy the simple experience of being alive.  

In this two-day Introductory Retreat, participants will learn mindfulness and meditation practices that calm and nourish the body and mind. There will be both formal instruction as well as “off-the-cushion” practice in areas such as walking, eating, mindful movements and work meditation. There will be periods of Q&A and deep sharing within a setting that is mostly silent, offering participants the opportunity to retreat from digital devices and other distractions that so often clutter our minds and cover the natural spaciousness that lies beneath the “noise.”

This will be a silent retreat. The silence affords us the opportunity to deepen our meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices presented.

Who is the retreat for?

This retreat will be beneficial for both newcomers to meditation and more experienced mindfulness practitioners with an interest in living with more ease in the present moment. 

Retreat Logistics

This retreat is in-person only (either staying overnight or as a commuter) participation at FCM’s Tampa Center. The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Friday, January 10 and ends after lunch on Sunday at 4:00 pm, January 12. Participation is open to both FCM members and non-members.

The fee for in-person participation is $270 for overnighters and $210 for commuters.

If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

Please note: 

• The deadline for application for this retreat will be December 20. Please understand that this application DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in the retreat; all acceptances are subject to approval. 
• We will notify all applicants by December 23 as to whether or not they have been accepted into the retreat. 
• For those accepted, the fee will then be due by December 27, otherwise the spot will be given to another applicant.
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

New to retreating with FCM? Please visit our FAQs page.

The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves to the students out of gratitude for what they’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. The student’s response is also based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage. All retreat dana will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed. 

Retreat Leaders

Bill Mac Millen has been a Dharma practitioner with the Florida Community of Mindfulness and a student of FCM's teacher Fred Eppsteiner since 2013; in 2018 he completed the three year Dharma Transmission training taught by Fred. Bill was ordained as a member of the Order of Interbeing at Thich Nhat Hahn’s Magnolia Grove monastery in 2019. Aspiring to be of service to the community, he is on the Leadership Council overseeing the area of Center Care and also teaches and facilitates various classes and Intensive study programs offered by FCM.

John McHarris is a Dharma Instructor with the Florida Community of Mindfulness. He has been a student of FCM's teacher Fred Eppsteiner since 2011. John completed FCM's three year Dharma Transmission Group program, and is an ordained member of the Order of Interbeing. He has Co-led various FCM offerings such as the Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation class, FCM Intensives, and Days of Mindfulness. John is the current Chair of FCM's Board of Directors. Although based in Naples, he's also a part-time Tampa resident; in conjunction with FCM's Residency program.

Questions?
For more information, please contact Bill at bmacm21@gmail.com.

with Roshis Chozen and Hogen Bays

Cultivating a truly quiet mind is a main prerequisite or Dharma gate for transformative or awakening insight experiences. In giving instructions for meditation, the Japanese Zen master Dogen wrote: “Think about non-thinking. How to think about non-thinking? Non-thinking.”

What is one to make of this injunction? How can one understand and practice with these instructions? In this four-day silent retreat, drawing upon their many decades of Zen practice and teaching, Roshis Chozen and Hogen Bays will share practical and effective methods for quieting our busy minds in order to cultivate a mind of calm alertness, both on and off the cushion.

A silent Zen meditation retreat can be rigorous and, at times, challenging for some, and is not recommended for beginners. In order to attend in person, it is recommended that you have first attended one of our silent weekend or longer retreats or a four-to-seven day silent retreat at another Buddhist Center.

Registration will close on December 31.

Retreat Logistics

This retreat is in-person only participation at FCM ’s Tampa Center. The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, February 5 and ends after lunch on Sunday, February 9. Participation is open to both FCM members and non-members.

The fee for in-person participation is $360 for overnighters and $280 for commuters, with a $50 deposit required to apply. 

If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

Please note: 

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

The Bay’s teachings will be offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves to the students out of gratitude for what they ’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. As their teachings are offered freely, the student ’s response should also be based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage. All dana collected at the end of retreat will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed.

Retreat Leaders

Roshi Chozen Bays has been the teacher for Zen Community of Oregon since 1985. In 2002 she helped to found Great Vow Zen Monastery and is co-abbot. In 2011 she also helped found Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, Oregon. She has written books on mindfulness and mindful eating, and written articles published in Buddhadharma and Shambhala Sun.

Roshi Hogen Bays began practicing Zen in 1968 with Philip Kapleau, Roshi doing residential training at Zen Center of Rochester and eventually at Zen Center of Los Angeles with Taizan Maezumi Roshi. He continued his Zen studies with Shodo Harada Roshi in Japan and on Whidbey Island from 1990 – 2015. He ’s a psychologist and Naturopathic Doctor (ND). He is co-abbot of Great Vow Zen Monastery.

Questions?
For more information, please contact Angie at parrish26@gmail.com.

with Angie Parrish and David Braasch

The Brahmaviharas, also known as the Four Immeasurables, are four natural, beautiful qualities of heart that - when touched more deeply - open us to experiencing our interconnection with all of life: ourselves, others, and the world around us. These qualities, which include loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, are naturally present in our minds but are often covered over by fear and other emotions that cause us to wall off our hearts. 

Our weekend retreat will focus on practices that will help us to rediscover these beautiful qualities, weaving together teachings on loving kindness with qigong, aligning body, breath, and movement with a loving and open heart. Using guided practices to bring mindfulness of body, heart and mind to both movement and stillness, we will explore how to meet life with equanimity, open-heartedness and compassion, and to work skillfully with obstacles that get in our way.

This will be a silent retreat. The silence affords us the opportunity to deepen our meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices presented.

Who is the retreat for?

This retreat will be beneficial for both newcomers to meditation and more experienced mindfulness practitioners with an interest in living with more ease in the present moment. 

Retreat Logistics

This retreat is in-person only (either staying overnight or as a commuter) participation at FCM’s Tampa Center. The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Friday, March 7 and ends after lunch on Sunday at 4:00 pm, March 9. Participation is open to both FCM members and non-members.

The fee for in-person participation is $180 for overnighters and $140 for commuters.

If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

Please note: 

• The deadline for application for this retreat will be February 6. Please understand that this application DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in the retreat; all acceptances are subject to approval. 
• We will notify all applicants by February 10 as to whether or not they have been accepted into the retreat. 
• For those accepted, the fee will then be due by February 14, otherwise the spot will be given to another applicant.
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

New to retreating with FCM? Please visit our FAQs page.

The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves to the students out of gratitude for what they’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. The student’s response is also based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage. All retreat dana will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed. 

Retreat Leaders

Angie Parrish has been a student of Buddhism and mindfulness for over 20 years. After a 1999 retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, she became a student of Fred Eppsteiner's and a member of the Florida Community of Mindfulness. Angie brought the fruits of her experience in mindfulness and meditation into her professional career as an employee benefits consultant for a wide variety of organizations, including many employee training programs.

Angie is a Dharma Instructor with FCM, having been given permission by FCM’s teacher Fred Eppsteiner to share the Buddha’s teachings with the sangha. She is also a Qualified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and is a frequent teacher of classes and retreats at FCM.

David Braasch has been a student of mindfulness and meditation at the Florida Community of Mindfulness since 2015, where he has taught Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation, Buddhism: The Basics, and Mindfulness for Educators. He has been a student of Tai Chi, Aikido, and is a certified Qigong teacher under Holden Qigong of Santa Cruz, CA.

Questions?

For more information, please contact Angie at parrish26@gmail.com

with Fred Eppsteiner (Save the date)

Description

Save the date for this opportunity to study and experience the wisdom of the Buddha's Dharma.

This retreat is appropriate for practitioners who have a regular meditation practice and have cultivated a stable mind through participation in FCM's Mindful Living Path programs or equivalent courses.

with Fred Eppsteiner (Save the date)

Description

Save the date for this opportunity to study and practice the teachings of the Great Perfection with Fred Eppsteiner.

This wisdom retreat is for experienced practitioners. Please see FCM's Paths of Practice page for more information about the wisdom path.

with Angie Parrish and Bryan Hindert (Save the date)

Description

Beneath our often distracted and sometimes agitated minds, there is a natural and peaceful presence that is always available to us. In this meditation and yoga retreat, the instructors will introduce teachings and practices that will help us relax the body and mind, see through our distractions, and reclaim the presence that we are.

This retreat is appropriate for practitioners of all levels.

Save the Date

with Fred Eppsteiner (Save the date)

Description

Join Fred for this four day exploration of how to become free from this "self" that seems to hold so much sway over our lives.

This retreat is appropriate for practitioners who have a regular meditation practice and have cultivated a stable mind through participation in FCM's Mindful Living Path programs or equivalent courses.

with Bill MacMillen and John McHarris (Save the date)

In our modern world, we have countless ways to stay busy, informed, entertained, and otherwise distracted from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. We can easily spend our entire day completely disconnected from our actual experience and unaware of what thoughts and mind-states we are cultivating throughout our busy days. If we do have a moment to stop, we may find that we feel uneasy, agitated, bored, anxious, stressed, in despair, or otherwise uncomfortable in our bodies and our minds. 

Fortunately, as so many people throughout the world are discovering, there is another way. Through what the beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh called, “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” we can learn how to be at ease in the present moment. We can learn to use our minds in a way that nourishes our well-being and helps us to feel whole again. Through cultivating mindfulness of the body, breath, and mind, we can learn to develop peace within ourselves and to enjoy the simple experience of being alive.  

In this two-day Introductory Retreat, participants will learn mindfulness and meditation practices that calm and nourish the body and mind. There will be both formal instruction as well as “off-the-cushion” practice in areas such as walking, eating, mindful movements and work meditation. There will be periods of Q&A and deep sharing within a setting that is mostly silent, offering participants the opportunity to retreat from digital devices and other distractions that so often clutter our minds and cover the natural spaciousness that lies beneath the “noise.”